Hi, everyone.
In the attached pic, you can see my stuffing box. When I moved it from a freshwater lake to the ocean, I repacked it with gore-seal dripless packing gland, so it wouldn't leak salt water into the bilge, but as you can see, it has quite a bit of blue-green patina due to the salt on it.
Is that bad? Should I worry? Should I do something about it? Is it going to freeze up on me so that I can't adjust the packing nut?
—
Ben Ethridge
Miami, FL
1984 MK1 Hull# 263
attached pic
Ben Ethridge
Miami, FL
1984 MK1 Hull# 263
No - it is normal. You do not have to do anything. You can clean it with fresh water and some scrubbing. Water must drip inside to keep the packing lubricated. That is normal. You probably did not notice the water that was dripping inside when you were on the lake since it contained no salt. I place a feminine pad below the drop to absorb the drips. Ask you wife for it!
Haro Bayandorian, 1999 C36 MKII, Sail La Vie #1787, M35B,
Coyote Point, San Mateo, CA.
Ben, Haro's right. You can clean it up with a brush with bronze (not steel) wool. Then, if you don't have nay yet, buy some Lanocote. Back off the locking nut and slather the Lanocote on the threads and the matching faces of the locking nut and the box. [url]http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_11151_10001_...
There are lots of uses for this material.
Stu Jackson, C34IA Secretary, C34 #224, 1986, SR/FK, M25 engine, Rocna 10 (22#)
Thanks, guys. Big relief.
I have lanacote already. Will apply some as you suggest.
Ben Ethridge
Miami, FL
1984 MK1 Hull# 263