Stuffing Box Woes

[Hyena Love]

When it rains, it pours.

Pulled out of the slip on Sunday, the transmission cable end came off (second time) and while I was messing with that, I noticed the stuffing box leaking pretty heavily. Started to tighten it down, and realized the cap (old style, threaded tube with a "cap" containing the stuffing that screws down) would not thread onto the tube. Messed with it for a hour or so - C-X soak, a little acid, blown with air - and realized the threads on the cap are simply chewed up. Looks like it got a little loose, and the vibration just ate up the threads.

Now, I have a bad cap, and a split style coupler on the tranny end. Unbolt the coupler, and that shaft is not going anywhere. Didn't have chisels on me, but with another C-X soak and a big screw driver and a couple wacks, it is not moving.

Plan, pull the shaft/coupler back a few inches from the tranny, insert a 2x4 b/w the coupler and the tranny to absorb some of the shock, soak with C-X again, insert chisels, and beat them in while pulling out on the shaft/prop. Failing that - apply heat to the coupler (but not the shaft). Propane torch and fire extinguisher time. Sound about right?

Got essentially no room for the wheel puller I have, but is that an aproach I should try?

Is there an easier way? Like cut the cap off with an angle grinder and use some sort of "split, two part, magic, stuffing box" cap.

Any hints on either getting the coupler off or getting it back on again later. Bear in mind, this boat is hanging in a sling the whole time.

Many thanks in advance.

[RussP]

Get 4 pieces of all-thread about 8" long the same size as your coulping bolts with nuts & washers. Find a deep socket just a pinch smaller than the shaft diamater and insert between the shaft and the tranny flange. Insert the threaded stock and tighten a little at a time to distribute the pressure eavenly. You'll be able to work it off a little at a time. Be carefull not to beat on the coupling too much. If it's a real bitch you may have to add to the insert to get it all the way off.
Good luck,
RussP

[Capt. Mike Holmes]

Ernesto, Bad deal. I have probably the same split couplers, hard to get on, even harder to get off. I pulled one of mine half off last year by running aground - might try that if you can do it without taking on so much water you sink getting to a proper sandbar. When I had to push it back, I tried mightily to spread the coupler, heated it, finally got it just loose enough to force it down. Bruce should weigh in with the proper technique, but I think leaving it bolted to the tranny and using a puller from the back was the method my boatyard recommended. Don't try to put too much pressure on the transmission flange, or you could damage the gear. Give me a holler if I can help.

[Bruce]

What ever you do don't hammer on a coupling.
Russ's suggestion works very well.

A split coupling can have a set screw beside the two main side bolts. Check for that or A PIN before you do anything else.

Make sure the packing nut is not too full of packing, leading to your problem. I've seen it before.
Sometimes it seems the nut threads are screwed up but its just the nut has too much packing and can't feed more than the first few threads which can be stripped.