I need to service my stuffing box on a 81 H30 Cherubini. Sorry if this is a dumb question, but what is the easiest way to access it?
Easiest way to access stuffing box for maintenance?
- Thread starter Nmartin33
- Start date
don't know the lay out on your boat but i have seen people lay a shipping pad over the engine and then lay belly first on that and work on them ...surly you have an access hole in a bulkhead some where that will let you get to it ...you some times have to be a contortionist to work on these boats
I lay an old towel over the engine and an old cushion on the floor for my knees and basically lay over the engine like Woodster suggested. Assuming it's the Yanmar 2GM that I have in my '82 H30, note the direction of the decompression levers on top of the engine before you start so you know you didn't accidentally move one of them.
The stuffing box on my 1982 H30 is also accessible from the starboard cockpit locker, but you need to be a small contortionist to get in there. I sometimes get my sweetheart's young son to do it for me, since I am neither small nor a contortionist.
I have also laid the towel (and my body) across the engine, but there is not much elbow room in my engine compartment.
The best I can tell you is "Good Luck".
I have also laid the towel (and my body) across the engine, but there is not much elbow room in my engine compartment.
The best I can tell you is "Good Luck".
Quarter Berth
On my previous boat - 1980 H30 - I used to access (well, sort of) the shaft stuffing box through the access panel in the quarter berth. The panel is so small, however, that you could touch everything in the aft compartment behind the engine with one hand - or you could see everything in there - but you could not see and touch anything at the same time. On rare occassion, I was able to get both arms through the panel opening and get to work on the stuffing box, remove the batteries and change the Racor filter. Mind you, I am over 6 ft tall and 240# so it was always a struggle. I was able to change out my muffler and exhaust hoses by laying on top of the engine. I always planned to make that access panel bigger but never got around to it. One of the best things I ever installed on that boat was a small light on the upper starboard side of the engine compartment. It made everything easier to see and do in there.
On my previous boat - 1980 H30 - I used to access (well, sort of) the shaft stuffing box through the access panel in the quarter berth. The panel is so small, however, that you could touch everything in the aft compartment behind the engine with one hand - or you could see everything in there - but you could not see and touch anything at the same time. On rare occassion, I was able to get both arms through the panel opening and get to work on the stuffing box, remove the batteries and change the Racor filter. Mind you, I am over 6 ft tall and 240# so it was always a struggle. I was able to change out my muffler and exhaust hoses by laying on top of the engine. I always planned to make that access panel bigger but never got around to it. One of the best things I ever installed on that boat was a small light on the upper starboard side of the engine compartment. It made everything easier to see and do in there.
Probably you need a larger v-berth access panel. My '79 H37C had none. I couldn't understand how people were working on anything. Turns out later models had the removable panel. Now so does mine.
