J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment Stuffing box

On Love & War, #218, I have just discovered a leak in the rear engine seal (Yanmar 2QM15). I will have to remove the engine to replace the seal, and this would seem to be the time to replace or upgrade the stuffing box for the prop shaft. The present fittings are presumably the original, and there is a slightly accelerated leak recently. I can probably slow it with a small turn of the nut, but would like suggestions regarding the newer alternatives.

I had the yard install one of the PSY (or is it PSI) bellows type systems last year. It has worked perfectly. I highly recommend it. With installation, as I recall, I think it ran about $400-500. Not cheap but it's the only way to fly. I can give you more details if you want. Contact me at Goodreader@home.com.

If you are talking about replacing the oil seal where the shaft comes out of the gearbox, you don't have to remove the engine. I recently replaced mine (2GM) and it took about 1 hour. What you do is tilt the rear of the engine upwards. You'll have to remove the engine bolts and uncouple the shaft. There will be some play in the shaft that will allow you to push it an inch or two down and out of the way. If there's not enough room, you may have to lift the engine up just slighly off the engine mount bolts. We used the main halyard to lift the engine and other sheets and blocks to adjust the engine forwards and backwards as needed once it was off the engine mounts. There's a single large nut that attaches the coupling flange to the shaft, once that is off you simply pull out the old oil seal and replace it. To keep the shaft from turning while loosening the nut, I put screwdrivers thru the flange holes thru to the back of the gearbox where there are holes that will line up - although there's likely a better way. Use a torque wrench to put the nut back on. I forgot what the torque setting is, but its in the repair manual. Let me know if you'd like me to look it up for you.

As far as your stuffing box is concerned, you should replace the stuffing every few years and check the nut for tightness to keep from leaking. The teflon coated stuffing seems to work pretty well. As for replacing the box, if you can stop the leak by replacing the stuffing, why bother replacing the box? Good luck!