Sail drive seacock handle

[PabloPicasso]

The Volvo sail drive seacock has a wheel to operate it making it difficult to see if it is on or off at a glance Is there a different handle that could be fitted to make it more obvious? Say a lever type?

 

[Baggywrinkle]

If it is a 90° open/close type with a wheel instead of a handle then why not put a bit of paint or tape on the wheel in the open position?

 

[prv]

I don't know that valve in particular - if it only needs to turn 90º then a "lever type handle" is just a strip of metal with a suitable sized square hole filed in one end. If it turns round and round then it's a gate valve and probably worth replacing.

Volvo themselves have switched to supplying a standard DZR ball valve instead of the one you have. It's easy to swap as the hole in the drive is a standard BSP thread - though I can't remember if it's 1/2 or 3/4 sized. You can optionally insert a 45º elbow between the drive and valve; this places the valve neatly next to the gearbox instead of sticking out at an awkward angle.

Pete

 

[Dipper]

When I had mine out to replace the prop shaft, I got the marine engineers to fit a standard 90° lever stop cock. The wheel was really difficult to turn when warm and I was never sure whether it was fully off or on. I think you can probably fit a handle instead but I think the square head on the valve is plastic and easily rounded off - I may be wrong on this though.

 

[SteveA]

I had this type of valve which has a plastic spindle and hose tail - I didn't like it! I've just fitted a s/s ball valve and fittings instead. If you wish to change the fitting in the saildrive it is a female 1/2 BSP connection - I used a 1/2 male nipple, male/female 90 degree bend, 1/2 ball valve (female/female) and female/19mm hose tail.

 

[PabloPicasso]

I had this type of valve which has a plastic spindle and hose tail - I didn't like it! I've just fitted a s/s ball valve and fittings instead. If you wish to change the fitting in the saildrive it is a female 1/2 BSP connection - I used a 1/2 male nipple, male/female 90 degree bend, 1/2 ball valve (female/female) and female/19mm hose tail.

Great, that is really useful. Was it a Volvo 120S?

 

[Yngmar]

The gate valve was a bad idea which Volvo replaced with ball valves later on. You can get the whole assembly (ball valve, nipple, hosetail, etc) from here: https://www.yachtboatparts.com/volv...k-ball-valve--bronze-dzr-stainless-7204-p.asp

 

[SteveA]

Yes it is a Volvo 120s and I got all the bits off ebay for about 20 quid - not the 90 odd quid that you would pay from volvo!