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4GSR
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It is for cleaning up the gland packer casting. There are standard sizes and the recess in the packer needs to be true to pack the gland evenly. Should be somewhere on it to assist in cutting the packing at an angle as well. Square Graphite impregnated Asbestos rope is a pretty awesome product given what it can do. I have a few packs of different sizes sitting on a shelf, as a seal if installed correctly it lasts and lasts and lasts. Nip it up if it weeps. Good Ships Chandlers and Propeller makers usually have it in stock. The greenie eco-terrorist fear mongers have not been able to come up with even a suggestion of a matching product that I am aware of. In a pinch you can double up or pull out your trusty knife and cut/trim to size. A spool of cord or string is the emergencey go to.
I've toured the old Utex manufacturing plant about 70 miles north of me back in the early 1990's and watched them making that "rope". They made all the different grades of that material including the "Graphoil" packing, boy that was nasty stuff to make. You felt like you were sliding around on the floors in the areas where that stuff was made in. Get high in the room where the impregnate the rope with nitrile rubber using Acetone and MEK as the solvent. All of the floors in these areas were coated with graphite to reduce the chance of static electricity. Sure glade to get out of that room!