Packing nut torque

[Jay Fusaro]

Hi, all, on my 1998 445 with Cummins diesel’s the starboard shaft at the packing nut has started a drip about one per second while the shaft is not turning. I pulled about 4 to 5 gallons out of the bilge in 24 hours. Mechanics are going to take a look at it later today. Obviously, I don’t know if it’s simply tightening the nut or something else. Would anyone know approximately how many pounds of torque would be needed to tighten that nut? Thanks advance!

[Viper]

There is no set torque spec. You tighten until there is a very slow drip and adjust as needed. Take the boat out for a spin and re-check. You may get away with just tightening a bit or you may have to replace the packing. Don't overtighten or you'll create too much heat and cause damage. It is normal for these to drip a bit at a standstill and more while underway. To stop that, you'd have to upgrade to dripless logs.

[Jay Fusaro]

Got it! Thank you very much for your input, I appreciate it.

[Viper]

If the nut bottoms out and doesn't slow down the leak, you can add another strand of packing to get you by but it's best to remove all the old packing and replace with new. This can be done with the boat in the water.

[bud37]

An IR temp gun is a good tool to have for checking packing temp while underway to check for overheating.

[Jay Fusaro]

Both good points. Thank you very much. Next time out, I will definitely be shooting some temperatures with the admiral at the helm.