Stuffing box

[Pedro]

I'm just wondering how long before you should replace packing in traditional stuffing box on Albin 28 1996, Unknown maintence before 3 years ago, nobody wants to talk about getting down there to change it,they look at it and say "looks good to me,it's dripping" not really what I want to hear ,but these mobile mechanics are real prima donna's,
I'd like to avoid a catastrophic failure,I might just wait until fall and see how tricky it really is to get at,anybody do their own?

[DesertAlbin736]

If you can get to it, and it's much easier if your boat is hauled out & not in the water and you have the old fashioned style stuffing box, it's not that hard to repack with new packing material. You need a couple of large wrenches or large adjustable pliers to back off the packing nut and use a corkscrew like tool to pull out the old packing. The corkscrew extractor tool can be bought where you buy the packing material, like for example this $9 tool from Defender. Can't tell you about dripless ones, have no experience there.

http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?pa ... &id=685625

"looks good to me,it's dripping" is probably a valid assessment, assuming its cool to the touch when underway, but for peace of mind preventive maintenance it's not a big deal to repack, other than if you can't take your boat out of the water that complicates things a bit. Always good to keep an eye on it for adjustment.

I have no idea how hard or easy the stuffing box on a 28TE is to get to, but on the A25 it's a piece of cake.

DSCN1991.JPG

Albin 25 "La Dolce Vita" on the Thames River across from the Nautilus Museum, June 2015

DSCN2541 (1280x960).jpg

ps, before our visit there last year, the last time I was in Groton & New London was sub school and later on the USS Gato docked at the State Pier rafted up next to the old USS Fulton sub tender in '71-'72.

[Jeremyvmd]

On an engine box 28 it can be interesting to get to. It can be done but will take some maneuvering. On shady they pulled the motor to replace the seal. I have a norscot seal on shady and was very happy with its performance, I am putting the same back in with all the other work that's being done.