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Re-Packing Stern gland


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Hi all,

 

I'm new to boating (bought my first narrowboat a month ago) and believe the stern gladn needs repacking.

 

I'm quite handy and am assuming this is something I can do as the boat doesn't need to be out of the water?

 

Are there any good guides on how to do it? Also do I know which gland to buy?

 

Any advice much appreciated!

 

Thanks

 

Malcolm

 

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Hi all,

 

I'm new to boating (bought my first narrowboat a month ago) and believe the stern gladn needs repacking.

 

I'm quite handy and am assuming this is something I can do as the boat doesn't need to be out of the water?

 

Are there any good guides on how to do it? Also do I know which gland to buy?

 

Any advice much appreciated!

 

Thanks

 

Malcolm

 

Why ? is it dripping much?

there are quite a few threads here if you do a search.

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The difference between the shaft and the stern tube is packed with a rope like packing which has grease pumped into it. If the grease and by tightening the adjustment clamps do not stop a drip when the shaft is still then you need to add more packing.

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Lets go back to the beginning,

 

What makes you think it needs repacking?

 

It may only need adjustment.

 

Does it stop dripping, assuming it does drip, when you adjust the greaser.

 

To adjust, just tighten the two bolts/nuts equally, ¼ turn at a time, to know when adjusted correctly, you should still be able to turn the prop shaft by hand.

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Is it dripping once a second, once a minute or once an hour ?

 

Once a scond is far too much. Anything less than once a minute is probabay OK.

 

Tighten the pusher as shown above, but you don't want it too tight so the tube gets hot when running. The water helps with cooling and lubrication.

 

Usually a turn on the greaser (after stopping for the day) will slow or even stop the drips.

 

Most people put a small bucket or w h y under the gland so that the water is easily disposed of.

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It is essential if you repack the gland with new correct size material to do it correctly. each piece should be cut with a small gap allowed when round the shaft, once inserted the next piece follows with the gap 180 degrees opposite from the first, the next reversed again. Once the gland is "full", add some outer grease and replace the packing plate tightening up each side half a turn apiece until firm and no dripping is visible. At the same time check the stern tube greaser works and refill.

Edited by Laurence Hogg
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Laurie Booth has attached a little diagram of a conventional sterngland, the bit labelled 'pusher' gets pushed into the tube and squeezes the packing, if it has all but disappeared into the tube and there is only a little thread left to tighten the nuts then you need to repack it, if there is still a lot of thread and 'pusher' showing then just nip the nuts up a bit to slow the drips down if excessive. If it continues to drip a lot then tell us and someone will be along to advise.

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Gland packing is generally either 1/4in or 5/16 square.

 

It is important that you buy the correct one. Measure the diameter of the shaft and the outside diameter of the gland follower and subtract one from the other to find the correct size.

 

You need to dig the old packing out before you re-pack with new packing. Last one I did I used an electric screwdriver and kept picking at it till I could feel hard metal at the bottom of the stuffing box all the way round the circumference of the shaft.

 

If the packing is a little tight to push in give it a little tap with a hammer to thin it out a bit in one plane so it pushes in nicely

  • Greenie 1
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This website from Tony Brooks explains how to do it. Tony stresses the importance of removing the old stuff. I have a little dentist's mirror which is quite handy for looking down the slot around the prop shaft. I repack about once every 7 years, but that's just my experience.

 

http://www.tb-training.co.uk/10sgear.htm

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You need to dig the old packing out before you re-pack with new packing. Last one I did I used an electric screwdriver and kept picking at it till I could feel hard metal at the bottom of the stuffing box all the way round the circumference of the shaft.

 

 

 

To remove the packing on my stern gland. I get a long screw, screw it into the packing then pull the screw out, the screw will have the packing attached to it.

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Or my favourite gland unpacking tool when I were a lad in't merchant navy....

 

A welding rod with one end ground to a point then the last 3/8in nipped in a vice and tapped round to make a sharp right angle

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Or my favourite gland unpacking tool when I were a lad in't merchant navy....

 

A welding rod with one end ground to a point then the last 3/8in nipped in a vice and tapped round to make a sharp right angle

In my tool kit I have...

https://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?products_id=780047&vat_inc=true&gclid=CMTiofn8ndACFekp0wod5sIIuQ

 

haps.jpg

edit to add image

Edited by WotEver
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curlass24, on 09 Nov 2016 - 6:06 PM, said:

Thanks for the advice!

 

It drips quite a lot if i don't put lots of greese on and titghtned th nut fter cruissing for an hour or more so am assuming it needs doing shortly

 

 

post-9683-0-00970000-1478698180_thumb.gi

 

?confused? - me

 

"don't put lots of greese on and titghtned th nut"

 

The diagram above and copied text confuses me somewhat - the most important bit missing is that there should be a greaser tube and a short bit of pipe running into the gland about where the end of the arrow by 'pusher' is.

Just greasing the shaft by the adjuster or within it won't be a lot of use.

The greaser is usually a brass tube threaded at either end - like this -

 

16056_450_450.jpg

 

You remove the tube fill it with (preferably) water repellent grease such as Morriss' K99 and wind the handle down to grease the stern tube.

 

Nobody has mentioned this and it may be the missing link.

OR

I'm misinterpreting the Op's statement above.

 

(Often the tube assembly is mounted remotely from the stern tube and no immediately obvious what it does.....

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