drive shaft stuffing box

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by drcot3

Mine is anti clockwise for the locknut to loosen & anti-clockwise to tighten packing nut clockwise to add more compacting of hemp viewed from the rubber hose end/exit of shaft through the hull.

Magic... Right?
Imagine the axis of rotation as a pole through the center of a wheel. The pole protrudes on both sides of the wheel and, depending on which side you’re looking at, the wheel is turning either clockwise or counterclockwise. This dependency on perspective makes determining the angle of rotation slightly more difficult. As with all physical quantities, there is a standard for measurement that makes these types of quantities consistent. For angular quantities, the direction of the vector is determined using the Right Hand Rule.
https://www.google.com/search?q=righ...&client=safari

Perspective is Everything.https://jov.arvojournals.org/article...icleid=2772103
SV Cloud Duster

[wguinon]

With your right hand, make a fist with your thumb sticking up (the thumbs up sign) If you turn a nut in the direction of your fingers the nut will move in the direction of your thumb.

[mvweebles]

Pipe wrenches are not the right tool as they can easily press the nut into the thread.

Purpose built wrenches are best

https://www.fisheriessupply.com/buck...g-box-wrenches

Othwewise, these adjustable mechanics wrenches are decent. Penetrating oil and lots of tapping helps too.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-Adju...nch/1002645196

Good luck.

Peter

[Searles]

Have seen left and right hand stuffing hollow nuts on older wooden boats ,if it’s possible to get a 4lb hammer under one of the flats put a piece of wood in the bilge to pivot the handle on and hold the hammer hard up on the flat ,now rapidly hard Tapp the opposite flat to the under hammer this will normally vibrate the nut loose ,with little or no damage .⛵️⚓️

[chris95040]

Originally Posted by Boatyarddog

I've not seen Left hand threading on packing glands yet.

…



Be sure your moving the nut CCW, looking from behind the nut forward to the bow, or engine

CW if from the bow looking aft toward your rudder post, or stern.

This can be confusing to some.

SV Cloud Duster

You’ve got that backwards, FYI.

(Assuming your intent is for the nut to move fwd, not aft)

Right handed threads? Point your right-hand thumb in the direction you want the thing to go, your curled fingers will point the way you need to rotate it.

‘This can be confusing to some’. [emoji23]

[Boatyarddog]

[QUOTE=chris95040;3501820]You’ve got that backwards, FYI.

(Assuming your intent is for the nut to move fwd, not aft)

Right handed threads? Point your right-hand thumb in the direction you want the thing to go, your curled fingers will point the way you need to rotate it.

‘This can be confusing to some’. [emoji23


"Right handed threads? Point your right-hand thumb in the direction you want the thing to go, your curled fingers will point the way you need to rotate it."

Because you failed to read the link about R.H.Rule correctly.
Your thumb points up, not in the direction "you want the thing to go.

Problem with many, they don't read it well enough, and think it means something it doesn't.

Boatyarddog

[ArmySailor]

I Do not envy your task. I faced a similar problem with my boat after I first got her. Managed to get the nuts off, cleaned them up well. Now I put a dab of lanicote on the threads each season, never had any issues since then.

[chris95040]

[QUOTE=Boatyarddog;3502059]

Originally Posted by chris95040

You’ve got that backwards, FYI.



(Assuming your intent is for the nut to move fwd, not aft)



Right handed threads? Point your right-hand thumb in the direction you want the thing to go, your curled fingers will point the way you need to rotate it.



‘This can be confusing to some’. [emoji23





"Right handed threads? Point your right-hand thumb in the direction you want the thing to go, your curled fingers will point the way you need to rotate it."



Because you failed to read the link about R.H.Rule correctly.

Your thumb points up, not in the direction "you want the thing to go.



Problem with many, they don't read it well enough, and think it means something it doesn't.



Boatyarddog

Huh?

[MicHughV]

This is one of those problems that should really be addressed with the boat out of the water.

The bronze stuffing box is typically " clamped" inside a rubber hose, which in turn is clamped onto the shaft tube. If the stuffing box is in the condition the OP mentions, the possibility of the hose clamps may be in similar state of disrepair.

Excessive rotary force on the stuffing box, may also cause the stuffing box to rotate inside the rubber tube, which may also try to rotate around the shaft tube.

These are all potential leak problems.

I can tell you from experience, that seeing as all these tubes, etc ,are usually a few feet below the water, there is considerable water pressure there, and any leak will quickly become a serious problem.

If you are the only person on the boat, trying to stop the leak as well as trying to find assistance could be problematic.

'jes sayin'.....

[Boatyarddog]

[QUOTE=chris95040;3504658]

Originally Posted by Boatyarddog

Huh?

No Worries,
RH Rule is for vectoring.

[chris95040]

[QUOTE=Boatyarddog;3504667]

Originally Posted by chris95040

No Worries,

RH Rule is for vectoring.

Myopic. I didn’t even use your trigger words, ‘right hand rule’, in my description of how to use your hand to figure out which way to turn a thread. Go ahead and show me anything that was incorrect, I’ll wait.

Oh never mind I see the problem. You are the guy who told them to spin it the wrong way. 🤣

[Nord Sal]

[QUOTE=Boatyarddog;3504667]

Originally Posted by chris95040

No Worries,
RH Rule is for vectoring.

The right-hand rule applies perfectly to this case. You just had your description of the direction to turn the lock nut when viewed looking forward or when looking aft bass-akwards.

[rotrax]

All of the above is why my boat has an " Orbitrade " rubber stuffing box. Annual greasing, 5 minutes max, self bleeding after drying out or lifting, long life, proven reliability and my bilge is as dry as a nuns crutch.


Works for me!

[captainwd40]

I had same problem

Heat outer nut with propane torch carefully. Work nut slowly back and forth until it frees up

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by beetle

It's unlikely that bronze keeper nut will have galled to the stuffing nut - could happen, but unlikely. So they shouldn't be welded together.


I have had significant corrosion on the threads the keeper nut backs off onto, and soaking them in Liquid Wrench helped (basically kerosene and graphite, I was told). Use a wire brush to clear off as much corrosion from the bronze threads as possible. Flush with water to clear debris.



Key for me was using kinetic energy to free the keeper nut - e.g., striking a wrench on the nut with a 3lb. sledge hammer while holding the stuffing nut and box threads stationary.



The arrangement involved capturing the stuffing nut solidly with a wrench resting on a wooden block against the hull, providing a secondary support for the threaded stuffing box portion with wooden wedges against the hull to stop the box from wiggling, and getting the keeper nut wrench on with enough room to drop the sledge sufficiently to get a significant bang on the wrench.



Watch the rubber hose connecting the box to the hull/thru-tube, that's the hose that keeps the water out. You do not want to break or crack that hose.



- rob/beetle

Make sure the threads are right hand.

I had one frozen totally. I used a small grinder to cut nearly to the threads. Once the stress was relieved it was easy to turn.