Stern Gland Fixed Greasing Gun

[thesaintlyone]

My Westerly Longbow 31 has an inbuilt Stern Gland greasing gun in the Aft port locker do I still need to apply new packing material or is the grease gun an alternative solution info seems a bit here and there.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

My Westerly Longbow 31 has an inbuilt Stern Gland greasing gun in the Aft port locker do I still need to apply new packing material or is the grease gun an alternative solution info seems a bit here and there.

The greaser is in addition to packing, not instead of - you need both. However, the packing should last for a very long time, though you may need to tighten the gland up occasionally. The grease is really there to minimize leakage while stationary; it should leak very slightly ( a drop a minute or thereabouts) when running.

Lot of information on Vyv-cox's website (http://coxeng.co.uk/stern-gear/stern-glands/)

 

[johnalison]

If the Longbow greasing point is anything like the one I had on my old Westerly Cirrus, you could do much better by changing it to something much handier, preferably like one with the grease preloaded and the only regular task being to turn a handle.

 

[thesaintlyone]

What's the best tool to Tighten the nut

 

[macd]

What's the best tool to Tighten the nut

You have us at an advantage: you've seen it
Nuts generally respond to spanners. Cruder options are available.

 

[Neil_Y]

Just for information, over use of the greaser can end up blocking the water ways in the shaft bearing in the stern tube, this can result in it over heating so use grease sparingly it only helps to stop drips, but adjustment of the packing nut can also stop dripping.

Water is a great lubricant and coolant, grease is a poor conductor of heat.

 

[PaulRainbow]

What's the best tool to Tighten the nut

You could try a serving spoon, or possibly a toothbrush.

 

[matthewriches]

The answer is obviously a handheld milk frother .....

You could try a serving spoon, or possibly a toothbrush.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

What's the best tool to Tighten the nut

As others have said, without seeing it, it's difficult to advise. Whatever you use, you'll need two - one to hold the lock nut, the other to tighten or loosen the gland. Mine has two very large hex nuts, and I use two water pump pliers like these but YMMV!

 

[prv]

Mine has two very large hex nuts, and I use two water pump pliers like these but YMMV!

My previous boat came with a large-jawed but short-handled spanner which the previous owner had cut out of a sheet of aluminium. The torque on the nuts isn't huge so the strength of the spanner doesn't need to match its size.

Pete

 

[ashtead]

If the Longbow greasing point is anything like the one I had on my old Westerly Cirrus, you could do much better by changing it to something much handier, preferably like one with the grease preloaded and the only regular task being to turn a handle.

I think it has a inbuilt gun like a classic Centaur which we used to turn after every trip but still leaked . I assume by now such technology has been overtaken by my modern seals so the packing and filling gun has become a rarer event ?

 

[ghostlymoron]

From your question, I assume you have a nut and lock nut arrangement for which you need two large spanners, water pump pliers, molegrips or stillsons. Often there's not enough clearance for the latter so something homemade is preferable. Possibly a modified calor gas spanner or similar
Some sternglands have knurled adjusters.
As said, Vyv Cox's website describes the options in some detail but don't overdo the grease or overtighten the gland nut.