[scratchee]

Hey folks, yesterday I took apart the stuffing box and dug the old flax out. Amazingly enough, I was able to do this with the tools on hand, and no skinned knuckles or broken pieces!

The two nuts and the threads on the stuffing box are all covered with green corrosion that I'd like to clean off. I've read about the dangers of PB Blaster around engine seals, but would that include the new flax in the stuffing box? If I keep it away from the engine itself (ie, the forward end of the shaft) am I OK? My thought is to just give the parts a light spray and clean them off with a stiff brush.

Cheers and Happy Spring!

 

[scratchee]

Hmmm...just found this thread about using PB to unlock the nuts, which is not an issue for me. So maybe my thread should be titled, "What's a good way to clean the stuffing box parts without removing the shaft?"

 

[RichH]

Use straight or concentrated LEMON JUICE to clean off the green 'verdigris' found on bronze. Apply and let soak, then scrub, then repeat. If the parts are 'loose', just drop into a container of lemon juice and let soak, etc.

Better is to use dry/powdered citric acid, and make up a 'saturated' solution: hot water and add the powder to the water until no more powder will dissolve in the hot water.

Once cleaned, then 'spritz on' clear lacquer or urethane varnish to keep the bronze 'bright'.

 

[scratchee]

Use straight or concentrated LEMON JUICE to clean off the green 'verdigris' found on bronze.

Awesome Rich, thanks! I'm leaving for the yard in a few minutes and will pick up one of those squeeze bulbs of lemon juice.

 

[capt jgwinks]

Other acids will do it faster, but lemon juice isn't strong enough to hurt anything. And it smells good. Just don't get it in your eyes!

 

[hellosailor]

The squeeze bulbs of lemon juice have all sorts of chemicals in them. AFAIK there's only one, frozen by MinuteMaid, bottled lemon juice without additives.

But I wouldn't worry about that, vinegar or any unsugared "lemonaide" drink is high in citric acid. Or you can buy "sour salts", plain citric acid IIRC, in most spice sections. Used to boil out coffee pots & such for the same reason.

I'd just use cheap white vinegar and a toothbrush, maybe some brass polish if I had it around. No biggie, not worth buying Special Stuff. Spray with BoeLube or something similar to prevent more corrosion right after.

 

[Barquito]

I agree with the spay bottle of lemon juice. Here is the recipe:

Rum Sour
Ingredients
2 oz Golden Rum
1 oz Lemon Juice
0.5 tbsp Superfine Sugar

Hold on... what was your question again?

 

[Stu Jackson]

And when you're done, slather the facings of the lock nut and box and the threads with Lanocote.

 

[RichH]

I'd just use cheap white vinegar and a toothbrush, maybe some brass polish if I had it around. No biggie, not worth buying Special Stuff. Spray with BoeLube or something similar to prevent more corrosion right after.

Now why would one put vinegar onto bronze? The 'green' that forms on bronze is an 'acetate' (a derivative product through the action of acetic acid, the base chemical in 'vinegar').
Pouring vinegar onto bronze will only help form more verdigris.

If you want to accelerate the verdigris removal, pour some alcohol (booze) into the lemon juice.

 

[kentobin]

Now why would one put vinegar onto bronze? The 'green' that forms on bronze is an 'acetate' (a derivative product through the action of acetic acid, the base chemical in 'vinegar').
Pouring vinegar onto bronze will only help form more verdigris.

If you want to accelerate the verdigris removal, pour some alcohol (booze) into the lemon juice.

Why does vinegar make copper coins all pink and shiny?
Black copper oxide CuO reacts with acetic acid CH3COOH (inside vinegar) forming copper acetate Cu(CH3COO)2 and water:

CuO + 2CH3COOH --> Cu(CH3COO)2 + H2O

A similar reaction happens with Cu(OH)2, CuCO3, Cu2CO3(OH)2 ecc.

The copper acetate is water soluble and dissolves away, leaving a clean copper metal surface.

SIMPLE TRICK TO CLEAN BRONZE- COOPER - BRASS

 

[capta]

I've always used WD-40, PB Blaster or even diesel and a wire brush to clean up a stuffing box or packing gland. Even on a really green one, it should only take about 10 minutes of work.
Lanolin or any grease will work to lube it when reassembling, though nothing is really necessary.
I've seen 60+ year old stuffing boxes and thru hulls that were just fine, with periodic maintenance, as long as electrolysis doesn't get to them.

 

[scratchee]

I agree with the spay bottle of lemon juice. Here is the recipe:

I'll need to be careful not to drop the little umbrella into the bilge.

 

[hellosailor]

"Now why would one put vinegar onto bronze? "
Perhaps because one has, or hasn't, been misinformed?
And it cleans so much stuff so nicely, without burning holes in things.

Well, that's the difference between yachtsmen and sailors. A sailor rarely knows which end is up, he just does as is told. A yachtsman has hired help, and THEY polish the brass and bronze every day. Even the shaftlog. Which typically is 24K gold plated, so there's no verdigris problem down there anyhow.

Don't even bother looking for the 24K gold plated shaft logs at West Marine, true yachtsmen order these things from bespoke marine foundries.

 

[SloopJonB]

Easy Off oven cleaner does a great job of cleaning bronze.

 

[hellosailor]

The traditional EZOff paste is lye. Not good for seals, O-rings, also attacks & discolors fiberglass. Wiping it off now contaminates a rag and your rubber gloves.

Just fwiw.

 

[SloopJonB]

In a spritzer, sprayed on, wiped off & rinsed it has never caused me any grief on my boats. It cleans off old names from hulls easily if they are done with sign paint, cleans stains from gel-coat, cleans nasty bilges, under engines and lots of other uses.

It is very caustic so I'd never let it sit on anything. Aluminium doesn't like it either.