Glandular Replacement(1)

My Glandular Diversion article showed a temporary measure to reduce the water ingress into the crankcases from the engine water pumps. Now the proper job has to be done to stop the water leaking in the first place by renewing the gland packing.

This instrument of torture is used to remove the old packing.

It can probably also pull corks too!

The shaft is flexible and cleverly made so that it does not twist as might be expected. It is screwed into the old packing; the packing can then be pulled out layer by layer, five layers in this case.

The drawing below shows the gland arrangement.

Gland construction
(this is actually an engine piston rod gland but very similar)

First the packing tightening nuts have to be removed. These are conical nuts which are designed to be difficult to over tighten.

Compression fitting released

Then the packing collar is dropped down to show the packing material.

Old packing showing

The torture tool removes a layer at a time.

Two packing layers removed

I was surprised to find that the old packings were made from layers of leather stitched together.

Extracted packing layers

The layers can just about be seen in the enlarged photo below.

Leather goods

Repacking to follow.