Seacocks

[RicM]

Both my major seacocks are very difficult to move. How do you lubricate them?

[Pitou]

It's amazing what just a few sprays from any can of lubricant can do (Corrossion X, WD, AeroKroil, etc).
While in the water spray the post and surrounding area that the handle threads on to. It can be like magic ! I also spray down the entire seacock to fight off corrossion.
When hauled spray up into the seacock while someone topside works the ballcock. I do this at offseason de-commissioning time and just before splash.

[Mariner]

If, like me, your boat stays in the water year-round, you won't have very many opportunities to access the thru-hull from underneath. The best you can do is close the valve (I try to avoid the "c" word whenever possible, haha), remove the hose, and spray some lubricant (WD-40 maybe?) in from the top, re-attach the hose and work the valve back and forth.


Oh boy; cocks, lubricant, and working it back and forth......am I going to have to move this thread to the bilge?

[Elizabeth Ann]

nice mariner.

[Morning Star]

I'm going thru a 1997 ALBIN 31 that I purchased last summer and upgrading most of the plumbing and mechanical systems. I knew some of the seacocks were 'frozen' at the time of purchase, and thought it would be an easy job to spray lubricant into them to free them up.

Not so. I found many with the SS handle-to-shaft connection worn so badly that it would not function, even with the retaining nut tightened. The brass shaft wears as soon as the SS handle becomes even slightly loose. And Buck-Algonquin do not offer replacment parts, even if you could get them apart, which is usually impossible given space and corrosion issues.

Found others where the shaft was completely broken; others where the handle was happily rotating about the shaft which was frozen in place.

Finally got cranky one afternoon and cut them all out (literally) and have replaced them all with FORESPAR Marelon seacocks, all epoxied in place. A fair bit of work (9 of them on a 31) but will not have to think about them in the future. And no electrolysis issues either.

Also found a style that has a fresh water flush fitting built right into it for the engine raw water inlet. With a garden hose connected and the valve in the proper position, raw water is replaced by fresh water, and you can flush the raw water side of your engine quite easily. Should dramatically improve heat exchanger, and exhaust elbow life.

I'm going to hook up a permanent plumbing system so that when at dockside a deck hose connection will allow both engines to run for a few minutes, and be flushed after each trip.