Stuffing box leak, what tool?

[mahonri]

Hello everyone, I'm the new owner of a 1978 Cape Dory 28. Yesterday I moved the boat down the river to it's new home and after the journey I'm getting some excessive leakage from the stuffing box. It's a steady stream and is causing the bilge pump to go off about every 10 minutes. Makes me a little nervous. After getting down in there I can't figure out what kind of tool could fit around the nuts to adjust them, I've tried a pipe wrench and a sink drain spanner, which almost fits around it but it's not possible to turn it. Any recommendations? Thanks.

-Mo

[jbenagh]

A slotted screwdriver and a hammer. The exact size screwdriver is determined by how much room you need to swing the hammer. Lay the screwdriver blade near one of the points of the packing nut and tap to tighten. If it does not turn or if turning does not appear to reduce the flow you may need to repack.

Jeff

[Gary H]

The Spartan Marine stuffing box wrenches work very nicely but are a bit pricey at $50.

[roger]

A spanner wrench for the diameter needed. Available from your good hardware store. Roger

[Cathy Monaghan]

All of the above....and if you haven't changed the packing recently, you'll need to do that too.



-Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

[John Martin]

When we bought our CD28, many years ago, we had the same problem. I could not control the leak, even with new packing. I found that the original bronze shaft was scored inside the packing gland. I replaced the original shaft with a new S/S shaft and I was able to control the water coming into the boat. JM

[mahonri]

The Spartan Marine stuffing box wrenches work very nicely but are a bit pricey at $50.

After looking at the spartan marine catalog, I don't seem to have the same stuffing box, mine is much more a standard hexagonal type nut than what they show there.

A slotted screwdriver and a hammer. The exact size screwdriver is determined by how much room you need to swing the hammer. Lay the screwdriver blade near one of the points of the packing nut and tap to tighten. If it does not turn or if turning does not appear to reduce the flow you may need to repack.
Jeff

After letting it soak in PB Blaster overnight and whacking it for quite a while I still haven't been able to get it to budge. Guess it's time to go to the store and get a shorter screwdriver and a better hammer and just man up or something.

A spanner wrench for the diameter needed. Available from your good hardware store. Roger

None of the spanner wrenches I've seen look they could fit between the nut and the fiberglass, it's like a 1/4 inch clearance in there, even tighter on the locking nut. Right now I'm feeling like the only way is the hammer/screwdriver method.

When we bought our CD28, many years ago, we had the same problem. I could not control the leak, even with new packing. I found that the original bronze shaft was scored inside the packing gland. I replaced the original shaft with a new S/S shaft and I was able to control the water coming into the boat. JM

I sure hope that's not the problem, but the shaft down there sure doesn't look like bronze to me, appears to be steel, so it's probably been replaced at some point.

-Mo

[Dick Turner]

Captain,
Don't forget to loosen the lock nut, if there is one!

[Steve Laume]

Your stuffing box is not the typical Spartan unit so the Spartan wrenches are not going to do much good. That is also a very tight installation even by the usual standards.

I use a short all metal screw driver on my stuffing box but it is the standard Spartan with the castellated nuts which make it far easier to engage. The solid steel screwdriver delivers all the impact to the nut. If you don't have one of these you could grind a cold chisel so it will not cut into the nut and try that.

It seems like you may be able to get a box end wrench on there and still be able to turn it. To do this you would need to cut the wrench so it would slip over the 1" shaft. Seeing your situation, this is the direction I would pursue. PB blaster over a few days, maybe some heat and a modified box wrench might be your best bet.

Once you have the whole thing apart I would go ahead and replace the packing just because you don't want to have to get in there more often than necessary. Once you modify a wrench and if that works, you will always have it in your tool box.

There would be big money to be made by a wee person with even limited mechanical skills in boat yards all over the country, Steve.

[mahonri]

Captain,
Don't forget to loosen the lock nut, if there is one!

Sure trying, haven't yet gotten it to budge.

Your stuffing box is not the typical Spartan unit so the Spartan wrenches are not going to do much good. That is also a very tight installation even by the usual standards.

I use a short all metal screw driver on my stuffing box but it is the standard Spartan with the castellated nuts which make it far easier to engage. The solid steel screwdriver delivers all the impact to the nut. If you don't have one of these you could grind a cold chisel so it will not cut into the nut and try that.

It seems like you may be able to get a box end wrench on there and still be able to turn it. To do this you would need to cut the wrench so it would slip over the 1" shaft. Seeing your situation, this is the direction I would pursue. PB blaster over a few days, maybe some heat and a modified box wrench might be your best bet.

Once you have the whole thing apart I would go ahead and replace the packing just because you don't want to have to get in there more often than necessary. Once you modify a wrench and if that works, you will always have it in your tool box.

There would be big money to be made by a wee person with even limited mechanical skills in boat yards all over the country, Steve.

There does seem to be some amount of purchase for a screwdriver on mine, although it almost looks like it was formed from being hammered on in the past. Thanks for the solid steel screwdriver suggestion, I'll see if I can find one as the one I'm using at the moment has a plastic handle. In a couple days if I still haven't managed to get it loose I'll try the box end wrench idea. Don't think I know anybody with a good cutter or grinder (although maybe a dremel would do it if given enough time?) so it'll be a machine shop job. I'm thinking I might have to try chipping away at the fiberglass on the side to even have the box end fit, as the locking nut is almost touching the sides of the bilge.

Assuming I do eventually get it off, anybody have any suggestions for sealing the shaft while I tear out the old packing and replace? I think I saw somewhere that someone had used an old bike tube wrapped tight around it to limit the flow of water. Really don't want to have to haul it for this.

-Mo

[mahonri]

Phew, emergency over. And to think all it would take is the proper tools. Finally got the locking nut loose with a small 2lb sledge and a "demolition driver" full length steel screwdriver. Still will need to repack the box I'm sure, but I'm not planning on moving it in the near future, so got the drip rate pretty much nill for now. Haven't checked it yet with the motor in gear, but will be sure to do that if I do any motoring before I repack it. Thanks everybody for the help!

-Mo

[Cathy Monaghan]

It's hard to tell from the photo, but there should be a rubber hose that spans the distance between the stern tube and the stuffing box. I don't see the rubber hose or any hose clamps for it in the photo.

-Cathy

[mahonri]

It's hard to tell from the photo, but there should be a rubber hose that spans the distance between the stern tube and the stuffing box. I don't see the rubber hose or any hose clamps for it in the photo.

-Cathy

These guys weren't built in the standard fashion, apparently this engine is too large to fit using the standard rubber hose, so the stern tube itself is metal and threaded to receive the stuffing box. This was stock with the volvo engine in a 28ft.