Visit our Popular Forums

svnilaya · 11-07-2022, 04:56

My current rudder post is sealed with a traditional stuffing box with a 6 inch section of hardwall rubber hose between the fiberglass riser tube and the stuffing box.

All below the water line.

The problem is the bronze parts have gauled onto the rudder shaft and is spinning inside the hose.

I'm hauling out in a few days to tackle this issue. While the first choice is free the stuffing box and fix it, in the event I can't ... The local chandlery sells Volvo lipseal type stuffing boxes.

Example
https://www.generalpropeller.com/Volvo-Shaft-Seal

I can't think of any reason why these would not work, am I missing something? Are these ok for low speed application?

Manateeman · 11-07-2022, 05:11

Not a big fan of lip seals . Will never use one again on any shaft. Something caused this failure and that’s where we would start.
Manatee crew.

svnilaya · 11-07-2022, 06:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manateeman

Not a big fan of lip seals . Will never use one again on any shaft. Something caused this failure and that’s where we would start.
Manatee crew.

I believe the failure of the current stuffing box arrangement was the previous owner may have let the boat sit in the slip for a while. With not enough pressure on the packing it leaked a little too much...and the wheel may not have been turned for a while.

I didn't notice it right away and it's just got worse.

I think I might be able to get a dripless but they're pretty pricey.

Orion Jim · 12-07-2022, 10:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by svnilaya

My current rudder post is sealed with a traditional stuffing box with a 6 inch section of hardwall rubber hose between the fiberglass riser tube and the stuffing box.

All below the water line.

The problem is the bronze parts have gauled onto the rudder shaft and is spinning inside the hose.

I'm hauling out in a few days to tackle this issue. While the first choice is free the stuffing box and fix it, in the event I can't ... The local chandlery sells Volvo lipseal type stuffing boxes.

Example
https://www.generalpropeller.com/Volvo-Shaft-Seal

I can't think of any reason why these would not work, am I missing something? Are these ok for low speed application?

I would just get the old stuffing box free’d up, and repacked. I have this arrangement and it’s in its 38th year, no issues. Carefully inspect the hose and replace if needed.

ItDepends · 12-07-2022, 12:03

Your description of the problem is almost surely wrong. First, the rudder shaft is not in contact with the bronze parts, second bronze does not “gaul” to stainless. Replace packing and junction hose and all will be fine.

There are serious downsides to lip seals. They work great, until they don’t. A stuffing box never fails catastrophically. It just drips more than you might like. Lip seal and face seals can—and do—fail quickly and totally. To the point you find a travelift NOW or sink.

A lip seal also requires a perfectly smooth shaft. If your has any scoring or pitting a lip seal will fail quickly.

Manateeman · 12-07-2022, 13:01

Reading your post again, I’m confused as to what is stuck to what. It’s pretty straightforward to renew the packing...we would use Teflon impregnated packing and some Tef-Gel on the bronze threads after you have everything cleaned up and polished. Some photos would help or a sketch. Is the rudder shaft loose inside the rudder? Anything else?
The manatee crew

svnilaya · 12-07-2022, 14:07

Thank you everyone i think I will skip the lipseals in the future. We got hauled.

I got it all part. I maybe wasn't clear in the op, but it is as i expected.

There's a fiberglass tube glassed into the hull that the rudder shaft enters thru. Atop this was a bronze stuffing box that was connected to the FG tube with hardwall hose.

The bronze was very much stuck on the rudder shaft. It took a lot of wd40 and hammering to get that thing unstuck.

I think I know what happened. There was a small 1/2 inch crack in the tube so someone used a larger size hose and pushed it down farther on the FG tube to cover the crack. Then tried to clamp the oversized hose onto the stuffing box.

It didn't work, which caused the stuffing box to spin in the hose and leak. And over time salt or corrosion stuck it on really well.

Got it all off, cleaned up. Grinded down the glass a bit and added a couple layers of new fiberglass on the tube and we'll put it back together correctly in a couple days. Hopefully leak free. 🤞

conj · 09-12-2022, 17:03

Just further on this Thread, I'm not totally across the mechanics here but I also have a traditional type stuffing box on my rudder and have noticed it has been leaking. I guess i can tighten up the gland but unsure how tight is tight. Any opinions or procedure here.
I will probably have to get it re-stuffed at some point on next haul out but in the mean time, hoping to stop the leak.

HeywoodJ · 09-12-2022, 17:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by conj

Just further on this Thread, I'm not totally across the mechanics here but I also have a traditional type stuffing box on my rudder and have noticed it has been leaking. I guess i can tighten up the gland but unsure how tight is tight. Any opinions or procedure here.
I will probably have to get it re-stuffed at some point on next haul out but in the mean time, hoping to stop the leak.

Unless I'm missing something, you stuffing box is already as tight as it goes. Normally for that style of stuffing box I would expect to see a gap of 3-6mm (1/8-1/4") between the flanges. Having no gap means the collar is bottomed out and you can't get tighter. But, you can also add a ring of packing in the water. Cut it to size around the shaft above the box, the ease the nuts on the box almost all the way up the studs, lift the collar, slide the packing ring in place, bolt it all back together. Unless there is no packing in the box currently this should not result in much of a leak while you are working ("should" being the operative word - YMMV- be prepared).

conj · 09-12-2022, 18:06

Thanks...
It does look like it's fairly hard down.
Will see what I can do with extra packing but am a bit nervous whilst she is in the water. Always prepared for the worst..👍

HeywoodJ · 09-12-2022, 18:12

If you are truly worried in the water, go to the hardware store and get a toilet bowl wax ring for a few $. Jump in the water with the wax, and shove it around the annulus of the rudder shaft where it enters the hull. Instant dam that will keep water out. For a rudder shaft you probably don't even need to remove (I have done the same thing many times with prop shafts, remove the wax when done so water can get to the stuffing box for cooling).