[C38] Rudder post packing gland, my experiences.

[Les]

JACE has the triangular plate type of packing gland also.  In addition,
the rudder quadrant is in the way, and I don't see either the quadrant
or its collar in the photo.  I was wondering what you did to get under
it?

I know that there is a better way, but I don't know what it is.  Rich,
you sound like you have the same design I do.  Is your quadrant
(actually a disk I think) immediately above the packing gland?

Regards,
Les H

On Wed, 2009-07-29 at 14:24 -0700, Richard West wrote:
> Wow, for what it's worth, your packing gland is very different from
> mine.  Mine has triangular plates with thee screws and just enough
> room for about one ring of packing and no real cutout to hold it in
> place.  Equally hard to work on though!
> 
> Rich, Legacy, #360, San Diego
> 
> On Wed, Jul 29, 2009 at 1:49 PM, D. R. Strong <drstrong at ucdavis.edu>
> wrote:
>         In response to requests for my packing gland packing
>         experiences. This is really fun stuff (sarcasm intended).
>         
>         1.  I tried both the classical and the Teflon packing, and
>         vastly prefer the latter. It is tougher, takes the abuse of
>         insertion better, and it seems logical that the Teflon type
>         should last longer. I don't remember the size of the packing
>         material; middle size, not the largest or smallest. I removed
>         the old stuff and the West Marine gal  helped me find the
>         right size.   To save repeated trips, I bought three packages
>         of  the two sizes that seemed right, then returned the unused.
>         WM readily takes refunds with receipt (because they know that
>         boat addicts cannot resist a purchase each and every time they
>         enter the store).
>         
>         2. I removed the old packing with a tiny screw driver. A trick
>         taught me by Cree at Berkeley Marine Center is to make up your
>         new material on the exposed rudder post, up by the tiller
>         attachment (careful, don't let the rudder sink to the bottom
>         of the marina when you remove the tiller handle attachment!).
>         Or, you could mic the post and use another pipe of exactly the
>         same diameter. Coil the new packing material around around the
>         post three times. Cut through the coil on a 45 degree angle
>         with a sharp razor blade; this must be pretty easy because I
>         got it right the first time. The razoring of three wraps
>         procedure gives you three perfect segments, all with good cut
>         angles. Treat them carefully, especially the cut edges.
>         
>         3. Grease the post and the new packing material just before
>         you begin.  This will allow the material to readily slide into
>         the slot. I'm proud of having thought of this, but feel stupid
>         that I labored for hours ---butchering several packages of
>         packing trying to get the material into the slot ---before the
>         Lord delivered the grease idea on to me (pay off for
>         memorizing the 23 Psalm at 8). I used water proof marine
>         grease meant for bearings on boat trailer wheels.
>         
>         4. Insert the coils with 66 degrees of rotation between the
>         cuts, so as to isolate them maximally from each other. 
>         
>         5. Use the ring on the sliding, unfixed, bottom half  (bronze
>         color above the green base in the photo below) of the gland as
>         a hard tool to "force" ( = easy does it) the coils of packing
>         material in. Twist, pull up, and tap gently (if needs be) on
>         the sliding half with a small (!) hammer or wrench handle to
>         urge the insertion of the coil. DONT TAP TOO  HARD OR YOU WILL
>         DEFORM THE UNIT. (Note, this is the point when your wife will
>         leave the boat owing to the language used by her lover). Note
>         that the packing material on Discreet Charm is inserted
>         upward, into the glassed on, fixed, top half of the unit. 
>         
>         6. I worked from the cockpit, from the top, through the stern
>         lazarette. If you know a 6 year old with really long arms and
>         strong hands (older kids are too big) who will work from
>         below, go for it. My first try (which failed because the
>         insertion of the packing material was sloppy; edges did not
>         line up) gave me a bad bruise across the chest at the point of
>         contact between me and the rim of the lazarette. Place a thin
>         cushion or towel between your chest and the on the rim of the
>         lazarette to prevent this unpleasant trophy of packing gland
>         replacement .
>         
>         Love Don
>          
>         
>         
>         -- 
>         Donald & Karin Strong
>         Discreet Charm
>         Catalina 38
>         San Fancisco Bay
>         

>