Sea valves

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ChappoC

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Hello,
My boat now has the mast erected and the rigging rigged. All that is left to do is re-grease the sea valves, the prop shaft and make sure that the speedlog is inserted properly.... So, having never done any of these things before, how do I go about it? Any particular grease etc?

I thank you

Chris
 
If your seacocks need greasing, I assume they're the Blakes type or a similar design. Blakes do sell a special greenish grease for the purpose, but I would think any waterproof white grease would do. I did mine one year with Ramonol white grease when I'd temporarily lost the little tub of Blakes that had come with the boat, and didn't have any trouble.

Pete
 
Sea Valves

prv said:
If your seacocks need greasing, I assume they're the Blakes type or a similar design. Blakes do sell a special greenish grease for the purpose, but I would think any waterproof white grease would do. I did mine one year with Ramonol white grease when I'd temporarily lost the little tub of Blakes that had come with the boat, and didn't have any trouble.

Pete
Click to expand...

Great, so just unscrew them , pack the grease in/ on and screw back together? To be honest I would like an engineer or someone who has done it before to help me so I can see it done. Anybody know an engineer that could get to Leigh on Sea and show me how it is done?

Rgds

Chris
 
ChappoC said:
Great, so just unscrew them , pack the grease in/ on and screw back together? To be honest I would like an engineer or someone who has done it before to help me so I can see it done. Anybody know an engineer that could get to Leigh on Sea and show me how it is done?

Rgds

Chris
Click to expand...
From your description, you might not have Blakes valves but ball valves which cannot be greased. Just make sure they open and close freely. Blakes valves are cone type and you get the cone out by undoing the keep plate on top. Modern ones (last 15 years or so) have grease nipples so no need to dismantle to grease.
 
ChappoC said:
Great, so just unscrew them , pack the grease in/ on and screw back together? To be honest I would like an engineer or someone who has done it before to help me so I can see it done. Anybody know an engineer that could get to Leigh on Sea and show me how it is done?


Rgds

Chris
Click to expand...

Tranona said:
From your description, you might not have Blakes valves but ball valves which cannot be greased. Just make sure they open and close freely. Blakes valves are cone type and you get the cone out by undoing the keep plate on top. Modern ones (last 15 years or so) have grease nipples so no need to dismantle to grease.
Click to expand...

I'll take a look and see what they are ... And the speed log ? Unscrew, grease and screw back in ?
 
That's right, unbolt the ring and remove. Remove the cone and clean the outside - might be some barnacles inside the cone. If the cone is uneven it is possible use fine grinding paste to clean up the surfaces but well maintained ones won't need that. Put some grease round the cone and insert it. Spin the cone around to distribute the grease; be over generous if you want the confidence and squeeze it out but it will waste some grease. Replace the ring and tighten up EVENLY. How tight? Well mine will turn nicely using just a finger and thumb rather than needing a whole hand on it. If nervous about it, you can always tighten it up evenly until solid and then slacken off after you are afloat. More recent Blakes have a grease nipple so you don't need (in theory) to unbolt them (although I think I would take the opportunity while you are out to check on condition. Check the whole assembly and bolts and nuts for 'pinkiness'.

Speed log I use teflon grease on the O rings.
 
ChappoC said:
Hello,
My boat now has the mast erected and the rigging rigged. All that is left to do is re-grease the sea valves, the prop shaft and make sure that the speedlog is inserted properly.... So, having never done any of these things before, how do I go about it? Any particular grease etc?

I thank you

Chris
Click to expand...

Maybe looking at the following might help

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/replacing_thruhulls

It's certainly the Rolls Royce solution but.................. Having had a thru hull go 200nm offshore I Agree
 
Valves

tillergirl said:
That's right, unbolt the ring and remove. Remove the cone and clean the outside - might be some barnacles inside the cone. If the cone is uneven it is possible use fine grinding paste to clean up the surfaces but well maintained ones won't need that. Put some grease round the cone and insert it. Spin the cone around to distribute the grease; be over generous if you want the confidence and squeeze it out but it will waste some grease. Replace the ring and tighten up EVENLY. How tight? Well mine will turn nicely using just a finger and thumb rather than needing a whole hand on it. If nervous about it, you can always tighten it up evenly until solid and then slacken off after you are afloat. More recent Blakes have a grease nipple so you don't need (in theory) to unbolt them (although I think I would take the opportunity while you are out to check on condition. Check the whole assembly and bolts and nuts for 'pinkiness'.

Speed log I use teflon grease on the O rings.
Click to expand...

Sounds pretty straight forward. I'll try this over the weekend. Desperate to get her in the water !

Thank you for the advice

Chris
 
Sea Valves

Boatman said:
Maybe looking at the following might help

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/replacing_thruhulls

It's certainly the Rolls Royce solution but.................. Having had a thru hull go 200nm offshore I Agree
Click to expand...

