Stuffing Box versus Dripless Shaft Seal?

T

thepiffs

Member
Joined
May 18, 2016
Messages
10
Fluid Motion Model
C-28
Vessel Name
SPIFF TOO
The stuffing box seal on my 2012 R-27 leaks badly. My two choices seem to be repair or replace with a dripless system.
Can anyone enlighten me on the advantages/disadvantage of this and what are the costs in having a mechanic do either one.
Thanks.
 
dripless still requires maintenance but if you are replacing packing anyway its probably the right time do make the change.
 
Hello,

The packing gland (stuffing box) is a maintenance item that will require adjustment from time to time. If you're unable to tighten it enough to slow the drip, it's most likely time to replace the packing material. If you visit http://www.rangertugs.com/newsletter.aspx and go to our 'summer 2015 factory bulletin' there is a great article on how to properly adjust this.

Please feel free to reach out with any further questions.

Thank you,

Tim
 
I would stay with what you have as far as the setup goes. It is a tried and true method and replacement of the materials is not a big job. Probably the whole process is less than an hour and a half start to finish.
 
thepiffs":10sg7esi said:
The stuffing box seal on my 2012 R-27 leaks badly. My two choices seem to be repair or replace with a dripless system.
Can anyone enlighten me on the advantages/disadvantage of this and what are the costs in having a mechanic do either one.
Click to expand...
First off if you have never tightened the packing that is likely all that is needed. If you have even basic mechanical skills you can do that. If adjusting it doesn't work then it may be necessary to add a ring of packing. Again, not a hard job. If that doesn't work then you may need to re-pack the stuffing box. Less than $10 worth of material and an hour or so of labor. You will need to purchase a pick tool which you can get on Amazon or at a local chandlery for another $10 or so.

If you are uncomfortable/unable to adjust the packing and/or repack the stuffing box yourself then a "dripless" seal may be a good choice. It will likely cost a few hundred dollars in labor and materials to make the conversion but then you're done with it. I'd have it done by someone who can check/correct the engine/shaft alignment while they're at it.
 
NorthernFocus brought up a good point. How many times have you adjusted the packing nut? I suspect that being a 2012 there have been a few adjustments. From what I have seen on other tugs as you go past 1,000 hours or so you get close to needing new packing. I wouldn't just "add" a piece though. Just bite the bullet and pull out all the old material and replace it all and get it over with.
 
NorthernFocus brought up a good point. How many times have you adjusted the packing nut? I suspect that being a 2012 there have been a few adjustments. From what I have seen on other tugs as you go past 1,000 hours or so you get close to needing new packing. I wouldn't just "add" a piece though. Just bite the bullet and pull out all the old material and replace it all and get it over with.
 
A normal shaft seal is supposed to have a tiny drip to lubricate the packing..but that is a tiny bit of water.....

I replaced using a packingless seal...and I love it...no maintenance at all...never ever a leak...never a problem in at least 10 years.... it has a carbon seal running against a polished collar that is tight on the shaft...no friction...just install and forget it.. well worth the $275 I paid for it...and took about 2 hours to install..

Joel
Kea 21' Seahorse Tug
SEA3PO 22' C-Dory
 
anybody managed to install a dripless into a cutwater engine bay? Im not sure it would fit?
 
I had a similar concern, will a dripless fit in an R-27?
 
I have a dripless seal on R 25. If it sits there I believe it’ll fit anywhere. The proper shift had to come out to install, and the boat had to be out of the water. Worth every penny.


Stuart Bell
Ranger 25: Shearwater
(561) 352-1796
 
Besides getting water spray inside your engine bay, what happens if you don’t adjust your stuffing box?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
tatoweb":2vxi03j4 said:
Besides getting water spray inside your engine bay, what happens if you don’t adjust your stuffing box?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Eventually, more water spray and constant dripping when stationary. You want to keep it adjusted so you don't overwork the bilge pump also.
 
.. plus more corrosion if in salt water …
 
Hello, I just purchased a 30" 2016 Cutwater and I'm looking to change out the current stuffing box with a PYI Inc, PSS Type A Shaft Seal. Obviously, it is a tight fit given the length of the PSS versus whats there today. Has anyone been successful replacing their stuffing box with a PSS Type A Shaft Seal? Thanks!
 
What was the length of the driplesss you installed?

captstu":3u30rlzq said:
I have a dripless seal on R 25. If it sits there I believe it’ll fit anywhere. The proper shift had to come out to install, and the boat had to be out of the water. Worth every penny.


Stuart Bell
Ranger 25: Shearwater
(561) 352-1796
Click to expand...
 
Early in our adoption of our Ranger, we developed a very slight leak in the shaft log, dripping just a bit faster than it should. Turns out, with about 400 hours, the packing needed renewal. We just could not get to the shaft to do the job.

We determined to have the conventional shaft log replaced with the dripless shaft seal the previous owner had purchased but never installed. The yard removed the shaft, tested it for true (it was) and replaced the shaft log, charging us about 2 labor hours and saving me hours of pain from the twisting needed to remove the old seal.

The unit, shown below, is about 6 inches long including the bellows that were reused in the installation. It has worked without a drip for about a drip for over 600 hours.

I struggled to post the image of the installed dripless shaft seal. It is at:

http://www.shearwater-sailing.com/wp-co ... r-IV-2.jpg

and can be see on the web site at:

http://www.shearwater-sailing.com/index ... rwater-iv/
 
I have a 2016 cutwater 30 that I changed to a dripless PYI pro seal. It is a project and it takes two people, also the shop had to make up a special wrench with a ratchet welded on it cut down in order to fit inside the flange and trans, there's not a lot of room but it did get installed. I still have the special tool to do it. Good luck gerry
 
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