The Stuffing Box Hose

 

This was very difficult to remove and replace. It goes from the stern tube to the stuffing box, and it's underneath the fuel tank, partly behind a small bulkhead.

The hose clamps on the aft end (that secure it to the stern tube) are particularly difficult to get at (very long extensions on the 1/4" drive ...)

Here is the new one :

And here it is in place, with the new prop shaft:

I cleaned up the stuffing box, replaced the grease injection joint with a stainless steel connector, and renewed the stuffing.

This is the area I am most worried about when the boat goes back in. It's even harder to access now than it looks in this picture because the exhaust system is back in place.

Here's what it looked like before:

And yes, the dimensions are slightly different. The new hose is an inch longer. I wanted to see it better...

Finally - some useful tools: