prop shaft packing

[sailtl]

I need to redo the gland packing on my 99 Epic 21. Has anybody done the job? Does the prop shaft have to come out?

[cyclone]

See the how to page for instructions

[krejciman]

I read the PDF, but how do you know when your shaft needs re-packing?  

(I know there's a joke in there somewhere)

[eagle1wi]

Pretty much you know when you can't get the shaft to stop leaking by tightening the packing nut thingy.  If you don't notice the dripping slowing down after a quarter or a half turn keep going a bit more, if you run out of threads or the shaft goes from leaking to binding up you need to redo it.  I have a ton of hours (over 750) on my boat and need to give that thing a quarter turn probably every 50 hours or so.  I think it has been repacked twice (I forget sometimes) so if you have low hours on you will probably be able to spin it at get it to stop.

Craig

[cyclone]

The semi-official (read it once but it's late..) spec is to observe the packing nut while running in forward gear but idling (shaft turning) and see less than three drops leakage per 10 seconds. If more than that, stop the engine, pull the cotter pin and turn by hand the stop nut 1/8 turn, test again.

OR put in a bigger bilge pump!:)