drive shaft packing boat still leaking

[Jayrodau]

I replaced my driveshaft packing last night with GORE goretex packing
and took boat out today. I coasted around the ramp and ran it at idle
speed for 5min. There was no leaking coming from the driveshaft packing nut. I
put the vdrive cover back on it and ran the boat full throttle for a
10min, and then checked it again and driveshaft was under water.I was really frustrated.
I'm really confused?? Do you know any other place water could be getting in? Does
the driveshaft under the boat have a seal that could be leaking? I couldn't pinpoint the leak once the water level was this high. I headed for the ramp and trailed the boat back to our storage. Back home now researching. I'm guessing at this point? Any help would be greatly appreciative!

[dhyams]

I replaced my driveshaft packing last night with GORE goretex packing
and took boat out today. I coasted around the ramp and ran it at idle
speed for 5min. There was no leaking coming from the driveshaft packing nut. I
put the vdrive cover back on it and ran the boat full throttle for a
10min, and then checked it again and driveshaft was under water.I was really frustrated.
I'm really confused?? Do you know any other place water could be getting in? Does
the driveshaft under the boat have a seal that could be leaking? I couldn't pinpoint the leak once the water level was this high. I headed for the ramp and trailed the boat back to our storage. Back home now researching. I'm guessing at this point? Any help would be greatly appreciative!

I'm assuming that the boat wasn't leaking before you redid the packing (and that's a hard job on the 2005 LSV...I know...did the same thing last year).

Did you remember to put your drain plug back in?

How many "rings" of gore-tex did you fit in?

I'd dry out the bilge completely (find an incline and pop the drain plug), and put it back in the water, and keep the v-drive cover off. Have someone else idle the boat around and watch. Then have the other person increase speed while you continue watching. See if you can locate the source of the leak, if it's not obviously the shaft packing.

It's possible that all you need to do is tighten down the shaft packing nut down a bit more to stop the leakage. Once the packing is a little lubricated by water, sometimes it needs a little more tightening.

[Jayrodau]

I'm assuming that the boat wasn't leaking before you redid the packing (and that's a hard job on the 2005 LSV...I know...did the same thing last year).

Did you remember to put your drain plug back in?

How many "rings" of gore-tex did you fit in?

I'd dry out the bilge completely (find an incline and pop the drain plug), and put it back in the water, and keep the v-drive cover off. Have someone else idle the boat around and watch. Then have the other person increase speed while you continue watching. See if you can locate the source of the leak, if it's not obviously the shaft packing.

It's possible that all you need to do is tighten down the shaft packing nut down a bit more to stop the leakage. Once the packing is a little lubricated by water, sometimes it needs a little more tightening.

Yes, had drain plug in. Yes it was leaking before and I assumed it was the packing nut.
I ended up putting (4) 4-1/4" pieces cut at 45 degree angles. Tightened it down by hand and small turn with wrench. Then tightened jam nut down.
I wish I would have had time to do your suggestion of emptying the bilge and taking a closer look at faster speed. How tight does the packing nut need to be? Wrench tight?

[muehlcj]

For reference:
TIGHTENING/PACKING TECHNIQUE
Screw the packing nut onto the packing gland assembly. Tighten it up as much as possible by hand. Then using a wrench, turn the nut a 1/2 a turn forward and a 1/4 turn back. Then turn the nut a 1/2 a turn forward and a 1/4 turn back. Then turn the nut a ½ a turn forward and a 1/4 turn back. This will pack the packing fairly tight.
- Back the packing nut off the assembly again. Then thread it back on. Tighten it only as tight as you can get it using your hands. This should be almost the perfect tightness for the packing gland so that it does not leak, yet not too tight so that the packing burns up.
- Tighten the Lock Nut up to the Packing Gland Nut.

and
http://supraboats.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=6381

[dhyams]

Yes, had drain plug in. Yes it was leaking before and I assumed it was the packing nut.
I ended up putting (4) 4-1/4" pieces cut at 45 degree angles. Tightened it down by hand and small turn with wrench. Then tightened jam nut down.
I wish I would have had time to do your suggestion of emptying the bilge and taking a closer look at faster speed. How tight does the packing nut need to be? Wrench tight?

