Blakes seacocks. Cone removal & pin snapped

V

vertford

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 Dec 2009
Messages
173
Location
London
Visit site
Right. My toilet outflow seacock, fitted in 2010, was a bit stiff at the weekend so I thought I would grease it.

So far, I snapped the 2mm retaining pin on the handle so can I use any type of metal as a replacement? If is is not a DZR type metal,will the pin just corrode away?

Secondly, do I have to remove the keeper ring to remove the tapered plug from the body? Or do I manfully try and pull the plug out of the body?

I thought before I broke something else I would check :D

Thanks in advance.
 
My Blakes often sieze up after a winter ashore. The easiest way I've found to remove them is to undo the nuts on the retaining ring and then insert a suitably sized piece of softwood batten from the outside and a couple of sharp taps with a hammer normally pops it out easily. It's all about getting the pressure where it's needed to break the seal.

Can't help with the first part of your query I'm afraid but someone will doubtless be along soon with far more intelligence than I.

Once out I normally clean the faces with very fine wet and dry and then liberally regrease with Blakes Seacock grease before refitting. The other trick is to keep them mobile ie open and close on a regular basis to stop them from siezing in the first place.

Good luck and happy toilet maintenance.

Chas
 
Is this a Blakes taper seacock? Mine don't have anything ferrous that will "just rot away"...
Perhaps it is a ball valve, in which case you can't get the 'taper' out!
If it cost £100 in 2010 it's a blakes, less than £20 it's not.
 
Deffo a Blakes.

The pin I can easily replace with same type, I was just interested what would happen if I put one that the rigger left onboard
 
Found out only yesterday that the Blakes seacock for the drain to our washbasin was seized. Released by removing keeper plate and gently hammering using a wooden rod from outside. I carry a long stick which is sized to push weed downwards and out of the engine cooling water inlet and it was suitable for the seacock.... well worth having such an item aboard.
 
OK, sorry!
It sounds like it's not siezed (just "a bit stiff") in which case after you've removed the two bolts with the usually inaccessible nuts behind, the retaining collar can be lifted off and the taper twisted out.
A rag on a suitable sized stick will keep the sea at bay while you coat the taper.
I'm just confused by the original post as mine don't have any 2mm pins anywhere (but they could be from 1978, and the pattern may have changed!)
 
The new design should also have a grease nipple on the side so that it can be greased without being taken apart. The keeper ring is just that: it keeps the taper in the hole and needs to be removed before the taper can be removed.

The pin looks like stainless so any stainless pin should do. It only stops the handle falling off.

I only clean the surfaces with rag and paraffin , any use of abrasive sheet could result in a non round taper, increasing the risk of leaks and sticking. Recommended method for surface when it is bad is grinding paste (from your local car shop).
 
Last edited:
Be aware that some Blake's seacocks have a perforated inlet screen on the outside of the hull to prevent weed and other debris from entering the flushing system. If this is fitted on yours only the to- and- froing movement of the handles to free them, after releasing the retaining bolts and collar, short of removing the whole fitting. A small trickle of hydraulic oil or diesel should free it if left for a while to penetrate. As you are probably aware the retaining plate bolts are also threaded into the lugs of the seacock as well as the nuts to lock them.


ianat182
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top