Lots of water coming into bilge

That's a good idea. I'll do that this evening. Thanks for being so willing to help!

Here is a pic of the rudder arm. This is with the wheel all the way to the port side. I couldn't take a pic of the wheel with the rudder all the way to starboard because it gets too dark back under there.

I just joined the forum yesterday. I grew up with an old '69 Mustang, light green, that my family got rid of 15 or 20 years ago. I just bought a 76 Mustang 17 and found this forum, a month or two ago. What little I knew about working on our old boat when I was in high school, I've mostly forgotten.

I have two immediate problems I need to fix: a good bit of water in the bilge when it sits for any significant time (so I hang it between ski rides), and a steering system that's way too difficult to turn. For the steering problem, I bought a new cable from White Lake Marine, and intend to try to replace the old one this weekend. I think I've read most of the threads on here about steering cable replacement, and they're all very helpful. However, I have a question that's more basic than most folks ask -- what do I have to do to access the steering cable aft? Will I be able to see if simply by pulling the back seat, or do I need to pull the seat, and then pull carpet, and then pull the rear deck? Maybe all this will be obvious when I get to the boat on Friday evening (it hangs at our River cabin in Alabama), but I would appreciate even the most basic information you can offer. Also, I bought the Clevis /adaptor for older boats; will its use be obvious when I unhook the old cable?

On the flax nut, I guess I have the same question -- do I understand correctly that it's accessible through the round port, just aft of the engine cover? I'm concerned that the amount of water I have coming in exceeds what I should expect even from a loose shaft nut, but I won't really know that until I take a look, with the boat sitting in the water.

Also, where do I buy flax (or is goretex, now?), and in what size? Also, what size is my shaft, so I can buy a dowel to use as a jig to cut the right size piece (pieces??)? How many pieces of flax inside the nut? And where do I get a pick (or do I just buy an ice pick and bend the end)?

Thanks for any information you have.

Pope

Thank you. All very helpful information. The nut can't be pulled off without undoing the shaft, right? So if I want to clean out the packing with the shaft still connected, I need to do that with a pick.

I think I just need to get back into the boat (2.5 hours away) this weekend, and see what I see. I know it was very well maintained before I got it; one owner boat, has run well since I bought it in June.

I followed your re-build. Great stuff. Thanks.

Pope

Oops here's the pic.

ha thanks Lee. Do you do most of your boating on Lake Austin? Our boats don't make very good Travis boats most of the time.

When I look at that picture, and read the tutorial on repacking the shaft seal nut, I wonder about the stainless yoke just up the shaft. Does that set screw have to be loosened and that donut moved? Or can the female nut with the packing be undone enough to use a pick and pick out the old flax, without moving that donut? Sorry for these basic questions, but when I jump into this project myself tomorrow evening, I'd like to know what I'm getting into. I received the packing today from White Lake Marine (both flax and Goretex), but I would appreciate any other "repacking the gland seal nut for dummies" advice that I can get.

Pope

You don't have to remove the shaft to repack the stuffing box.



More pics and instructions here: http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/stuffing_box

FWIW, when I picked up my boat last year, the leak looked more like a slow-flowing garden hose.

Could I try just tightening down the larger brass nut some more would that fix it or do I actually need to take it apart and repack it?

If you look on my picture above, the silver collar on the driveshaft above the packing seal looks pretty close to the nut for the packing seal. I'm not sure if once I loosen the nut if I can get it high enough to change out the seal. I tried to loosen the nut tonight but it wouldn't budge so I think I need to hit it with some PB Blaster or something.

LakeAustin wrote: If you look on my picture above, the silver collar on the driveshaft above the packing seal looks pretty close to the nut for the packing seal. I'm not sure if once I loosen the nut if I can get it high enough to change out the seal. I tried to loosen the nut tonight but it wouldn't budge so I think I need to hit it with some PB Blaster or something.

As mentioned to Pope above, just loosen the set screw on the safety collar and move it forward.

The nut won't "budge"? Did you back off the jam nut behind the packing nut? A penetrating oil isn't needed - it's a bronze or brass nut!!