Coupling issues

[jarod]

Hi All,

I have an ericson 27 which needs stuffing box servicing...the packing gland is so close to the coupling that the coupling needs to be removed to service...I had a mechanic look at it today and it is so rusted with rounded over bolts etc..that the mechanic tells me the only way this thing is coming off is if we pull the engine from the boat...looking at a $2000 bill to pull motor get coupling off and install new one...is there any way to get the coupling off the motor without a cutting torch and pulling the motor??? please help

[Don Moyer]

If you have good access to the coupling, you could rent a high-speed grinder and grind the heads off the three coupling bolts. You'd have to follow this procedure even if you torched the prop shaft and removed the engine. The only question is whether or not you have space to get a high speed grinder next to the bolt heads.

That being said, I'm not sure I understand your situation. It doesn't seem reasonable that Ericson would have planned to remove the engine output coupling just to repack the stuffing box. I'm wondering if someone installed your gland assembly using a longer than necessary rubber hose between the shaft log and the gland assembly. If this is the case, you may find it easier to cut an inch or so off the hose.

In any case, I would hold your mechanic off (and the $2000 expense) until we hear from some other Ericson 27 owners. We have quite a few Ericson 27 owners in our customer base, and I'm thinking we'd have heard complaining before now if they've all had to remove their output couplings every time someone repacked a stuffing box.

Don

[jarod]

Thanks for the reply Don,

It turned out the motor did not need to be pulled...I opened up a big access hole at the back of the engine compartment to get at the stuffing box...i removed the clamps and pushed the whole assembly stuffing box/threaded pipe aft towards the stern tube and now i have enough room to back off the packing nut entirely. I think the mechanic may have been right about the coupling though...it may be a bear to get off in future, but my plan is to intermittently spray and tap with pb blaster over the course of a year in hopes that it may eventually loosen up. I banged off all of the rust scale and now that my stuffing box will not be spewing saltwater it should slow the rust process...so anyway it went from a $2000 bill to about 20 bux for the price of new packing...

Thanks

Don't be afraid to try things yourself ....sometimes pays off in the end.