Proper wrench for Groco strainer cap

[Joel_MD]

Hey everyone, my 390 Motor Yacht has four Groco strainers in the engine room. One for each Cummins engine, one for the genset, and one for the AC. My boat came with a Perko-brand spanner wrench with two sizes of pins which I normally use for the deck fill caps. I assumed it would work to loosen the bronze strainer caps too, but the smaller size pins are too big to fit in the holes in the strainer caps. I ended up using a pipe wrench, which is not the ideal tool. Do I need to buy the Groco-brand spanner wrench? Seems weird to have a need for so many different size pins in spanner wrenches.

 

[fwebster]

I would just get the correct wrench. I had the same problem with the wrench that came with my boat. I pressed the pins out and turned the small ends down to 1/ 4" in my lathe and pressed them back in, but that is a lot of work. Here is a link to the Groco wrench....you can buy that part number at any number of online sources inculding Amazon from $16-$25:

https://www.groco.net/sw-2531

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000FOUQVY/ref=dp_olp_new_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=new

 

[Joel_MD]

I would just get the correct wrench. I had the same problem with the wrench that came with my boat. I pressed the pins out and turned the small ends down to 1/ 4" in my lathe and pressed them back in, but that is a lot of work. Here is a link to the Groco wrench....you can buy that part number at any number of online sources inculding Amazon from $16-$25:

https://www.groco.net/sw-2531

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000FOUQVY/ref=dp_olp_new_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=new

Ha, if I had a press and engine lathe I would have done exactly that. Thanks for the links.