Stern seal spanners

[Guest]

the traditional stern seal with packing and end cap / nut etc. is a pain to adjust. It sits often in a narrow channel stopping the application of suitable sized adjustable spanners etc.
It needs nipping up after re=packing and at intervals through its life till the time you re-pack again.

Has anyone out there made a spanner themselves to fit this type of stern seal ..... seeing as they are generally of similar size - maybe it's time someone came up with a simple spanner for this thing ??

I trudged round tool-shops, B&Q etc. and could not find a suitable large spanner to do this job ..... all the plumbers grips and pipe jobs were too small, anything big enough couldn't get into the narrow shaft well ...... Grrrrrrrrrrrrr


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[omega2]

should not require too much torque, why not use a large screwdriver and hammer and gently tap it round?

<hr width=100% size=1>J HAMER

 

[TrueBlue]

OOOH No, don't do it like that....

Sod's law indicates that you'll chew up the end cap and distort the threads.

Two suggestions:-

1. Kitchen bottle opener - the one with serated jaws.
2. Strap wrench - also sold as kitchen jar opener, but witha nylon strap
3. Ditto with a chain and hook, so adjustable, down to a small size el.cheapo from motor factors.
4. Sliding bar pliers like a cheap plumber's wrench.
5. "Footprint" wrench, does the same as (4) but better quality, locks onto the object being turned.

(2) or possibly (3) are the best and kindest, (2) won't chew the cap and will work in a tight space.

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Stop what you're doing and wait my signal

 

[paulburton44]

i got a tool with my boat (not made by me)

a large star ring spanner with a slot cut away the size of the shaft.

slot it on then slide down to the nut.

works a treat..

<hr width=100% size=1>www.withamsailingclub.co.uk

 

[Skyva_2]

We had the same struggle to find such spanners - we need two as there is a locknut. Finally got two short handled 2 inch spanners made up by a local toolmaker in thin tool steel, £30, but never regretted it.

Keith

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[silverseal]

Go to a plumbers merchants, and get a basin spanner, which is designed to do up the locking nuts of basin and bath taps, in areas only familar to plumbers and gynacologists

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[david]

Use the tool for undoing filters(nm)

.

<hr width=100% size=1>David

 

[JimMcMillan]

Nigel, u need a 'C' key maybe availble at halfords (i have had mine from my dad 40 yrs) its used to remove the crank on the pedals.

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[roger]

Modifying spanners

Its quite easy to modify the outside parts of spanners. You can grind off a fair amount of the outside with bench grinder or angle grinder. Its not a nice process so watch it.
Its also simple to bend a spanner shank. Just heat the shank up with a gas torch or over a gas cooker and slip the spanner into a vice and apply pressure. I bent up a couple of screwdrivers this way while on my boat - I needed to make levers to get the top off the diesel tank.

<hr width=100% size=1>Roger

 

[hebdena]

I got a friend with a fabrication business to make me a pair to the dimensions I supplied.
West Marine do an adjustable 'wrench' for this job. A bit flimsey by the looks of it but as a previous repondee says you do not need much torque.

Regards.........Andrew

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[Guest]

Re: Use the tool for undoing filters(nm)

This is the response I was looking for ...... did you use the one with chain or the synthetic strap version ??? Did it need two - 1 to hold seal cap, 2nd to undo lock nut ?


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[Guest]

Being bronze - I don't want to damage the nut and cap .....

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[david]

The chain type

You may get away with one, but you just might need two. I got mine from a local cheap market stall, you know the cheap cheap stuff, plenty good enough for this job. My nuts are about 75mm or 3" AF (No jokes thankyou) I think I paid about £3 each I don't know what Halfords charge.

<hr width=100% size=1>David

 

[david]

The chain type

You may get away with one, but you just might need two. I got mine from a local cheap market stall, you know the cheap cheap stuff, plenty good enough for this job. I think I paid about £3 each I don't know what Halfords charge.

<hr width=100% size=1>David

 

[yoda]

One alternative I have seen is to replace the traditional nut with a version that has what I would describe as chunkey spokes. These are designed to be tapped with a drift of some type and allow them to be done up / un-done in confined spaces. I do know of a very reasonable supplier if you want any more help. PM me if you want more information.

Yoda



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[dulcibella]

Very light tapping with a very small hammer (eg a toffee hammer or small tack hammer) on the appropriate end of the most accessible flat will shift it. Keep tapping until it moves. Extremely useful if the position is inaccessible for a big spanner.

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[TheBoatman]

Nige
Stop bu****g about and go get an oil seal fitted in place of your packing. Do the job once and then forget about special spanners. I fitted oil seals to all our club boats and they are approaching 1500 hrs and still have yet to produce a drip. Changing the seal is easy and cheap. Seals don't wear the shaft nearly as much as packing does. 1 squirt of grease lasts 6 months.

Peter.

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[Guest]

Now this is something that crossed my mind some time ago ..... why cannot an Oil seal of similar diameter etc. be put in place of a packing .... Oil Seals keep oil in crankcases against a lot more pressure ...

OK Mr. Boatman - I'm game - ....... try my real e-mail :

nluther@solent-life.co.uk

and we'll discuss the whole issue and how to do it ...


<hr width=100% size=1>Cheers Nigel http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gps-navigator/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/searider/