packing nut for 1927 Commander water pump shaft

[commander Dave]

I've been trying to pack the nut for the water pump shaft on my Big 6 on my Commander. Did this years ago without any trouble, but now after 4 or 5 try's it still leaks. The shaft has Very little of a groove . Don't think it's enough to cause a good leak.  Due to recent spinal fusion my work periods are short and more distressing.  How many times should it take around the shaft to seal? I've crammed as much of the rope in the nut as I could but couldn't get nut started and have used different lengths, even shorter ones. I am hoping I've just made a simple error. Just in case; how hard a job to replace the shaft? Thanks   Commander Dave

[Linus Tremaine]

1. Proper graphite cord only

2. wrap in same direction as rotation

3. 2-3 wraps first time 

4. Add more 

5 add more. 
 

If it still leaks you need a new shaft. 

[Grimy]

Start with a minimal amount of packing, install nut to compress that packing, back off nut, add more packing, compress--et cetera, until you're done.  Hope you've removed old packing.

[JFranklin]

Add a little grease to the shaft and job at this time.

[commander Dave]

Good suggestions all. Yes, all the old packing is out. Thanks, guys. Will try again this week end.  To Grimy; many years ago wife, me and buddy went looking for a Stude. Lark, but found a P.A. Travelodge instead and the owner had tools feed & other junk stored in it. Never found the owner. Have kicked myself for not following up on it. I remember very fey details about it.

[commander Dave]

Re-checked the packing I removed against the new packing and old looks a bit smaller. New is 1/8th

[Bloo]

If you can cram it in there, it will work. If it really is the right size to fit, you can cut individual stacking rings rings which have a slope cut where the ends meet. Or not. It wasn't always done that way. All the advice so far is right on. Repeating a little of it....

 

1) Put some packing in, tighten. loosen and add more, repeat, etc. You probably wont get it all in in one shot.

 

2) If you can't fix it with packing, it probably needs rebuilding. It's not that unusual. A worn out bushing will cause the shaft to move around too much to hold water in. A burned or rusted out shaft will just tear up your new packing and not work.

 

I would add...

 

3) Allow it to leak a little especially at first while the packing is breaking it in. After it settles in, you'll want to get the leak down to almost nothing, because if you don't it can suck air in through the leak and make the car run hot and/or push coolant out. Don't completely stop the leak though. If you do that, the shaft and packing will burn. Less leakage is better, but it should be damp or maybe have a drop if you ever stick your finger under that nut to check.

 

4) Use real water pump grease (not ordinary chassis grease) on any sort of grease fitting or grease cup that feeds the water side, in other words any fitting or grease cup that leads to the area between the packing nut and the water. Usually there is a grease fitting there. A few cars use oil in an oil cup at that spot instead of water pump grease. Fittings located outside of the packing nut, where the grease can never touch the water, are less picky about "real water pump grease". A modern lever type grease gun has enough pressure to easily break a water pump casting. Be careful. Some little gun you push on the end of with your palm would be better.

 

Edited January 12 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Grimy]

What @Bloo says...

 

Suggest you measure the diameter of the shaft, then cut a couple of pieces of dowel of that diameter about 4-5 inches long.  Put one dowel in a vise horizontally.  Wrap your 1/8" packing *tightly* around the dowel to make a single loop, use a razor blade to cut at a diagonal, plus trim just a little extra off.  Cut maybe four such circles.  I like to grease both the shaft and the the packing circle--inside being most important, but grease on the outside facilitates its movement within the gland nut.  Stuff one circle of packing inside the gland nut, perhaps using a blunt-ended dental pick, but remember the location of the split on a clock face (2 o'clock, for example).  Screw down the gland nut to compress the packing, back nut off and add a second ring with its split 180* out from the first. 

 

I keep one dowel home with the bulk supplies.  My road kit contains one of the dowel pieces, a single-edge razor blade, some pre-cut packing circles, and a take-out salsa cup full of water pump grease.  I hate it but more than once I've been found packing a pump in a hotel parking lot in the dark.  Don't forget to keep the proper spanner for the gland nut in the vehicle, especially if your car needs a hook spanner.

[commander Dave]

Good ideas guys, will try again.  Did not think about wrapping it around a dowel.....Then pull out dowel and wrap the packing around shaft. The packing should look like a coil...Will try after resting back. Very thankful for the help.

[Grimy]

Just one split circle at a time, Dave.