I've been doing a lot of motoring lately and within the last week I noticed that my stuffing box, which is of course easily visible in the bilges under the V drive has started to leak, about 1 drop every 5 seconds....
Theoretically I know how to fix this. Back off the lock nut and tighten the packing nut a bit till it stops dripping run the engine make sure it stays cool, is dripping maybe adrop every couple minutes tighten the lock nut back down...
but on initial inspection there does't appear to be a lock nut... just one nut with two seperate purchases (Picture posted) I use a pipe wrench and a packing nut wrench and tried to break it apart as if it's two nuts but no luck... it does appear to be one nut (strange... or isn't it??)... so I tried to get a purchase on the threaded b it and turn the nut as one nut... no luck... although I didn't try to hard, it's hard to get a purchase on the threaded section and the bit with the pipe and clamps twist when I do this which makes me uncomfortable (I don't want to break the pipe clamps loose or anything, then I'd have a much bigger problem on my hands.... after fiddling with it the stuffing box is now leaking a bit faster, about a drop a second...
any recomendations appreciated.
Yup, that's what it looks like. The lock nut is the set of flats closest to the piece of hose -- the shaft log (nearest the propeller). The packing gland is the nut with the set of flats closest to the v-drive. You can see both of them in the picture, what you can't see, and what will make perfect sense once you've taken them apart, is how they go together.
Use some PB Blaster on the threads, particularly where the lock-nut and the packing gland nut come together. Let it work into the threads -- then you should be able to back off the lock-nut and tighten the packing gland a quarter to half a turn. If you don't know when the packing material was last replaced -- you should do that now or certainly when you pull the boat. After you tighten or replace the packing material you should run the engine -- turning the shaft -- to make sure the packing gland isn't running too hot.
Figure 4 in this (so-so) article shows how it is put together.
http://www.diybob.com/diyPackingGland.htm
Good luck.
Ok, thank... I'll get back in here with some more elbow grease and see what happens.
Here's a much better posting, with pictures, that walks you through servicing your stuffing box:
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/stuffing_box
Wish these guys had a posting for the Paragon Tranny!!!!!!
This is first class stuff.
MaineSail has the best project summaries I have seen... His detailed description of his installation of NFM SS ports is very, very nice...
Garner
Most likely the electric solinoid valve failed and closed at the fuel tank stopping the flow of fuel. Remove it and put in a mechanical check valve ($12.00).