Lots of water coming into bilge |
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LakeAustin
Newbie Joined: July-30-2010 Location: Austin, TX Status: Offline Points: 23 |
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That's a good idea. I'll do that this evening. Thanks for being so willing to help!
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anthonylizardi
Gold Member Joined: July-25-2007 Location: DFW, TX, USA Status: Offline Points: 836 |
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I had a leak by the exhaust flange. DOn't know why, I had two extra holes. What I did was that I took the boat to lake without the engine cover and floor. I saw the leak quickly. I took the flange out and re-seal with 3M. Easy fix.
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LakeAustin
Newbie Joined: July-30-2010 Location: Austin, TX Status: Offline Points: 23 |
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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.
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jimsport93
Platinum Member Joined: February-20-2008 Location: Alpharetta Ga Status: Offline Points: 1750 |
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Lake, its hard to tell, but looks like there is a lot of crud/grease at the end of the cable where is makes the connection. Could be it is be gunked up with grease/dirt etc. May want to put it to starboard and extend the cable. Possibly wipe off the crud if it is causing it to bind. Just a thought.
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M17
Newbie Joined: August-29-2010 Location: Miss. / Ala. Status: Offline Points: 5 |
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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 |
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Keeganino
Grand Poobah Joined: October-27-2009 Location: North Carolina Status: Offline Points: 2063 |
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Pope Welcome to CCF. Fill out your member profile and get a picture up of your boat. We like pictures! I am not the site expert on anything but I did just rebuilt a 73 skier so I got my feet wet in a hurry. Here is what you are likely to encounter as far as the design of the floor in aft the engine cover. There is a removable section of floor usually made of plywood. The stuffing box for the prop shaft is under the round hatch. You probably do not have to pull up this piece of ply to replace the steering cable. It all depends on how much clearance you have. You may find things under there that you wont like. The stuffing is easy to find. White lake or skidim.com. I could be wrong but I think it is pretty much universal. The best thing to do is to pull the nut off and remove the old stuffing pieces and get your length from that. My took 4 pieces and I think that is pretty standard also. Rudder is packed the same way. The prop shaft seal needs to drip a little bit because it is water lubricated. The rudder does not have to drip. |
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"working on these old boats may not be cost effective but as it shows its what it brings into your life that matters" -Roger
1973 Skier |
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M17
Newbie Joined: August-29-2010 Location: Miss. / Ala. Status: Offline Points: 5 |
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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 |
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1976 Mustang 17
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LakeAustin
Newbie Joined: July-30-2010 Location: Austin, TX Status: Offline Points: 23 |
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Well I finally had a chance tonight to back the boat into the water at a secluded ramp so I could have the time to pull the drive shaft access hatch and see what I was dealing with in terms of the leak. From the moment the boat hit the water, I could see I had a steady drip coming from the shaft seal housing. I've attached a picture, hopefully you can see it well enough. So now that I've located the problem, where is the best place to but the replacement packing and do I need to disconnect the driveshaft to change it out? Thanks!
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LakeAustin
Newbie Joined: July-30-2010 Location: Austin, TX Status: Offline Points: 23 |
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Oops here's the pic.
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skicat2001
Platinum Member Joined: November-24-2008 Location: Ft. Worth TX Status: Offline Points: 1950 |
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If an aggie that is why he backed his boat off the ramp...
From what I have been told it should be no more than a drip from the packing there. If you feel you can not fix it, I use Ace Marine there for most of my boat. Here is there web site. Ask for Gabe, Robert is there main tech there. He is a PCM genious.. http://www.acemarineaustin.com/ |
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1985 CC 2001-SOLD
Lee Michael Johnson |
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LakeAustin
Newbie Joined: July-30-2010 Location: Austin, TX Status: Offline Points: 23 |
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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.
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skicat2001
Platinum Member Joined: November-24-2008 Location: Ft. Worth TX Status: Offline Points: 1950 |
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No I stay off of that one. I bring my boat to Ace Marine for repairs. That is where I found my 2001. 85. We need to get toghter. I am due for some attention. If not I like to cruise lake austin. Much better lake |
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1985 CC 2001-SOLD
Lee Michael Johnson |
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M17
Newbie Joined: August-29-2010 Location: Miss. / Ala. Status: Offline Points: 5 |
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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 |
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1976 Mustang 17
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Keeganino
Grand Poobah Joined: October-27-2009 Location: North Carolina Status: Offline Points: 2063 |
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I just repacked my rudder and shaft. I already had the engine off the boat so all I had to do was pull the prop to remove the shaft. Probably have to remove the safety collar and coupler to remove the shaft.
