[C38] stuffing box

[Patrick Harpole]

Dan,
I feel I did knock the cable off. 
 That would save me a lot of time and $.
Thanks,
Patrick
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: dmills3 at comcast.net 
  To: Catalina 38 Listserve 
  Sent: Sunday, October 30, 2011 5:31 AM
  Subject: Re: [C38] stuffing box


  Patrick, these directions are to be used if you are in the starboard quarter berth looking at the stuffing box. There are two nuts on the threaded shaft that make up the the stuffing box unit. The widest is to you right and towards the bow. It should be about an inch and a half wide and the shaft goes through it and the stuffing is in it. The second one is only about a quarter inch wide, it is behind the larger nut and towards the stern on the threaded section and is a lock nut. If the unit looks that rusty spray some PB Blaster on it.

  Take two wrenches (pipe wrenches if you want but they do make thin wrenches specifically for the job). Put the first one on the front nut (the widest nut), the wrench should lay to the starboard side ( you may want to put something heavy on it because you don't want it to move). Put the second wrench on the lock nut in a standing up position. It has to turn clockwise to move away from the other nut. Tap on the second wrench towards the port side of the boat. When it comes loose, back it up a couple of turns.

  Now take the first wrench and stand it up and push it towards the port side. Just turn it a little at a time, just a little, you don't want to make it too tight. What you are doing is compressing the packing material around the shaft. As you turn it the dripping should get less. Let it sit a couple of minutes. If it is still dripping turn it a little more and wait again. You only want to tighten it just enough that the dripping almost stops. You want it to drip about one drop every thirty or forty seconds. You don't want it to be so tight that it doesn't drip. In my opinion the little drip helps lubricate the shaft and prolongs the life of the stuffing. If it is too tight the stuffing will get dry and may score the shaft.

  I think your transmission problem it you accidentily knock the cable away from the shifting lever. Once when I was working on mine the ventilation hose got positioned under the lever and it was hard to shift the lever and I thought I hurt something but it was just the hose in the wrong position and it wouldn't let the lever move.

  Good luck. It really isn't that hard a job, it's just that you're in close quarters.

  Dan #108





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  From: "Patrick Harpole" <1derful at comcast.net>
  To: "Catalina 38 Listserve" <listserve at catalina38.org>
  Sent: Sunday, October 30, 2011 2:44:11 AM
  Subject: Re: [C38] stuffing box



  Don,
  Sorry I missed you.  I tried tightening it with a pipe wrench...it is rusted.  Now the transmission doesn't work.

  I wonder if I could have wrecked the transmission by torqueing it to much.  It won't go in reverse and doesn't stay in forward.

  Patrick
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Don Strong 
    To: Catalina 38 Listserve 
    Sent: Saturday, October 29, 2011 4:37 AM
    Subject: Re: [C38] stuffing box


    Patrick: I will be at Emery Cove late PM today and can show you how to tighten the nut on your stuffing box. You may have to replace the packing, which is a bigger job. Try tightening the nut first.
    Don

    On 10/28/11 5:30 PM, Patrick Harpole wrote: 
      Skippers and Skipperettes:
      I have been a member for some time and should know the answer to this question but don't.
      Question: is there some inner sanctum of information that tells us about our Catalina 38?
      Currently my stuffing box is leaking and needs repair before she rests on the bottom of the bay.
      Patrick
      P.S.  Do I just tighten something?

       

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-- 
Donald R. Strong
Professor
Dept. of Evolution and Ecology
University of California, Davis 95616

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