Stuffing Box wrench

tfhyndman

New Member
Oct 28, 2012
8
NJ
Boat Info
1995 37' Sea Ray
Engines
454
I need to repack my stuffing box on a 95 370 Dancer. Where. Can I find a wrench big enough (about 3 5/8”)?
 
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You don't need a wrench. I always used a large set of channel lock pliers to do mine. It's a tool that you you can use on other projects too instead of a single purpose tool. Also useful for pulling and straightening the cotter pins while you are making your adjustments through out the year. Works better than the wrench in my view.
 
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I just looked at the price of stuffing box wrenches. They are sort of pricey! Makes the channel locks look like a bargain, especially considering their multiple usefulness.
 
Do you plan on spraying any solvent on the nut area before you loosen them? If yes what? I need to work on mine and they are solid.
 
We had some 3/8” aluminum plate left over from another project. I made rudder and shaft packing nut wrenches in about an hour one Saturday morning with a band saw and a milling machine.

They worked better than channel locs and were softer than the packing nuts so you never damage the nuts on a frozen stuffing box.
 
We had some 3/8” aluminum plate left over from another project. I made rudder and shaft packing nut wrenches in about an hour one Saturday morning with a band saw and a milling machine.

They worked better than channel locs and were softer than the packing nuts so you never damage the nuts on a frozen stuffing box.
Have any pictures Frank?
 
My starboard side was frozen and it wouldnt loosen with any of the normal tools. I also needed a 3.50 and 4.75 wrench which were scare to non-existant. Picked up a piece of 3/8 plate steel, cut a template out of vinyl, and crudely cut away with sawzall and grinder. Needs some cleaning up, but worked wonders with the addition of a 1’ pipe over the ends. $24 and a few hours.
 

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We had some 3/8” aluminum plate left over from another project. I made rudder and shaft packing nut wrenches in about an hour one Saturday morning with a band saw and a milling machine.

They worked better than channel locs and were softer than the packing nuts so you never damage the nuts on a frozen stuffing box.

Frank or Mark,

Any interest in making two more? For a fee?

Mine are frozen and so far nothing I've tried has been successful.

Rob
 
Frank or Mark,

Any interest in making two more? For a fee?

Mine are frozen and so far nothing I've tried has been successful.

Rob

Rob have you sprayed (drenched) the nut with penetrating oil (something like liquid wrench works well), let it sit for 24-48 hours and tried again? Mine were also jammed and would not budge at all. Tried 4 different tools including the above mentioned. After I let them sit for two days after having squirted a very healthy dose of penetrating oil, they came loose with a water pump wrench.
 
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View attachment 67862 You don't need a wrench. I always used a large set of channel lock pliers to do mine. It's a tool that you you can use on other projects too instead of a single purpose tool. Also useful for pulling and straightening the cotter pins while you are making your adjustments through out the year. Works better than the wrench in my view.
You are right about that ! Another thing i use them on are removing my oil filters. better then any oil filter wrench or Strap wrench. Yea i agree!:D
 
Frank or Mark,

Any interest in making two more? For a fee?

Mine are frozen and so far nothing I've tried has been successful.

Rob

Sorry, Rob. I've got a shop full of projects promised to friends and family now, not to mention my own. You would not be happy at my turn-around time so I'd rather not disappoint you.

The templating process is simple and can be done with common hand tools or you could take a template to a local machine shop and have one made for not a lot of money.
 
The templating process is simple and can be done with common hand tools or you could take a template to a local machine shop and have one made for not a lot of money.

That was my backup plan.

Thanks for getting back to me.
 
Rob have you sprayed (drenched) the nut with penetrating oil (something like liquid wrench works well), let it sit for 24-48 hours and tried again? Mine were also jammed and would not budge at all. Tried 4 different tools including the above mentioned. After I let them sit for two days after having squirted a very healthy dose of penetrating oil, they came loose with a water pump wrench.

I haven't tried that...yet. It's currently in water and the leak would prevent any penetrant from actually getting into, or staying on the threads. It goes on the hard next week, so I'll give it a shot then. Thanks for the heads up.
 
You are right about that ! Another thing i use them on are removing my oil filters. better then any oil filter wrench or Strap wrench. Yea i agree!:D

I've tried pipe wrench, adjustable wrench and channel locks.

The difficulty with large tools is the tiny space around the stuffing box in my 340. :(
 

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