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Re: Greasing stern shaft packing gland

Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 7:22 am
by Curt233
Ya there's a drip alright coming out of the packing, it's getting harder to snug up. Pretty sure it needs to be replaced. Ya there is a flexible line that is sitting on top of the gland casing. It must have had it before, there is a valve on the other side of the bulkhead that isn't connected anymore. It must have been connected to the raw water line from the old engine that was in years decades ago. This boat had a major refit in the 80's, it now has 2 3512 Cats coupled into one lufkin gear box. Has a retractable Z-drive for a bow thruster.
What are your thoughts now on greasing the packing?

Re: Greasing stern shaft packing gland

Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 7:23 am
by Curt233
Haha now you're tracking me. In Still Water in a few hours.

Re: Greasing stern shaft packing gland

Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 7:30 am
by Curt233
Sorry read your post again. Ya personally I don't think there is any need for grease for lubrication, except to stop the water flow when shut down. The one problem being the only engineer on a boat, is that there is no one with same or greater experience than yourself to bounce theories off of. Thanks for your insights.

Re: Greasing stern shaft packing gland

Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 8:36 am
by Merlyn
Best of luck getting that last turn of packing out. If you were this way I could lend you my 1960 screwed packing extractor tool.
Probably go well with the stuffing box date.
You gonna plumb it back in?
Wonder what the original engine was?

Re: Greasing stern shaft packing gland

Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 6:13 pm
by Curt233
Ya I highly doubt the company will let me do that. They are pretty tight on things that seem to work. Ya not sure what the old engine was.

Re: Greasing stern shaft packing gland

Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 11:19 pm
by Merlyn
If it ain't broke don't fix it jobby then.

Re: Greasing stern shaft packing gland

Posted: Tue May 31, 2016 8:31 am
by Curt233
Ya basically. I've said numerous amount of times for certain things to be fixed, and nothing gets done. One example is the major exhaust leaks in the engine room. I can't even be down there for very long. Makes me feel sick. You wash the bulk heads, and in a week they are black.

Re: Greasing stern shaft packing gland

Posted: Tue May 31, 2016 8:57 am
by Merlyn
Not so good for the old lungs then, clag it up with weld/ fire cement. Hope you don't get a headgasket change on the run.
I suppose we all have had that at one time or another but to run on with it is not acceptable.
Sound like a penny pinching exercise jobby to me.

Re: Greasing stern shaft packing gland

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 3:09 am
by JK
Oh that is so good for the charge air coolers :(

Saying that, you do realize that those kinds of exposures will lead to lifelong issues because your tolerances decrease to literally nothing?
I can't be in any area that has fumes, exhaust or chemicals,or I am sick. That's 20 years after leaving the ship life. I don't know what you can do about the circumstances, but you must not continue like that for your own health.

Re: Greasing stern shaft packing gland

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 9:52 am
by Merlyn
Talk about EGR with a difference. Air cleaner indicator on overtime. Beating and banging that element on the pier head every trips end.
Plus the old eyes smarting and running.
Out with that half pound toffee hammer and that Klingerite exhaust joining and back on the old job.
Cutting exhaust joints with that steel wire inserts, once learnt never forgotten.
Cut one hole, in with a bolt and work round the rest.
Still doing it.

Re: Greasing stern shaft packing gland

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2016 9:25 am
by Curt233
Ya to be honest I don't spend to much time down there because of it. The leak is coming from all four turbos. He doesn't want to spend the money to fix them because he's going to replace the engines. He's been saying that since i started working here 4 years ago. Ya the air coolers are getting dirty. At least there are filters on the intakes. They cleaned the coolers 3 years ago, but the port engines cooler was dirty in 6 months. We have vacuum gauges on the filters, but the port filters never got as dirty as the stbd engine filters got. So finally I looked at the flexible intake housing to the turbos, and sure enough they had holes in them. Replaced those, have told my boss that the coolers need to be cleaned again, because of black smoke coming out of the port engine(governors are set and both engines are balanced injectors are fine) still nothing. Main problem for work not getting done is because this boat is never at the dock either. It's go go go here. There's no preventative maintenance here, I call it broken maintenance.

Re: Greasing stern shaft packing gland

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2016 9:31 am
by Curt233
And yes I do feel sick from it from time to time. Especially on start up. I start the engines check the gauges and get out of there. Is there any regulations on having that much exposure to exhaust fumes in an engine room?
I've felt nauseous, instant head ache, and the instant feeling of having to poop. Haha. On start up.

Re: Greasing stern shaft packing gland

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2016 10:05 am
by Merlyn
Don't know what the regs are down your way but health and safety very strict over here concerning excessive smoke emmission in the engine rooms. Like no smoke at all.
All this bonking around your ship does, got a sharp piece of string over the stern dragging something along?
Bet that makes them really snort it out with a load on behind.
Where exactly do you think the leaks are?

Re: Greasing stern shaft packing gland

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2016 11:29 am
by Curt233
It's on the exhaust side of the turbo. Where the exhaust pipe and the turbo connect. I guess there is an insert to put on after its worn out I've been told. Seals it right up. But again, they don't want to do it. Where abouts are you Merlyn?

Re: Greasing stern shaft packing gland

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2016 12:08 pm
by Merlyn
UK South Coast Dorset.
Seems a lot of smoke for just a joint?
You towing stuff beside ships over there?
Hell of a lot of backwater stuff you tramping through?
Looks a little snowy on the charts.
Hope you got a good chef/ cook on board.