Shaft Packing-- Did I do something wrong
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: Repairs and Maintenance
Forum Name: Boat Maintenance
Forum Discription: Discuss maintenance of your Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10291
Printed Date: November-18-2024 at 10:41am
Topic: Shaft Packing-- Did I do something wrong
Posted By: sjpitts
Subject: Shaft Packing-- Did I do something wrong
Date Posted: April-27-2008 at 5:25am
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I have an 89 Supra with a PCM 351. I have had it for a couple of years, but until last year I never had repacked the shaft. It was leaking pretty good, so I ordered some GoreTex packing from SkiDim and followed the instructions.
When I did it, I recall being unsure how much to tighten down the nut. I wasn't sure if I did it too tight, too loose, or just right. But it seemed to work pretty good. I still leaked, but just a bit. Then toward the end of the year it started leaking more again. I didn't do anything about it until now. I decided that as part of the spring tune up I would tighten it up a bit and see if that slowed down my now reoccurring leak. Well, when I tightened it, I noticed that it appeared to be leaking the goretex out the bottom of the nut. See the picture below. I guess this is why it was leaking more water again. My question is-- does this mean I did something wrong-- was it too tight, or too loose, or anything? I am not really sure. And now I am not sure if tightening the nut was the right thing to do now. I won't be able to get it in the water for another week or so. So given that it was leaking goretext, did I do the right thing? Any other advice? Thanks Jared 
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Replies:
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: April-27-2008 at 10:23am
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Jared, It looks like you over tightened the packing causing it to overheat and the reason the Lubricant came out. The leaking may not have been caused by a tightness but rather the method used to install the packing. Did you cut the Gortex in full circle segmented rings? Did you overlap the joints? How many rings did you put in? What was the surface condition of the shaft? Did you check to see if it was hot a couple minutes after repacking?
Unrelated to the leaking, Have you done a engine/shaft alignment lately? ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: April-27-2008 at 11:17am
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your really killing business with that alignment thing, that was my secret devil out there. dont worry there are about 2 million boats out there with alignment problems.
i got a trans in last week from June of last year, tested it, no problem, so i decide to open it cause it was a noise complaint, sure as *************** the case is worn at the top indicating MA. told the customer his alignment was off and he replied "no it wasnt it looks good" irrately btw honed the case re-sealed, cleaned the trans and will ship back with the understanding that i am not warrantying the trans from here on out. another satisfied customer, they just dont believe me ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: April-27-2008 at 12:49pm
Eric, Don't blame me!! You were the one who created the pictorial instruction thread! You are correct that you have plenty of boats out there to work on. Plus, there are some where the owners may try to do a alignment, not understand the concept, goof it up and end up having you do the trans anyway. Like the guy who did his "alignment" and came to the conclusion that it was good because he couldn't fit a .003" feeler between the coupling halves. He hadn't unbolted the coupling!!! ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
eric lavine wrote:Posted By: sjpitts
Date Posted: April-27-2008 at 3:09pm
I did my best to the cut the packing to the circumference of the shaft, so the ends just butted up. I did this three times and staggered the locations of the butt joints. I don't recall the condition of the shaft, and I haven't checked alignment. I didn't check it for heat. If this problem was caused by overheating, does that mean I did the wrong thing by tightening it some more? I really only tightened it 3/4 of a turn. Jared |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: April-27-2008 at 5:44pm
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Jared, You installed the packing correctly but it sounds like you over tightened the first time. This may have burnt the packing. If it did get burnt, then more tightening wouldn't have helped. Keep in mind that even the Gortex drips. It just drips less than the standard flax graphite. Get another length of the Goxtex and do it again. Check the condition of the shaft. The surface should be smooth and not grooved from previous packings. See if you can get 4 layers in the gland and then tighten by hand. Run it some and then tighten again. It may run warm at first but should never run hot. After a break in, it should run cool.
While you're down there, good time to check the alignment. You know Eric charges twice the normal on transmissions in Supras!!! ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: April-28-2008 at 10:27am
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my first question alway is "what kinda boat"
if they start with M extra 200.00, they use special transmissions lol ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: Kristof
Date Posted: April-28-2008 at 10:31am
LOL Eric!
