Blakes Seacocks

[pauln]

I'm servicing my seacocks for the first time. I've re-ground them using valve paste to be nice and smooth and greased them with Blakes grease. I was told I should do up the two retaining bolts finger tight but..
I did them up and worked the seacock a couple of times and they became loose again as the excess greased worked it's way out, so I tightened them again. This went on 4 or 5 times before they didn't come loose again after working the seacock but it's now nearly as stiff as it was before I started.
What do other people do?

 

[johnalison]

I don't have them any more but I used to just do them finger-tight with thick grease (Castrol heavy grease) and a locking nut on top. As long as it didn't leak I didn't worry.

 

[Tranona]

Are you doing the lock nuts up? Suggest you take the cones out again and check the grease is evenly distributed then put them back together again and do up the bolts and lock nuts until you can turn the lever comfortably with one finger.

 

[Malcb]

Don't over grease them. Only put a very thin smear on the cone, then finger tight and do up the lock nuts. That's the way do them and they've never leaked.

I reckon a tub of Blakes grease will last me for years.

 

[Malish]

I've always put a reasonably thick coat of Blakes grease on, screwed down the reataining bolts just finger tight, rotated the cone a few times to evenly coat the grease and then again just screwed down the bolts finger tight, then applied the lock nuts. The valve can be opened with just one finger. I always take the view that if there is a slight leak then I can always tighten the cone a little further (because there is plenty of grease left on the cone) but I've never had a leak yet (touch wood!)

 

[samwise]

Sounds as if you have overtightened them and squeezed out the grease. I put a reasonably generous smear of Blakes grease over the cone and then tighten down the retaining plate, gradually tightening the bolts on alternate sides to make sure the plate pulls down square. When the plate cannot be wiggled, I consider it done. Using this method the seacocks on my boat can be turned with one finger. I think the secret is to do the pull down gradually and to make sure that the retaining plate is not skew whiff. Hope you washed out all the grinding paste!

 

[pampas]

did you ckeck to see if there is a ridge in the v/v bore at the bottom. I had a simular problem and got round it by rebating the plug about 1/16" up the taper and to a depth if 1/32", after many years use and grinding 1/2 thou off the bore must have made the plug decend quite a bit ,anyway, my method has worked well and given no further trouble to date.

 

[pauln]

Thanks for the responses, especilly point about ridge at bottom of taper, I'll check that. Otherwise I'll do it up to first finger tight and lock it at that, then check for leaks once back in.