[Alberg30] A4, stern tubes

[Mike Lehman]

Whitby used standard stuffing box hose. So what your looking at is the work 
of a previous owner. The problem is that stuffing box hose comes in 1-1/2"  
and the stern tube is 1-3/8" which is why they probably used exhaust hose.

----Original Message Follows----
From: "R.C. Alley" <ralley at chesapeake.net>
Reply-To: public-list at alberg30.org
To: <public-list at alberg30.org>, <member-list at alberg30.org>
Subject: [Alberg30] A4, stern tubes
Date: Sat, 19 May 2001 13:35:56 -0400

1. Alva Windham, now commodore of the Solomon Island YC, inquired of me 
today if I knew if anyone had an Atomic 4 they wanted to sell--he's looking 
for one to rebuild.  He tells me that he once had an A30, named Dolphin. He 
left the Assn. in the late 1980's.  If you have an A4 for sale, or know 
where there is one in rebuildable condition, please contact him directly at 
windham at chesapeake.net or send the information to me.

2. I removed the stern tube, stuffing box, hose, and clamps from Nevermore 
today; the engine is out and I am taking advantage of the opportunity to 
replace, rebuild, and repaint without the joy of lying on my belly in the 
cockpit and working beyond fingertip reach (in the rain).  What I found was 
troubling if not positively dangerous. The stern tube is about 1/8th inch OD 
larger than the stuffing box hose flange OD. For some reason, a previous 
owner had  used standard exhaust hose (two pieces, one over the other) on 
the tube which flares down to one piece (only) on the stuffing box, all 
about 10 inches long. Its been in the boat at least since I bought it in 
1991, and is quite ready for replacement.

The standard way to do this is to purchase a thick wall hose which is sold 
particularly for this purpose, in lengths of about 4 inches. If used, this 
would have put the stuffing box back closer to the deadwood by about 3 
inches, and may have been beyond the reach necessary to tighten the gland 
nut when necessary.  The problem,(as I see it) is that exhaust hose is not 
the proper material to use, and using two thicknesses of exhaust hose means 
that the clamps never actually bear on the inner hose, and, as the outer 
hose gets old and stiff, it may leak and fail--and you can't fix it without 
pulling the boat.

Any comments from y'all?  I'd like to know if this is the normal way Whitby 
did this, or was this the braincramp of a lesser genius?

RA

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