Stuffing box-Hunter 32 ( Yanmar 18 )

[Jim Conley]

I have a drip- I managed to use PB Blaster and a chisel to release the locking nut and could easily turn it towards the stern- I cannot for the life of me figure out if I should somehow move the larger nut- towards the engine- along the shaft so that I could see any material to replace. I have the proper wax stuffing but so far I can just put it between the two nuts- I have not turned the motor on- Should I be able to slide the larger nut so that I can see or get to some stuffing wraped around the shaft??
The larger nut is tight to the shaft. I was wondering if perhaps this model does not have stuffing?????
Or am I just whistling in the dark?

 

[John T1594]

The large nut should be unscrewed and moved along the shaft (forward) so that you can get a small pick or other instrument into the cavity around the shaft and remove the old packing material. Don't do this with the boat in the water if it is your first time working on a stuffing box!
Please check the Archives on this site for prior discussions and advice.

 

[jtm]

assuming your packing box is bronze, try some vinegar on it to loosen the nut. PB laster is good too. Have you tried Liquid Wrench? . You can used those dental picks to tease out the old packing. Your dentist may have an old one to give you - but then they have them at Harbour freight- but not same qualiity as dental grade. Have you tried the GFO teflon packing yet? - works pretty good - using it for 10 yrs or so.