I'm afraid you are probably going to have to do that inspection regardless. I would at the very least put the boat back in the water, loosen the jam nut, and see if you can tighten down the packing nut more, by hand. I bet you can. Then retighten the jam nut obviously. It's different tightening before and after the goretex has gotten wet and the shaft has been spinning.

[zabooda]

I'd put it in the water and look for the leak. It could be something completely different.

[DOCDRS]

Also make sure your alignment is correct. Check your exhaust thru hulls also as they can be a leak source. Sounds like a lot of water coming in.

[kaneboats]

Is it possible you have water further forward (underneath the floor around the fuel tank or further forward) that is not getting drained out of the boat. Then, when you are on the water it is moving to the back where you can see it?

[Jayrodau]

Is it possible you have water further forward (underneath the floor around the fuel tank or further forward) that is not getting drained out of the boat. Then, when you are on the water it is moving to the back where you can see it?

I am leaning more towards my ballast valves could be bad and cutting on automatic now. I didn't have my fly high bag hooked up in the ski locker in the front and the door was shut while running the boat. That's my first guess at this point, but can't do much until I can get the boat back in the water at this point. I still have the Orbit valves that seems to cause a lot of issues for people. I might be experiencing this now. Might be time to switch over to the Irritrol 700 series valves.

[kaneboats]

Well, I would close the inlet valves on the ballast intakes till I get this worked out.

[dhyams]

I am leaning more towards my ballast valves could be bad and cutting on automatic now. I didn't have my fly high bag hooked up in the ski locker in the front and the door was shut while running the boat. That's my first guess at this point, but can't do much until I can get the boat back in the water at this point. I still have the Orbit valves that seems to cause a lot of issues for people. I might be experiencing this now. Might be time to switch over to the Irritrol 700 series valves.

This is probably a good guess...I don't know if I have bad valves too, but I have the same model and year Mobius as you, and the center ballast bag fills a little when underway, even though I never turned on the ballast switch. And +1 to what kaneboats said above.

[NCSUmoomba]

I wonder about the procedure for replacing the packing. I would assume that once the boat is run for a bit, the packing will "settle in" and the nut will need to be tightened again? Kind of like when installing headers on a car: after installing them, the heat cycle can loosen the bolts a bit and after like 50 miles, they need to be tighened again. I am not sure, as I have never replaced my packing (560 hours on the original and only tigthened the nut once) but it it is just a theory.

[23scuba]

I had the same problem two years ago and it was two things my center bag was filling continously and overflowing into my bilge fixed that problem with a new orbit valve and it was still leaking pretty bad so what i found was where my wake plate was mounted one of the screws coming through the floor was leaking really bad mainly when the boat was underway and just barely when sitting still. My fix was got some 3m 4200 and put on the threads of the screws ran them back through then put some on the inside where the screw came through also. Same model and year as yours also.

[asil210]

your packing SHOULD have a "drip rate" according to specs. My 2K Mobius has a drip rate for the packing of 1 drop every 30 sec. to 1 minute. I don't think you need completely STOP it. At least that's a MUST for my boat. Good luck.

[JesseSOK]

This is probably a good guess...I don't know if I have bad valves too, but I have the same model and year Mobius as you, and the center ballast bag fills a little when underway, even though I never turned on the ballast switch. And +1 to what kaneboats said above.

I also have the same year Mobius as you two guys, and I think I am having the same problem. I have checked the cooling water system hoses and connections for leaking, checked the driveshaft packing for leaking, and the exhaust sections, finding nothing, but the boat is taking on water enough that the bilge runs more than I would like it to. I have noticed that my ballast bag fills some even without the pump on and you guys both mentioned this being an issue.

Have either of you (or anyone else) replaced these valves with the Irritrol 700 series, or have a walkthrough for it? This may be my problem as well.

[gregski]

your packing SHOULD have a "drip rate" according to specs. My 2K Mobius has a drip rate for the packing of 1 drop every 30 sec. to 1 minute. I don't think you need completely STOP it. At least that's a MUST for my boat. Good luck.
This is an important point: You definitely do not want it to be completely sealed. But a drip every 10, 30 or 60 seconds won't fill the bilge anytime soon.