J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment Engine Compartment Info

Where should stuffing box drips go?

There's a molded tray under the engine which will fill with water. (Even though I re-packed the stuffing box this year, I imagine I'm having problems due to nasty prop vibration.) The water doesn't seem to drain anywhere, but when underway tends to leak out around the companionway step.

Is there supposed to be some connection between this area and the bilge, which happens to be clogged on my boat? Or are the two purposefully not supposed to be connected to prevent oil from getting into the bilge, and stuffing box drips are just supposed to evaporate?

Also, I've noticed various large diameter air hoses around that area, and what looks like a bilge blower, which seems surprising for a diesel-powered boat. Is that standard?

Thanks,

Ryan Pierce, #337
rdpierce@pobox.com

On my boat (hull #485) there are two "limber holes" (drainage holes) drilled into the outboard ends of the molded groove that accepts the companionway step assembly. One is clogged (port side) and I can't seem to clear it. Any suggestions?

I tightened the ---- out of my stuffing box last year, and for the first time in five years have had no water issues on the cabin floor.

I have a couple holes in the front area of the engine pan tray also. If yours are blocked you might try putting a piece of stiff wire - like a coat hanger wire in a drill and try reaming the holes out with this wire. between the engine compartment and the bilge there must be some passage since Ii have an bilge pump mounted on the back wal of th engine compartment and a hose that runs under the floor to the bilge area.

After hauling out the boat, I used a hand pump to drain the last drops out of the bilge. I also pumped out the engine pan.

However, I also noticed that the two fiberglass supperts for the engine mounts had cutouts on their inboard sides, and reaching through there and down, I found a lot of standing water. I take it that is supposed to drain into the bilge, and it's not doing so? How is this supposed to happen?

Thanks,

Ryan Pierce, #337
rdpierce@pobox.com

I too have some water that collects under the engine. I have an oil absorber pad there to keep the water as clean as possible. I put in a PSS shaft seal 3 years ago and am very happy with it. As for the drainage holes, I epoxied them up. I do not know where the water was going and would rather periodically sponge it out than have it go to places unsure or unknown under the floor.

j30381

On Hull #27 there is a 4 inch cutout just below the crankshaft pulley. there are three 1/8 inch holes on the perimeter of the big hole indicating something used to be inserted into this hole . it does let the water go to the bilge.

We did a bit more analysis of this last night.

From what I can gather:

The liner includes the two engine mounts, the molded drip pan under the engine, the track that the companionway steps sit in, etc. Stuffing box drips go there. I have an absorber in there now. The limber holes on the sides of the track where the companionway steps sit do drain somewhere. (Not sure if it's into the bilge or the void under the engine.) This whole area is bone dry.

However, there appears to be a void between the liner and the hull, and I have a lot of water in there. The inboard sides of each of the engine mounts have cutouts where I can reach an arm down into the void.

There is also water under each of the quarterberths at their low points. Feeling around, we determined that these connect to the void under the engine.

So where does this void drain? We've reached down through the engine mounts, forward, under the drip pan, and started finding a ton of crud.

Trying to work backwards from the bilge opening aft, all we see are the hose from the Whale Gusher and a small diameter white plastic tube. Is that the drain from the icebox, or is it supposed to connect this void to the bilge?

Any thoughts on where this void is supposed to drain? I'm not seeing anything.

Also, I'm trying to figure out what is filling it. I don't think it's the stuffing box; otherwise I'd expect a drip pan full of water. My two best guesses are the ice box drain, or a pretty bad portlight leak that is dripping water on the tops of both quarterberths.

its on my "list"to install a small electric bilge pump in the bilge. I can also see two tubes one from the gusher and one from the Icebox ? but no real room to put a third for the electric bilge pump.
Whats a good way to put one in there...

I have a little drops under the engine with no apparent hole to drain, just wipe it off once in a while

Thorsten

I just cut my floor out over the winter because it was extremely spongy, so I re-cored it and reglassed the over the core from the bottom. Anyways, from what I saw when I cut it out is that in about the middle of the floor between the engine and wooden bilge cover, is about a 2 foot square pile of cement like material (I think from talking to someone at TPI is vermiculite). It goes from the bottom of the floor to the hull, and seems to be used as a support piece for the floor. The hose for the gusher goes through that stuff and would be next to impossible to remove, at least without cutting out the floor. The white hose is for the cooler drain.

Anyways, the vermiculite covers a big area, and would be pretty hard for water to get by, I assume thats why its building up on you. I wonder if with the boat healed a little, and some weight forward, if it would possible go around the vermiculite?

Hope that helps....

afraid something like that would show its ugly teeth.... I might try to feed a tube from the sink drain towards the bilge.

But anyhow its a winter project.
Thanks
Thor