In fact, don't be surprised when you see the wrenches marked 1-1/4. They fit many Catalinas that use a 1-1/4' prop shaft. Save the packing in case the clock needs to be returned.The Stuffing Box (click any image to see a larger version)Both wrenches are for 2-5/16' nuts.
Shaft Packing Wrench How To Replace The
I used a piece of 1″ diameter stainless steel as my makeshift prop shaft to complete the picture and present this as it would look inside a boat.In this photo what you are actually seeing are two nuts not just one. Stuffing boxes are also called stuffing glands, packing glands or packing boxes but they are really all the same thing.Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Shaft Packing Wrench multi-set for Inboards (Stuffing Box / Packing Gland) at the best online.For illustrative purposes I cleaned the stuffing box of it’s oxidation and grime with my a stainless wire brush. I though it would be a good time to rig it up in my shop and illustrate how to replace the packing material inside one of these tried & true work horse style stuffing boxes.
Water pump pliers will, in many cases, not work very well or will not get the nuts tight enough after adjustment. It’s very important to use wrenches that fit the nuts well. Both of these wrenches are available at Home Depot or any hardware store.I find it easier to use the pipe wrench on the small & thin locking nut and the spanner wrench on the big nut. One wrench is a traditional pipe wrench and the other is a spanner wrench designed for a sink drain.
I can’t stress enough how much of a difference there is between a product like PB Blaster or Kroil and lousy penetrating products such as WD40.Here’s a direct quote from a reader who used this article for directions. Products such as WD40 DO NOT WORK WELL AS A PENETRATING OIL. Buck Algonquin and others sell packing box wrenches and they can be purchased from vendors such as Hamilton Marine.If you’ve tried the above method and the nuts don’t break apart use a little bit of PB Blaster or Kroil.
The stuffing box hose on top is made by Buck Algonquin. It’s a robust 6 ply hose, and meant to take the abuses of a drive train installation. Thanks”If you happen have your shaft out, this makes for an opportune time to replace your stuffing box hose as well.The thicker hose on top is specifically made for stuffing boxes. Ten minutes after spraying it broke loose. I went out and bought some of the PB Blaster you advised me about and sprayed it on.
When removing the flax, with a pick, this is what you are trying to dig out! I took this photo to show the female nut with the old flax still in it. A stuffing box is no place for wire reinforced hose.Stuffing Nut Shown WIth Old Flax Still In ItWhen you are replacing your packing you will most likely never see this view unless you remove the transmission coupling and take the nut off. Please do not use 2 ply or 2 ply wire reinforced hose. Seek out hose specifically made for stuffing boxes.If you can’t find Buck Algonquin hose in the size you need you could use a minimum of 4 ply non-wire reinforced hose. There is a big difference between actual stuffing box hose and a wet exhaust or plumbing hose.
Some flax packing materials are impregnated with Teflon. Most flax packing materials are impregnated with paraffin/wax and animal lard. Flax packing is prone to rot, expansion & contraction, which messe with adjustment, and has a higher propensity to score shafting.Flax Packing – This packing material is derived from flax plants and they require a higher drip rate for lubrication.
These packing materials absorb less water, are less prone to rot and are quite often impregnated with Teflon, paraffin or lard as a lube. It is an inexpensive packing but low in performance.Synthetic Packing – While often called “ synthetic packing” the individual yarns the braid is made from are most often made of acrylic. This type of packing absorbs water, swells/shrinks and is not well suited for vessels that get hauled for winter storage.
They also are available with added lubrication. This type of packing is optimal for boats that are dry stored yearly and haul / launch usually requires no additional adjustments due to dry-out and re-absorb. They require a medium drip-rate for optimal lubrication.Teflon Packing- This packing material does not swell, does not rot and will stay adjusted longer.
The addition of graphite, as the performance lubrication, allows for minimal dripping and longer times between adjustments. This material offers the best heat transfer due to graphite’s inherent ability to transfer heat rapidly. Extruding the lubricant (graphite), mixed into the yarn, is a far superior process than “ impregnating” the product after the extrusion & braiding process.
It’s very important to allow a few drops of water per minute, when the shaft is spinning, for lubrication. These two surfaces, where the shaft and packing meet, tend to polish each other smooth, and if over tightened, can lead to premature shaft wear or excessive heat.Over tightening of the packing-nut, and running the stuffing box with no water drips, will eventually wear a grove in the prop shaft and ruin it. With the great performance come some cautions and risks.This particular stuffing box is a 1 inch stuffing box and uses three rings 3/16 flax packing. The ABYC and Western Branch Metals (The largest prop shafting manufacturer in the US) specifically disallow the use of graphite packing materials. In other words graphite packing materials can cause localized damage to shafting and can increase anode erosion rates.
A digital temp display was mounted in the cockpit. I have measured this now for over 6 years with various products. The green stuff in the image is the “ moldable clay” shown with the two rings of packing that came out of the female stuffing nut.Article Edit: Since writing this article I’ve conducted extensive temperature testing of packing glands with a fixed temp probe mounted directly to a traditional bronze stuffing box. While many have claimed good success with these miracle lubes others have not, including myself.On a boat we had in 2000 I installed the “ West Marine Moldable Dripless Stuffing Kit” and it eventually became a nightmare. Gore GFO packing should have a drip or two per minute with the shaft spinning.I don’t advise, and can’t with a good conscience, suggest the use of “miracle lubes” such as the moldable packing materials like the “ West Marine Moldable Packing Kit“.
Even after converting to a PSS dripless seal, before they introduced the vent, I found that boat needed to be burped, due to entrapped air , multiple times per season.At one point during testing we had motored for over 3 hours using a graphite impregnated packing set for less than a drip every three to four minutes. Our old Catalina 36 was quite prone to this issue. Some vessels are more prone to this than others.
My goal in testing was to find the happy medium for the least-drips to the most consistently stable temps. Ouch! This same type of event happened about 14-16 times over a 6 month period using a very low drip rate. We hit some prop wash from a large yacht and within 3-4 minutes the packing gland was pushing 300F.
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