Tools for stuffing box adjustment

[Hoppy]

I have ajusted many stuffing boxes but on this new (to me 1982) Mainship 34 I don't know what kind of wrench to use in such a tight shaft alley.* Please help with ideas.

 

[Marin]

We have a twin but each shaft log is between the center-mounted generator and the fuel tank "cube" mounted outboard of each shaft. So it's pretty tight quarters. I use a short pipe wrench to free the lock nut on the packing gland (I keep all the threads or both the lock and adjustment nuts heavily coated with waterpoof grease but it still takes a good pull to separate the two). Once the lock nut is "unstuck" from the adjustment nut I back it off more by hand and then use one of those rather crappy packing gland adjustment wrenches you can buy at places like West Marine to adjust the adjustment nut. It's too thin so can require using your other hand to keep it on the nut but it works okay. Once I've set the adjustment nut to where I think it should be I run the lock nut up against it by hand and then give the lock nut a tug with the short pipe wrench to seat it.

 

[Keith]

I have a wrench made out of plywood. You don't need a lot of torque. The PO made it and varnished it so it didn't rot. Works just fine!

 

[FF]

With luck the space is not so confined that you cant reach the lock nut with a center punch or a cold chisel.

Not pretty but on some boats the only way , especially on rudder shaft boxes.

UGH , but necessary.

 

[Island Trader]

FF wrote:

With luck the space is not so confined that you cant reach the lock nut with a center punch or a cold chisel.

Not pretty but on some boats the only way , especially on rudder shaft boxes.

UGH , but necessary.

Ditto the above...did this for years on my Alura.* Just one good whack and loose it was.* You don't even notice the gouges after the first one

*