Dripless shaft packing

[rlstewart]

I am about ready to change the shaft packing on my 2000 C-34. The boat currently has teflon flax (from the factory). I have had very little leakage and only have had to tighten the nut once or twice (no complaints!!)

However, I am thinking about changing to the moldable stuff from West Marine, I would appreciate any comments about doing this

  How long have you used

  Any leakage

  Would you recommend to use

Ron Stewart
Boomerang
Hull 1481

[Mark Wey]

Ron I only have one question. Why change it if there is no problem. Go sailing instead.

Merry Christmas

Mark Wey

[bjmansfield]

Ron:

A lot of people on the sailnet list have switched to this and give it rave reviews as is much less expensive and much easier to install than the west marine stuff and is truly "dripless":

http://www.e-marine-inc.com/products/gfopacking/packing.html

suggest you check this out.

[john daley]

When I launched my C34 in 2000 I followed some of the other local boats and installed a "blue water seal" that was supposed to take away any worries of having the conventional packing system it came with. Well the "blue water seal" has been a pain in the a** and has caused considerable cost and trouble. I should have stayed with what was in place.I wouldn't change anything.

[Ted Pounds]

Ron,

I used the West Marine stuff for a few years.  It's worked well, but it was a pain to install.  It's not very "moldable".  I just pulled the shaft in the process of replacing the cutless bearing and other stuff and I'm replacing it with the GFO packing.  The GFO packing is much cheaper and easier to install and reputed to be as dripless.  Sounds like that's what you have in there already so I, also, would suggest leaving it alone.

Ted

[captran]

When I bought my C 34 (a 1997 used) I changed to a PSS Dripless system before using the boat, mostly because I found myself contantly adjusting the packing nut on my Newport 30, with it dripping either too much or too little.  It had the old style packing.  I found that in large side or following seas I have gotten a high pitched squeal three times in 2 years.  Nothing appears to be wrong...there's no movement of the collar (it's all marked on the shaft), and seems to have been installed with the proper amount of tension.  But somethings going on down there.  Now every day or two I "bleed" the thing which I should only have to do when I put it in the water the first time each year.  That has worked at preventing the noise but is more worrysome than dealing with the original system.  I vote with the others...IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT!

[calewis]

I am using the moldable dripless packing. Speaking to people with the PSS Shaft seal, it does need frequint bleeding. It was mentionted that a squeal developed while in following seas. That has occured due to air getting in there. When a diver cleans the bottom of your boat. He will get air into the shaft seal as well. It does require frequent bleeding. The  access is easy to the shaft, but I would hate pulling apart and making my bed that often. I know of one person who ran a hose off the bleed fitting and T'd into the raw water line prior to it T'ing into the exhaust hose.I do not know the details of how he did it but he has had no problems.

[tandm]

Peregrine has a PSS Dripless shaft seal, installed by the previous owner. I have never heard as much as a peep let along a squeak. I have the bottom cleaned by a diver and haul the boat once a year.   Maintenance has consisted of an occasional inspection and  "burping" before motoring away from the lift after a haulout.

td
Peregrine #543

[Jeff Tancock]

I also had a PSS installed four years ago. Not a single problem yet. Just burp on launching after haulout.

[jentine]

I installed a PSS dripless seal about two years ago and had a problem on two occasions.  Each time the squeal occured, I had been motoring for more than 5 hours (a truly rare occasion).  I burped the seal and it was no problem for several days.  The boat is only hauled every two to three years, so air is not the problem.  I called PSS and they said they had no knowledge of this problem from others.  
Now that I know what the squeal is, it is no longer a problem.  The next time, I will simply burp the seal.
Jim Kane

[tandm]

It is possible for the bellows to rupture but what is the probability?  I think very low and I don't think that the odds of other types of shaft seal failing is zero either.

Also, I hardly consider taking the minute or so to burp the thing once a year a real inconvenience.

But to each his own.

td
Peregrine #543

[captran]

It's reassuring to hear from others about the occassional squeal.  In bringing Voyager down the ICW from Georgia I put in some pretty long days and never had a sound.  And motoring across the gulf stream against 3-5 foot seas, still nothing, and thats an 11 hour motor.  But twice, in following seas,that first summer, I heard the sqeal.  Throttled down to idel, checked everything, which looked OK, burped it (which takes about three seconds, not including the minor inconvenience of opening the aft bed) and I continue on my merry way.  The second summer of cruising, no noise for many days until one day in a following sea, and the squeal reappears.    If I anticipate a following sea, I make sure to burp it before getting underway, and I had no reoccurring squeal since this miraculous (sic) discovery "cure".  Until I discovered that, I was ready to trash the whole PSS seal idea, and I may do just that the next time the cutlass needs replacing, given comments from others on some of the new packing materials on the market.  I only use Voyager about 2 1/2 months out of the year and keep her dry and on the hard in between.  But when I do use her, we head to the Bahamas where services might not be readily available.  We put on alittle over 150 hours per year on the engine, usually 2 weeks in 8-11 hour trips, with an hour or two per day once we're there to keep the batteries up for the fridge.

[Norris Johnson]

Ron, where do you get the Gore packing. I'm on the original packing and I have 300 hrs on the engine. I have to be close to running out of adjustment.

I looked in West Marine and Boat US. No luck!

Thanks

[jentine]

Ron,
The reason that most of us switched to a PSS shaft gland is that we are tired of sayers of great products to reduce or eliminate the drip.  Flax drips; teflon wears out; Gore-Tex??????????
How many boats have sunk or had other near disasters from other problems such as broken hoses, borken through-hull valves, running aground .... the list goes on.  Your assertion that the PSS dripless seal is inferior because you have knowledge of two isolated incidents is irresponsible.
On the mere chance that the bellows is rendered useless, the flow can be stemmed by simply tieing a rag around the inflow, long enough for assistance to arrive.  I changed to the PSS shaft seal in the water at my mooring.  I can change back again.  
Jim Kane

p.s.  Do you have stock in Gore-Tex?

[Norris Johnson]

Thanks for the response Ron. I found Gore Tex packing at:

e-marine-inc.com/products/gfopacking

You get 2 ft for 9.95 plus 5.00 for shipping.

Thanks again.