New 27fc owner with a question.

[Ufosurfer]

Hey Y’all, got lucky and found a 84 27 fc and getting her up to speed. This site has been invaluable to me so far.
Question. I have a “stuffing box” about 2 feet from tranny that has a hose from exhaust elbow providing cooling water to the “stuffing box”. When engine is running it is dripping more than i think it should. Maybe a pint every five minutes while underway. Can anyone tell me the appropriate drip rate and how to achieve it? I’m a little hesitant to put a big wrench on it at the moment. Thanks!

[ssrig]

Is the stuffing box a dripless type? And is there a valve on the hose coming off the exhaust elbow? I have a A25 and I had something similar that an engine installer had rigged up and after some research found out that having “cooling water” under pressure into the dripless seal was for vessels that went fast! Not our boats!
Mine was spewing water at a greater rate and was determined that it was unnecessary but I do use it to “prime” the bellows on the dripless seal when I splash the boat then I turn the valve off.

[Ufosurfer]

Thanks! Its not a dripless seal. Looks like a traditional stuffing box. Its not the stuffing box but in my mind like a carrier bearing in function i think. No valve on the exhaust water just a free flow hose from a tee at exhaust elbow. Looks like it joins two shafts together.

[Ambler27FC]

Very curios about your configuration. In my A27FC the transmission is a good 6+ feet from the hull penetration with the shaft going mostly through the narrow keel section. Joining two shaft sections together would require flanges and ideally a coupling. That seems too large to fit in the keel.

I’ve heard some boats with the smaller 1” shaft can have an middle bearing for extra support (?). If so you would think the alignment between the transmission, shaft, and bearing wants to be spot on to prevent vibrations and leaks. But I had imagined a sealed bearing would be used.

A pint every 5 min would bother me. I have a drip less, and the keel is bone dry. Tightening the nut on the rudder packing nut required large wrenches. Trying to tighten your stuffing box nut might a good exercise, if only to make sure you have the right tools aboard.

[SalishAire]

A photo would be very helpful here. BTW we run our stuffing box so we drip every 5 seconds or so WHILE UNDERWAY - the ultimate answer is to feel the brass part of the fitting and see if its hot. We had one actually melt the wax before we finally got it set right but no damage at all to the shaft. Also: after far too many hours reviewing information and opinions of what stuffing flax to use we are back to the flax and wax "good old standby".

[Ufosurfer]

Thanks again. I’ll post a photo tomorrow. I may be be overlooking the obvious or my memory may be inaccurate. However the flow rate is more than you guys say is normal.

[Ufosurfer]

This is the source of my leak. You can see the hose from the exhaust elbow on the left. download/file.php?mode=view&id=25820

[Ufosurfer]

My photo is upside down. Hose on bottom right

[DesertAlbin736]

Regardless, that's a hose coming off the stuffing box which wouldn't be the case with a pure traditional flax packed stuffing box, at least as far as I know. Very different from the traditional stuffing box on my boat. If it was it should be adjusted to drip 2 or 3 drops per minute, maybe 4 or 5 max while underway & no drops when idle. Ours has a flexible stiff rubber hose between the stuffing box & stern tube.

DSCN1991.JPG

All that said, except for the hose it does look somewhat like a traditional stuffing box. Maybe it's some sort of hybrid? Can you haul the boat out the water & disassemble it? If it does have flax or goretex packing maybe it just needs to be repacked.

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[SalishAire]

OK best GUESS: Any stainless needs oxygen to keep from corroding and thus needs moving water (not stagnant (AKA: oxygen depleted)) usually the water coming up the stern tube is considered enough to make this a non-issue with a common stuffing box but maybe someone thought it needed more. Option #2 - a traditional cutlass bearing (supporting the prop shaft where it goes through the stern tube) is lubricated with water usually by groves in the rubber liner of the bearing - maybe someone thought it needed more???? In any case 1) as to the drips, a lot of folks argue for no drips at rest and a few drips underway -we PREFER to have a few drips at rest and more drips underway - in any case this is well within the ability of a bilge pump to keep the water controlled (we find this just make it easier to confirm it is getting cooled and lubricated and really more drips the better as far as the stuffing is concerned). 2) changing the stuffing is EASIER in some ways while the boat is in the water, if the cutlass bearing is in good shape it will keep the flow will within the capacity of the bilge pump and at the end of the process you have an easier time setting the tightness of the stuffing nut - it can be done wet or dry but having done a 60,0000 lb boat wet it does really work (it is easier if you've done it once and recorded the thickness of the stuffing to use and how many rings you need. Again - I advocate for avoiding teflon and graphite stuffing (read Nigel Calder's works to understand why). Good luck - new learning opportunity!

[Ambler27FC]

I think I agree with SailishAire. That looks like a re-purposed through-hull fixture used in the middle of the shaft. With a single hose and no water flowing through the seal it seems like you might need a drip to have some sort of water flow. I have no experience with intermediate shaft supports, but would have expected a stainless machinery bearing (packed with lubricant held in place with rubber seals).

With a support that close to the engine, might be worthwhile to check your coupling alignment and motor mounts.

[Ufosurfer]

Thanks Y’all. Flax and wrenches it is. My only experience is with dripless seals. Looks like its time to learn a new boat. And a fine one she is.