Packing Nut Wrench Size (Ericson 36c)

[JonathanCarlos]

Hey All-
Next time we head down to our boat in So Cal (Ericson 36c), I need to adjust (tighten) the Packing Gland. I wanted to grab a couple Packing Nut Wrenches before I go down, but did not measure them when we were down last. Does anyone know the size of the two nuts? 2" and 1 7/8"?
Including a picture for reference.
Thank You,
Jonathan C.
Nor-Cal

 

[tenders]

Access to my packing gland is really tight, jammed underneath a vee drive transmission and pretty deep into the “vee” of the hull. The giant crescent-style wrenches you can get at Home Depot are too long, and the adjustable jaw too wobbly and fat, to be any good. There really is no substitute for a proper fixed-width wrench on those nuts - two wrenches, actually - but they are expensive. So to avoid any error I called the manufacturer, Buck Algonquin in Essex, CT, and asked them for the drawing of my packing gland, which I’d just bought the year before.

They sent me a beautiful drawing and the nut diameters were clearly labeled. 1 15/16” each. Odd size, but hey, it’s an odd part. I tracked down two used wrenches on eBay.

They were the wrong size. Turns out the nuts on my 3/4” shaft gland are 1 7/8”. Back to eBay. Again, pretty expensive. But they work a treat. In fact, now I have THREE of them in 1 7/8” size - two full wrenches and one Snap-On that’s shaped like a crescent moon with a hole in it for a ratchet to fit, which is particularly helpful to get leverage in the tight area. I consider myself an expert in exerting pressure on 1 7/8” nuts.

If your nuts are 1 15/16” I can hook you up wrenchwise. Nobody on eBay expressed the least interest in buying mine back, and I tried for a year.

 

[Chschaus]

multiple options here. https://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.searchResults

Buck Algonquin Packing Box Wrench

Buck Algonquin's Packing Box Wrench is designed for loosening the lock nut and tightening the packing nut for a stuffing box. Features: Loosens the lock nut and tightens the packing nut for a stuffing box Marine-grade zinc plated iron constructio

defender.com

 

[Jerry VB]

Stuffing box nuts vary by year and manufacturer. Word of wisdom from Catalina Direct: "These wrenches are for 1-3/4" and 2" nuts and fit many Catalinas using a 1" prop shaft and do not have the standard 1-7/8" nuts. To be certain they are correct for your boat, you may want to measure your stuffing box before ordering."

On my '89 E32-3 one nut is 1 3/4" and the other is 2". I gambled and bought a pair of 1 7/8" wrenches from Catalina Direct and found that the wrench was loose on one nut and unusable on the other. :-/ I picked up a "Slip Nut Wrench" from my local hardware store (plumbing department) for the 2" nut and made it work.

My OCD is insisting I need to buy the 1 3/4" - 2" wrench set. My admiral is insisting that what I have works.

 

[Pete the Cat]

I have never liked any of the wrenches made for the purpose of working on stuffing box nuts. I use two channel locks that I have limited (with electrical ties) to be the right size for the nuts. Just too hard to fit a one size wrench and the purpose made ones have such flimsy jaws that I just tossed them.

 

[JSM]

I ponied up for a set of Knipex plier wrenches. A bit pricy but they work great on the stuffing box and pretty much everything else.

https://www.amazon.com/KNIPEX-Tools-00-20-US2/dp/B005EXNT2Y/ref=sr_1_4?crid=31LQVI6X1H2CB&keywords=knipex+pliers+wrench&qid=1676147868&sprefix=knipex+%2Caps%2C377&sr=8-4

 

[Nick J]

I have a 2" and 1 3/4" set I used for the packing gland I just replaced with a dripless. If it fits, it's yours. Just pay the shipping and tell me where to send them.

 

[u079721]

I would recommend to anyone getting a pair of McMaster-Carr "Tight-Clearance Open-End Wrenches". They have narrow heads to fit in tight spaces. In my case I had to cut about 2" off to get enough clearance to use them, but they were very nice to use.

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

 

[Nick J]

If shipping gets you with McMaster-Carr, try searching for "service wrench" on Amazon. That's how I found the two on my previous post.