------------- - Gun control means: using BOTH hands! - Money doesn't make one happy, but when it rains cats and dogs, it's still better to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle... |
Posted By: sjpitts
Date Posted: April-28-2008 at 2:17pm
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When I bought the boat I took it to a shop and they said the alignment looked fine, but I think they may not have really looked at it.
I have been meaning to check it, but never did it. Does anyone have a link to a good step by step instruction? Jared |
Posted By: BuffaloBFN
Date Posted: April-28-2008 at 2:26pm
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First you have to disconnect the power supply to the radio...just kidding!
http://correctcraftfan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6037&PN=1 - alignment ------------- http://correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=2331&sort=&pagenum=12&yrstart=1986&yrend=1990" rel="nofollow - 1988 BFN-sold "It's a Livin' Thing...What a Terrible Thing to Lose" ELO |
Posted By: sjpitts
Date Posted: May-13-2010 at 10:57pm
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Can I restart this thread? I am still having this same problem. I have replaced the shafting packing twice, and twice it has overheated and started leaking out.
So before I do it again, how do you correctly tighten it down so it does not overheat? To clarify here was my procedure: 1) loosen lock nut 2) unscrew the big nut 3) pick out old packing 4) cut three pieces of new packing to the circumference of the shaft 5) put new pieces into bit nut, staggering the position of the joints 6) screw big nut back on 7) tighten lock nut. That all seems easy enough. The problem is with step number 6). I think I am tighten it down too much. So what is the correct way to do this? How much torque on the big nut? How do you know when to stop? When you first feel contact? Or when it gets hard to screw on? This is really annoying. Thanks for any help Jared |
Posted By: daddyo
Date Posted: May-14-2010 at 12:40am
| Have you verified you're putting the right packing in there? |
Posted By: sjpitts
Date Posted: May-14-2010 at 4:23am
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I got the packing from SkiDim. Told them what boat I had, they told me I needed 1/4 inch. And I confirmed that with a guy from supra.
I am pretty sure I am just doing step number 6 to far in. I just got some new stuff. Maybe I install it, but don't screw in the big nut till I get to the lake. Or just keep it loose till then. Then tighten it till I get the right rate of drips. Sound like a decent plan? Jared |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: May-14-2010 at 8:42am
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Jared,
What's the condition of the shaft at the packing? Tighten the packing nut by hand, run the boat, tighten again if needed. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: sjpitts
Date Posted: May-16-2010 at 3:42am
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OK, I am ready to give this another shot. But I have another question. Should I be using four pieces of packing? I don't remember where I got the idea that it was three pieces, but when I did some more searching I found many places where they say to use four pieces.
Jared |
Posted By: sjpitts
Date Posted: May-16-2010 at 3:43am
I will take another look at the shaft at the packing tomorrow. Jared |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: May-16-2010 at 10:21am
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Jared,
As mentioned, 4 rings if they fit and you still have plenty of thread engagement on the packing nut. You got the correct packing - Chris (daddyo) asking sounds like he gets his from a plumber friend!! 
Have you checked the shaft for straightness forward of the strut? (part of the alignment procedure) ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: May-16-2010 at 10:25am
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it looks a touch discolored Pete, did he groove it up? ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: May-16-2010 at 10:37am
Eric, He's cooked it twice and the reason I've asked him to open it up and look at the contact surface of the shaft! ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: May-16-2010 at 10:53am
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i was wondering if the new packing is riding on a grooved area and thats why it keeps leaking, anyways if the shaft breaks we know where it will let loose ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: sjpitts
Date Posted: May-16-2010 at 10:18pm
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I took it apart again. Pulled out the shaft packing, and took a look at the shaft.
The shaft is clearly shiny where the packing rides, but there are no grooves that I could feel. When I pulled out the old packing the ends were sure messed up. I wonder if I cut the pieces to long, and that was part of the problem. Jared %20"> 
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Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: May-16-2010 at 10:53pm
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Jared,
Give it another try. The shaft looks good. Don't tighten it so much this time. BTW, I asked if you checked the shaft for straightness........?? The reason I asked, is a bent shaft is harder to seal out water due to it wobbling. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |