Stuck packing nut

[Jay Fusaro]

Hi guys, we have a 1998 445 with Cummins Diesel‘s and the starboard shaft was dripping about once every two seconds even while the engines were not running. Had a mechanic attempt to tighten the packing nut a little bit and he said it would not budge. Does anyone have any experience with what to do in the situation? I assume the boat should be pulled to deal with this? Any assistance would be appreciated. Thanks!

[bud37]

Geez did the guy offer any opinion on why or just give up ?

It could simply be the packing is worn, nut is bottomed and the packing needs to be replaced.....old out and new in.....can be done in the water. Hopefully the shaft is still smooth ( no gouges or nicks etc ) and if it cleans up good with the right packing adjusted properly you can get it quite dry. I'm still astounded he couldn't do anything to resolve even temporarily. Anyhow good luck with your repair.

[Jay Fusaro]

Thanks for the reply. According to the mechanic, they exerted a pretty good amount of force on the nut and we’re a little nervous about using any additional force with the boat in the water. That’s why I’m seeking input so I can make a more informed decision, if the boat needs to be pulled or not.

[bud37]

Aha , I see now.

Were they were trying to loosen as well though and the thing is stuck to the locking nut/ring or just does not turn at all ? Tough to tell not being there and getting eyes on it.

I am sure viper will have done this many many more times than I have.....never had one right stuck like that.

[Viper]

If it's that bad, go to the lift and get slings under the boat just as a safety measure. Doesn't have to be hauled but should something go wrong, at least it's a matter of minutes to get her out. Not all tubes are righty-tighty, some are reverse thread, so this is something they need to consider. Sometimes all you need are bigger tools with longer handles or add a bar for leverage!! If there is no room to swing anything long, ping the JAM nut and try to get it to turn away from the packing nut by using a punch or chisel with a heavy mallet on one or more corners of the nut to try and break it free. Once the jam nut is free from the packing nut, it may be easier to break the packing nut free. Either way, it's important that the jam nut needs to be loosened first. You can also apply a product ahead of time that's designed to help loosen fasteners frozen in place, heck a little diesel works pretty good for that, just let it sit for a while or overnight. You can also try applying heat, just make sure you keep the hose end cool, usually pouring water on a rag wrapped around the tube is good enough for that. Worst case scenario is having to split the nut/nuts and replace or replace them and the tube assembly. At that point, it would be best to replace them with a dripless system if your budget allows. Where there's a will and $$, there's always a way

[Jay Fusaro]

Outstanding advice, Viper! I really appreciate it and I will pass this along to the mechanic. Fingers crossed, checkbook handy.

[km1125]

... Not all tubes are righty-tighty, some are reverse thread, so this is something they need to consider. ...

^^^THIS, and having the appropriate tools are the big things