Stuffing Box 58 MY rudder leaking

[stewart]

I have a steady leak port rudder stuffing box 58 MY, I can not tighten it any more. I took apart the drawer cabinet and can get at the large nuts, however the top of the post is supported by a box of plywood and if I take the stuffing nut off I can not see how to get at the shaft.
Has anybody done this on on a 58 /53 MY ? If so can you offer any tips ?
Cheers Stewart

 

[yachtsmanbill]

I am guessing by being all the way down that you did also run the jam nut down as well? If you are up against that it wont go any further. If in fact there is no adjustment left, you are faced with two decisions. 1. Add a ring or two of packing 2. Pull all the old stuff and repack.
If yours resembles mine, getting the old stuff out is a chore and if you are in the water, I would not recommend a total repack. Personally, I would add some. Take a foot of new braided graphite type packing and wrap it tightly around the shaft of the rudder. Score it with a razor for length (ONE TITE WRAP EACH) and remove to finish cutting. Take a ball pein hammer and slightly flatten the stuff. Unscrew the gland nut and push the one or two rings up into it. You may find yourself adding a ring, squeezing it down and repeating this to get a second ring in. Put a nice dollyp of anti seize on the land (the flat part of the male side and shaft) and run the nut down till it stops leaking, then add about 2 more turns.
If you have a stub shaft thats the same size, it will be easier to use that to cut the new packing btw. Its probably a 2" shaft, and the cut length is kinda critical. ws

probably 4 or 5 rings in the top part

hard as a rock

all done and bone dry

Dont hesitate to trim out the hole to gain some access. Mine was about 10 X 12 inches and was revamped to 1-1/2 X 2 FEET! Bubba was a triple jointed midget. ws

 

[stewart]

Thanks Bill, your rudder shaft is the same as mine I will back ofrf the top jam nut and do as you suggest, it is in the water so probably only 1 or 2 rings and the shaft is 2 in. the only snag I see is the top jam nut or cone will be up out of sight behind ply wood boxed beam, I'll give it a try thanks.
Stewart

 

[yachtsmanbill]

Just pretend yer in the back seat of that 62 Impala in High School. Use your fingers and feel your way through it. I'd really suggest that you cut the access hole as large as possible to make it easier... ws

FIRST enlargement

gettin' bigger!

Wall was removed for a muffler hose and re-battened. Live life LARGE!

 

[stewart]

Thanks Bill no more leak, I did the back seat thing put in 1 new ring, the ola rings are still in there, too hard to pick out, Ill re do next hall out, hammered the flax flatter covered it with grease ie. back seat stuff and used a strap wrench to initally tighten it, drying with fan then lock it up with bottom lock nut, your pix were very helpful, thanks again.
Cheers Stewart

 

[yachtsmanbill]

Ahhh!! Glad it worked. I'm not a big fan of flax, but it has worked for 400 years so I guess you can expect reasonable service from it! ;-)) ws