Prop Shaft Bearing?

[HyperT]

2001 196 with 1080 hours.

We ski about 5-6 times a week. A couple of weeks ago the boat started making a horrific screaming noise kind of the like the sound an A/C belt makes when the compressor locks up. I was pretty sure it was a belt, didn't worry too much, couldn't make it happen with the motor box open, only when skiing.

Tonight, it was obvious that it was coming from the shaft packing viewing port so I opened it and it continued to make the sound at idle and water was squirting from the shaft.

Is there a bearing in there?

If so, is it something I can replace or is this a must visit to the shop?

[HyperT]

Forget that previous post. I just went out to examine the shaft and found the nut was completely backed off and spinning freely on the shaft. Now I have another problem. The nut will start by hand but I can only get it one thread and it is too tight to continue by hand. I am afraid that the first few threads might have been damaged by the spinning. How tight difficult should it be to tighten? Any suggestions? Picture is attached.

[DanielC]

That is not a bearing. It is your packing nut.
There is a rope, soaked in wax, inside it. The tighter you make it, the harder it squishes the waxed rope on the shaft, that is how it is sealed.
If you tighten it too much, it squishes the wax rope too hard, and it then over heats, burns up, and leaks a lot. As the nut tightens up on the waxed rope, it does become harder to turn. This is normal.
You have to float your boat to adjust it. Ideally, you want a few drops of water a minute to leak through the packing, this cools the wax rope, and lubricates it.
Once it is adjusted correctly, you tighten the jam nut, and then safety wire the packing nut so it does not back off again. There are three or four small holes in the piece that goes into the rubber hose. You choose a hole that will be pulling the packing nut in a tighter direction.

[HyperT]

My problem is that it is tight with the first threads. I think the nut may be stripped due to spinning on the shaft. It apparently was not safety wired by the last guy who adjusted it. I guess I am going to just put some wrenches on it and try to tighten it, the only other option is to pull the shaft and put a new nut on.

[WakeSlayer]

i think you should re-pack it as long as you are in there. Do NOT overtighten it or, as Daniel said you will burn it out.

[Rick]

Have you replaced the packing? When you did ,did you dig the old packing out first. I don't remember the size I used it was either 1/4 or 3/8. I use the teflon impregnated but the waxed works as well. You only need 2 rings with the joints offset. Search packing gland here and on www.corrctcraftfan.com and there are step by step instructions. Fro the picture the nut doesn't seem stripped just filled with packing.