Flax packing and related

[speakrdude]

Hello all. Looking for a little Proactive advise.

I am working on an 88 300 Weekender some of you have already assisted me with. I am to the point of finishing up the bottom sanding / refinishing and going to put back on the trailer to do the rest of the engine install.

I have yet to sand the old bottom paint from the "tunnels" where the props and shafts reside. My thoughts were to pull the props, (bought a prop puller), pull the shafts, remove the struts, sand, refinish, polish up the bronze, reseal, then install new packing and or cutlass bearings.

Am I in for a huge job? If it ain't broke, should I go ahead and break it anyway?

The boat probably hasn't been in the water for 5 years or so. Does that mean the packing is automatically bad?

Thanks

 

[tomk]

I would for sure do the new cutlass bearing and packing ,I would probally leave the strut Alone if it Aint boke don't need to mess with it ,On the cutlass bearing you can take the set screws out ,cutting along the center line of the shaft with A sawsall to VERY CAREFULLY cut the old cutlass bearing and then a sharp chisel then fold it in on it's self

 

[tobnpr]

Do the bearings need replacement? Are they worn? If not, I'd leave well enough alone.
Removing the struts serves no purpose if they're not leaking at the base.
Pulling the shafts may not be an easy- or possible- task if they've not been done recently. Sometimes they need to be cut as they cannot be removed from the coupler...ask me how I know this...

Me, if there's no problem with the shafts or bearings I'd leave them be and just repack the stuffing boxes...

 

[Redhook98]

Do the bearings need replacement? Are they worn? If not, I'd leave well enough alone.
Removing the struts serves no purpose if they're not leaking at the base.
Pulling the shafts may not be an easy- or possible- task if they've not been done recently. Sometimes they need to be cut as they cannot be removed from the coupler...ask me how I know this...

Me, if there's no problem with the shafts or bearings I'd leave them be and just repack the stuffing boxes...

+1 :thumbsup:

 

[Captain Crispy]

You definitely should replace the shaft stuffing boxes, and you might as well do the rudder posts while you are on it. Use the newer PTFE infused synthetic stuffing rather than the old fashioned type. There is a thread on here where the poster shows how to do it, and he devised a cheap tool using a small tube of PVC cut lenthwise to push the stuffing firmly down into the gland.

I am going to disagree with tobnpr on the cutlass bearing. The boat is out of the water, you have the puller for the prop, go ahead and do it while you are on the hard. The cutlass bearing is rubber, and it has been out of the water for 5 years. Exposure to air and sunlight deteriorates rubber and I doubt they were new when the boat was hauled out. Replace them, you will feel better about it.

 

[speakrdude]

All good advise. Thank you very much.

 

[rondds]

A very wise man told me to get a shoulder up under the prop shaft aft of the strut and push up. If there is little to no play, leave the cutlass bearings alone. These wear out over time but drying out (from the boat being on the hard for 5 years) is probably not a factor.

Repacking the shaft logs would be wise, however. DO NOT waste your time with wax rope. Buy this stuff. It just about turns conventional stuffing boxes into dripless, minimizes heat and friction buildup and lasts much longer.

http://www.e-marine-inc.com/products/gfopacking/packing.html

I'm not sure but West Marine may have started selling this stuff now. I've always ordered it from these guys.

 

[speakrdude]

Thanks All. I will order the new stuff. Anyone know, off the top of there head, what size I need for the shaft and rudder post for this model? Did I read 1/8" somewhere?

 

[tobnpr]

Doubt it's 1/8"- never even seen packing that small.
Most likely 1/4" or 5/16".

I'll add one thing... check the hardware holding the running gear (struts and rudders). Often on our older boats- particularly if they've been neglected, the bolts, nuts and washers holding them on the inside of the hull can be badly corroded. This is often the case with the rudder posts if they've been seeping saltwater onto the bolts. This would be a good time to install new hardware and re-do any corroded bonding wire connections.

 

[rondds]

My packing is 1/4". I think most boats our size are 1/4"