Advice on a seized seacock sought please

[Guest]

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated on how to free a seized seacock on a boat which is curently back in the water.

The grey water outlet from the head was perfectly fine until I tighten a nut on what I can best describe as a plate holding in the valve, from which the lever is attached.( Are you with me ?). This I did because it was loose and the valve weeped. Once I found it had locked the seacock, which was almost immediately, I naturally lossened the nut, but the seacock remains locked. What now ?

 

[Guest]

This is a cone valve. I have the same on my Konsort. The way I released mine when it had seized up, was to slightly released the pressure on the plate, and tap the valve handle - gently. It came free after only a few taps.

If you find that it weeps slightly again, you will have to dry out, remove the valve body, clean any gunge off it, and lap it in using medium and then fine grinding paste. Afterwards, clean all traces of paste from the body and casing, apply some marine grade grease, and replace body into case. Tighten bolts until tight but turnable, and nip up the locknuts.

Good luck, regards, Philip

 

[Guest]

If it won\'t budge.......

dry the the boat out for a tide, loosen both nuts, then insert a piece of pipe from the outside. Give a firm tap, and it'll pop out. Then clean and lap in as just described.

 

[Guest]

If you serviced the seacock - ie took it apart and greased it - before relaunching, you should be able to release the two bolts through the plate just enough so that it will move again. Release them just enough so that you can wiggle the plate itself a tiny bit, then try tapping the handle gently, or put a large shifting spanner over the handle or spindle and again press gently until it moves. Once you've got it moving it's just a question of doing the two bolts up evenly until it stops leaking again. If it's not leaking, do them up evenly anyway until just before they lock it up again. This is at the point when you can no longer wiggle the plate. I find a useful way of checking how evenly you are doing them up is to feel the length of bolt thread projecting through the body. Don't forget to put on the lock nuts - but be aware that tightening them up will also tighten up the bolts a little more - so allow a little extra slackness beforehand otherwise the seacock will seize up again.

If you didn't grease it up before relaunching - you should have - and done likewise to all your seacocks. You may still be lucky and have enough grease there to last out this season, but you can only be sure by dismantling them and regreasing once a year.

Hope this helps!

 

[Guest]

Thanks to all - some sound advice. I'll see what further damage I can do this weekend !!

 

[Guest]

You could also try fitting a box spanner over the handle to increase the leverage. Tapping with a hammer can sometimes turn into hitting harder and harder until some real damage is done.

 

[Guest]

Extended leverage

Be careful. I know of one boat with a siezed seacock where someone tried the extended lever trick. The bolts sheared off and 'it come away in me 'and, sir.' They were in the middle of the Bay of Biscay at the time...

 

[Guest]

Dont attempt to free it while afloat

Its never worth the risk of tapping valve handles with hammers etc.Dry the boat out somewhere and service the seacock with grinding paste wash out and grease.Depart to pub and wait for the tide.

 

[Guest]

Thank you to all. I followed Phillips advice and freed to so & so fairly easily.

 

[Guest]

I'm g;ad you had success. When next you dry out, and if you have time, remove the cone valve and have a look at its condition. In any case, remove it when you lay-up for the winter and service it as I suggested. I remove my inlet and outlet every winter and clean them. I lap them in and apply grease when replacing. Also, as suggested by someone else, remember that the lock nut applies a bit more pressure on the plate when tightened.

Good sailing, Philip.