Dave Morrison wrote:
Dan wrote:

Yeah, I don't think I'll attempt it. As I said the one time I did try
it (another house) the wrench bent & the valve didn't budge. I'll try
snugging down the nut on the valve stem, then go from there.

Dan

If the valve is installed properly when you close it there is no
pressure at the packing nut. You can at this point unscrew the nut and
wrap a few strands of packing around the shaft, tighten the nut, open
the valve and continue living your life.
Dave


Let me toss in a question:

There's bound to be an existing packing (which is, of course, worn or
deteriorated). There's too much volume under the nut to fill completely
with the teflon thread / string, so the idea is to add a few wraps to
seal. Would those wraps be added between the existing packing and the
nut? Or under the packing?

I've tried to purchase replacement packing before, and maybe there's a
variety available to pros, but the folks at the hardware store just
shrug and hand me the teflon string.

(Stem leaks have been a consistent curse at this 65-year-old house...).