That is perfect. I can see what to expect. The boat has been maintained by a "DIY'er" so expecting to find that need some considerable attention and this website looks ideal

Thank you
 
Re greasing the sea valves

All good so far. Managed to open and retrieve the two in the Heads and they look pretty good. Not too worn at all and hardly any sea crud deposits... No grease there though to speak of so add some new grease and replace. The link that was sent was very handy as the seacocks on the website were practically the same as mine so I could follow the advice well...

Is it the same principle with the speedlog? I use the same grease? I have freed the propeller of the speedlog of crud and it spins freely now though there is a nick out of one of the blades. It is a snug fit and has both rubber washers , so do I just add the grease to the shaft , slip it back in and tighten by hand? Its all plastic so made me think it wasn't designed to be tighened with a tool....
 
ChappoC said:
Is it the same principle with the speedlog? I use the same grease? I have freed the propeller of the speedlog of crud and it spins freely now though there is a nick out of one of the blades. It is a snug fit and has both rubber washers , so do I just add the grease to the shaft , slip it back in and tighten by hand? Its all plastic so made me think it wasn't designed to be tighened with a tool....
Click to expand...

The same principle, but probably not the same grease. In general you are better to use a silicone grease where rubber parts are involved as some rubbers are dissolved by hydrocarbons. Grease the rubber O rings, not the whole shaft, and don't overtighten it. The main watertight seal is made by the O rings, not the cap on the top.
 
tillergirl said:
That's right, unbolt the ring and remove. Remove the cone and clean the outside - might be some barnacles inside the cone. If the cone is uneven it is possible use fine grinding paste to clean up the surfaces but well maintained ones won't need that. Put some grease round the cone and insert it. Spin the cone around to distribute the grease; be over generous if you want the confidence and squeeze it out but it will waste some grease. Replace the ring and tighten up EVENLY. How tight? Well mine will turn nicely using just a finger and thumb rather than needing a whole hand on it. If nervous about it, you can always tighten it up evenly until solid and then slacken off after you are afloat. More recent Blakes have a grease nipple so you don't need (in theory) to unbolt them (although I think I would take the opportunity while you are out to check on condition. Check the whole assembly and bolts and nuts for 'pinkiness'.

Speed log I use teflon grease on the O rings.
Click to expand...

My speed log is plastic and is now barnacle free ... Can I use the same grease on the speed log shaft and O rings as I am using in the bronze/ brass seavalves? Lithium based grease for seavalves says in the tub but can't remember the brand name...
 
ChappoC: as alan_d wrote, silicone grease is preferred for log O-rings. A little goes a long way.

Glad, by the way, that you're getting the nomenclature: O-rings rather than washers. Maybe next try seacocks rather than seavalves. In many situations, such as this, it's not a big issue, but sometimes it can lead to serious ambiguity. My impression is that you're quite new to all this, so can I recommend that you drop a few hints that you need The Bible for your next birthday present: not Gideon's, but Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual by Nigel Calder. You won't regret it.
 
alan_d said:
The same principle, but probably not the same grease. In general you are better to use a silicone grease where rubber parts are involved as some rubbers are dissolved by hydrocarbons. Grease the rubber O rings, not the whole shaft, and don't overtighten it. The main watertight seal is made by the O rings, not the cap on the top.
Click to expand...

Great, thank you...
 
prv said:
If your seacocks need greasing, I assume they're the Blakes type or a similar design. Blakes do sell a special greenish grease for the purpose, but I would think any waterproof white grease would do. I did mine one year with Ramonol white grease when I'd temporarily lost the little tub of Blakes that had come with the boat, and didn't have any trouble.

Pete
Click to expand...

So I did all this and when I came to put the it back together I noticed that the cone that goes into the thru-hull stood proud of the top. When I put the plate on and tightened it right up I couldn't move the handle. I have checked inside and there is no obstruction so I assume that the actual seacock does sit proud of the thru-hull and that I am only to tighten enough that the plate doesn't move but the tap handle turns? I looked at a picture I took of the seacock and there doesn't seem to be any wear on the top 5mm ish which makes me think this is right.....
 
macd said:
ChappoC: as alan_d wrote, silicone grease is preferred for log O-rings. A little goes a long way.

Glad, by the way, that you're getting the nomenclature: O-rings rather than washers. Maybe next try seacocks rather than seavalves. In many situations, such as this, it's not a big issue, but sometimes it can lead to serious ambiguity. My impression is that you're quite new to all this, so can I recommend that you drop a few hints that you need The Bible for your next birthday present: not Gideon's, but Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual by Nigel Calder. You won't regret it.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a good idea. Have been printing the pages from the websites I have been directed to and kept them for reference. This book sounds very good... I have sailed a fair bit and better at sailing terminology... The whole boat maintenance and below decks is all a bit new too me but picking it up quite quickly with the help I am getting here.. Thank you everyone...
 
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