Anyone in Eastbourne with some long spanners?

[Rivers & creeks]

Our stern gland needs tightening and neither of us can quite reach it with the ordinary spanners, we're shipping about 3 litres an hour - clearly we need to nip it up! We arrive at Sovereign this lunchtime and if anyone with some long spanners could help we'd be very grateful. Longer term what's the best source for longer spanners? Breaker bar and sockets won't fit - I tried

Thanks to anyone who can help at Eadtbourne. LK.

 

[prv]

Any of these any good?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/extra-long-spanners

Pete

 

[david_bagshaw]

If you cant reach it how would you repack the gland if needed?

 

[Rivers & creeks]

A nimble mechanic did it 18 months ago. I'm definitely not that bendy!

 

[Blueboatman]

There are marine engineers in Eastbourne. Would suggest 'renting' the tool if poss,or nipping up to a toolshop in town, the marine hourly labour would be Sarf coast rates innit. And they will be busy etc..

I left my boat in Eastbourne for a month earlier in the year, there are a couple of pretty able wooden boat DIYers right there on the visitors docks west of the lock, you may get lucky just asking..
Longer term. Well...Hacksaw, drill and a bit of 1/8th or 1/4 inch steel bar. Custom make a couple of flat spanners.. ( and make the square 'slot' for the stern gland nuts at an angle just like a proper spanner, so you can flip the new tool over, front to back, when space is limited in a deeper bilge slot).

Or a normal spanner jubillee clipped/whipped to an extender bar? Or with a tube fed over the end.

The real question is, do you have spare packing material if it is a greaser type, is the grease actually getting through, is there cutlass bearing wear or engine bearer movement, why is it leaking after 18 months..

If leaving the boat unattended, and the greaser is working, you can 'seal' the drip by winding down the greaser, and rotating the shaft a couple of revolutions on the starter, if you don't want to play boatyard games just yet..good luck whichever route..

 

[Rivers & creeks]

Thanks for that and to Moonshine for the pm re when back on East Coast. When the yard repacked the gland they first nipped it up too tight and a wisp of smoke appeared. They removed that packing and redid knowing it was too loose with the instructions to gradually nip it up, which we did. But leg injury means it's not possible to hang upside down like I used to. At rest a turn of the greaser means zero drips. It didn't drip much the first year but we hardly motored, this week we've motored 120 miles in the last 3 days and it clearly needs a nip.

 

[dunmor]

pm sent

 

[pyrojames]

I'll be down there tomorrow afternoon, and have spanners on board that should do it. Come over and ask. We're on C5.

 

[Rivers & creeks]

Hi James, it would be great to catch up and apologise again for water and mud bombing you in your frock coat. We were going to try and catch the 1pm tide to get West a bit and Dunmor has offered to help tomorrow morning. If you're on board before we lock out we'll pop over to say hi. LK

 

[TQA]

Buy a couple of cheap short spanners and a couple of bits of flat bar.

5 minutes with a welder and Bobs your uncle.

After use wrap in an oily rag.

 

[PaulJS]

Although I note that you said you can't get in with a breaker bar and socket, and without a picture I'm shooting in the dark, but assuming that you have a gland follower with studs and nuts on the side, would a ratchet with extension pieces and a flexible coupling at the socket end work?

Good luck,

Paul

 

[Rivers & creeks]

Thanks Paul, it's really tight there and a spanner only just goes on.

A big thank you to Dunmor who came over this morning and sorted us out, a real gent. This autumn we'll make up spanner extensions as suggested.

But then the engine saga continued... New thread started...........