Frozen locknut on Stuffing box
- Thread starter Canonshooternb
- Start date
After letting it soak for about a month and a half, the locknut on my boat finally broke free. I went down there to tighten a hose clamp on the pressure water system and figured "What the hey. Let's try this nut again." And it moved!!! Then I had to call up to the Admiral for the string, the new packing, the extractor. Even without the string, the amount of water was manageable. The string actually slowed the flow down to less than the packing was letting through before I repacked it.
If I understand you correctly, the large nut takes very little torque against the threaded tube in order to tighten the packing and stop the dripping. When the lock nut is to be tightened, a wrench is applied to the large nut (2"dia.) to keep it from turning and a smaller wrench (1-7/8" dia.) is used on the lock nut to tighten it.
I did say "stop the dripping" as I run the gland dry.
Did I get it right ? ? ?
Yeah don't do that.
You'll pop the stuffing box out of the log hose, or pop the log hose off the log. =Very bad news in the water.
You have to put the packing nut on all the way, and use counter-torque on it to hold the whole stuffing box while you back out the lock nut first. Then undo the packing nut.
Ouch ! ! ! ! !
I can only suggest loads of lubricant to try to get the lock nut to move as freely as possible.
OK, the locknut is frozen onto the threads and the packing nut is loose and backed off like in the second picture in post #11. So what I would do is use a pipe wrench (or a strap wrench) on the large flange of the threaded piece (next to the hose and clamps) and a wrench on the locknut. PB Blaster it and work it back and forth until it moves. I would also use a brass or bronze wire brush and clean off the threads that the locknut is to move onto. Once the locknut is moved onto clean threads, then brush the threads where the locknut and packing gland nut reside. Waterproof grease on all of the threads and re-assemble.
If the "tube turns" when you try to back off the lock nut, try using two packing gland wrenches: one on the lock nut the other on the compression nut.
Have changed packing several times. Very little water comes in. Rags can help but not really necessary. I even changed my 1" prop shaft in the water. That was a little scarier but quick work with a rag let in only maybe a half gallon. First time it was kinda terrifying but now no big deal. Just be ready with right stuff. On a second attempt at the shaft I found a wooden bung worked best.
I was in the same situation as you last year. I was ready to haul the boat just to have the stuffing box serviced. This is what I did to get the stuffing box open and avoid a haul out. First go to Harbor Freight and get 2 Huge adjustable wrenches. The jaws should open to just over 2 inches. They should be 18 inches long. If your stuffing nut and lock nut are significantly more than 2 inches in diameter they make a size larger. Carefully get one wrench on the locknut and the other on the stuffing nut. Turn both opposite each other slowly as not to put pressure on the actual rubber tube. The tube should not turn if you are putting equal pressure on each nut. The wrenches are big and the locknut is skinny so you will have to place the wrenches carefully but it can be done.
Before you apply the wrenches give the nuts a sharp clang with a hammer to help loosen them. Also it took a solid week with multiple applications of PB blaster and whacking with a hammer to loosen the nuts. they finally gave way after that. It was a lot of aggravation but a lot faster and cheaper than a haulout. Also PB blaster is famous for eating transmission seals so cover the area where the shaft enters the transmission and all other rubber parts, hoses, etc. It cost about 50.00 for the wrenches and I still have them aboard. Best of luck!
Before you apply the wrenches give the nuts a sharp clang with a hammer to help loosen them. Also it took a solid week with multiple applications of PB blaster and whacking with a hammer to loosen the nuts. they finally gave way after that. It was a lot of aggravation but a lot faster and cheaper than a haulout. Also PB blaster is famous for eating transmission seals so cover the area where the shaft enters the transmission and all other rubber parts, hoses, etc. It cost about 50.00 for the wrenches and I still have them aboard. Best of luck!
I just changed the packing in my stuffing box this week while I was in the water. Having never changed it in the water I was surprised to see how little water came in- about a pencil-sized stream. Nothing exciting. However, my lock nut was frozen to the gland and even after 2 days of PB Blaster treatment they would not budge. I was using the 10" Chinese crap-alloy adjustable wrenches that are available from WM. They are OK if the nuts are not frozen, but otherwise useless. My gland and lock nut are 2 1/4" so I got a couple 24" adjustable wrenches from Harbor Freight ($60+tax). They fit perfectly and loosening was a non-event.
See my previous post for details on the actual packing change:
http://forums.sailboatowners.com/in...box-for-1989-hunter-33-5.179637/#post-1302776
See my previous post for details on the actual packing change:
http://forums.sailboatowners.com/in...box-for-1989-hunter-33-5.179637/#post-1302776
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Wow! I gotta get me some of them!!
I broke my nuts apart this morning after dabbing PB on them and using 2 pipe wrenches. Worked, but definitely not the best way to go. I even tried one of those special wrenches MS recommends on the wide nut, but too unstable to get a grip when laying on the engine.