How a Packing Puller Works

Although stuffing boxes are used in many different ways, one of the most common places to find one is in a boat. The box usually is a component that’s around the shaft of the propeller. It actually works to keep the water from coming into the boat. The seal on a stuffing box is created by packing rings that are made up of some kind of flax wound very tightly around the propeller shaft. These rings have to be replaced periodically in order to keep the seal operating properly. Of course all seals which use a stuffing box are designed to leak a tiny bit because this helps keep everything inside lubricated, but regular maintenance on the packing is essential to keep the seal from breaking down completely.

Of course you could always extract the packing from the stuffing box by hand, but this is a very time consuming task that is made much simpler by simply purchasing an extracting tool. Most of these tools have sharp tips on the end that makes drilling into old, hardened packing a cinch. They also have a flexible shaft so that even packing that is located in hard to reach areas can easily be removed.

Most companies that offer these tools sell them in a set with several sizes of tools. Old packing of virtually any size can be removed quickly and easily with these tools, which are becoming a new standard within the industry. The screw end that is found on most of these tools helps you penetrate the old packing deeply so that it is easy to clean out of the stuffing box.

Here’s how to use an extractor to pull out the packing from the stuffing box:

1. Start by using wrenches to loosen the stuffing box. In most cases, a traditional wrench will work good to hold one side, although you may need a spanner wrench to hold the other side. Avoid using pliers for safety reasons. When you’re loosening the nuts on the stuffing box, you’ll be moving the wrenches toward each other.
2. After you’ve got the bolts loose, you can start using the packing puller to clean out the old rings. You might want to try a few different sizes to see which size will work best for the box you are working with.
3. Then just replace all the old packing with new packing, and you are ready to go!

Anyone who works with compression packing should definitely have several sets of these tools lying around because their job suddenly becomes much easier. Old packing can be difficult to get out because it hardens too much that it is nearly impossible to remove by hand. Also sometimes it is in such an inconvenient location that you can’t really reach it in order to remove it by hand.

The experts at Blaylock Gasket will help you find the right packing puller kit for your business.