Had the same experience. Once I installed the zerk and filled with grease, no more water ingress.For anyone following, I’m happy to report that it worked! Prior to the fix, my bilge pump was cycling 30-40 times/hour while under sail or motor (yes, I have a counter on it). This weekend, after 6 hours underway, cycles = 0!!! I’ll never know if the stuffing alone would have done the job? But my guess is that the grease will make it last longer if nothing else... Very satisfied.