Once the shaft is out, remove the stuffed nut and take the packing out. Keep the best one so you can cut the new packing to that same length. Then just put in the new pieces one at a time making sure they are pressed into the sides. Reassemble loosely and water test. Mine drips about 3 times a minute and runs cool. Tighten or loosen as needed and then tighten down the locking nut when you find the correct balance between flooding the bilge and burning up the stuffing. The hardest part is removing the shaft. Easy repair. |
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"working on these old boats may not be cost effective but as it shows its what it brings into your life that matters" -Roger
1973 Skier |
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skfitz
Senior Member Joined: October-15-2009 Location: Herculaneum Status: Offline Points: 138 |
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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. |
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M17
Newbie Joined: August-29-2010 Location: Miss. / Ala. Status: Offline Points: 5 |
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Thanks for both. I've seen others replace packing without removing the shaft, but it was the safety collar that I just noticed as another potential problem, keeping me from backing the nut off far enough to pick out the old packing.
Anyone know whether the packing is 3/16 or 1/4 for 76 Mustang 17? |
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1976 Mustang 17
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LakeAustin
Newbie Joined: July-30-2010 Location: Austin, TX Status: Offline Points: 23 |
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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?
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SNobsessed
Grand Poobah Joined: October-21-2007 Location: IA Status: Offline Points: 7102 |
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Ben - The packing material has a finite life - it eventually hardens & doesn't seal. You can try to just tighten it, but be wary of it getting hot. If you have new packing material & don't know how many hours are on the old packing, it would be worth your time to replace. Then it will be good for the next 10 yrs. It isn't very hard, just takes some time.
I cut the replacement material to be a litle long (such that I had to compress it in). |
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“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
Ben Franklin |
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LakeAustin
Newbie Joined: July-30-2010 Location: Austin, TX Status: Offline Points: 23 |
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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.
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8122pbrainard
Grand Poobah Joined: September-14-2006 Location: Three Lakes Wi. Status: Offline Points: 41045 |
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The shaft MUST be in place for repacking. The packing rides on the shaft. Without the shaft in there, you'd be stuffing a big hole with nothing in it!!!! Just loosen the set screw on the safety collar and move it forward. Most likely 1/4" |
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8122pbrainard
Grand Poobah Joined: September-14-2006 Location: Three Lakes Wi. Status: Offline Points: 41045 |
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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!! |
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M17
Newbie Joined: August-29-2010 Location: Miss. / Ala. Status: Offline Points: 5 |
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I repacked mine last weekend; it went without a hitch. In one of the posts I read somewhere, someone emphasized how critical it is that, if PB Blaster (or any other solvent) is used, it shouldn't get anywhere near any other seal up the shaft, or you'll lose that seal. The thread I read said, if you use it, dab it on the nut only, with a q-tip.
Mine didn't need that. In fact, I was able to break the nuts easily enough with Channel Locks, properly set. The unpacking of the old flax, and packing of the new, was not very difficult. I took my time hand-tightening once I re-packed, tightening a half-turn, backing off a quarter, tightening a half-turn, backing off, etc. Then, once tight (but still dripping slowly), I did a turn on the water and pulled back into the slip to check. Shaft felt slightly warm, and drip was gone. I backed it off and re-adjusted, and re-tested. That time, shaft stayed cool, and the drip stayed constant. I'd never done any of this maintenance before (or maybe I did as a teenager on our Mustang 69, 35 years ago), but it was simple enough. It's on my list to check again the next trip, to make sure the lock nut stayed locked, and the drip rate is correct. With my new steering cable -- no such luck. The cable in place now is secured against the bulkhead at several places, along with wiring. The new cable looked like the old one, but not exactly, and I had been under the misimpression that I would just pull the old cable, with a following wire or rope, and then pull the new cable down the same path. As I surveyed the job, it looked a good bit more complicated than that, with more fastening positions than I had expected. Maybe I'll go at it again next week, but it may be beyond my paltry mechanic --and engineering -- skills. Pope |
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1976 Mustang 17
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