Seacock Replacement

petem

petem

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Instead of drifting another thread I thought it better to start a new one.

I shall be replacing my original seacocks next year. Should I be considering Marelon or Trudesign? I'll probably leave the thru hull fittings as they are (I can't recall if they are metal or plastic) unless there's a compelling reason to change them that I'm not aware of.

Which is best (Marelon or Trudesign)?
 
Pete, I'd replace the lot!

Not seen, not installed and not broken a Marelon, have done so with Trudesign and I'm well impressed with their quality.
You think it's plastic, so metal is better, then you should try and break or cut a trudesign thru hull. Took me a quarter of an hour to cut through it and this using a chisel and hammer. It was only a half inch one, that stupidly tried to tighten before the sika had set so it turned, I was alone, I was afraid that it would cause issues, so decided to replace it, but I couldn't being alone so cut it instead...

Operation is also v.smooth and they also look good!
If you feel like throwing some more money, you could get the ones with sensors and install a panel so you know which seacock is open and which one is closed (no didn't do that!)

cheers

V.
 
petem said:
Instead of drifting another thread I thought it better to start a new one.

I shall be replacing my original seacocks next year. Should I be considering Marelon or Trudesign? I'll probably leave the thru hull fittings as they are (I can't recall if they are metal or plastic) unless there's a compelling reason to change them that I'm not aware of.

Which is best (Marelon or Trudesign)?
Click to expand...
Eek, I cant believe you're changing the seacocks but not the thru hulls. In any case, you will likely have to change through hulls because you'll end up removing some by angle grinding off the outside flange.

I'm old fashioned and would use bronze!
 
jfm said:
Eek, I cant believe you're changing the seacocks but not the thru hulls. In any case, you will likely have to change through hulls because you'll end up removing some by angle grinding off the outside flange.

I'm old fashioned and would use bronze!
Click to expand...

Your 'Eek' is enough of a compelling reason for me to change them! I rather naively assumed that you just unscrewed the old seacocks and screwed new ones on. Note that this is not a job I'll be undertaking myself!
 
petem said:
Your 'Eek' is enough of a compelling reason for me to change them! I rather naively assumed that you just unscrewed the old seacocks and screwed new ones on. Note that this is not a job I'll be undertaking myself!
Click to expand...

Unscrew and screw on new ones , if only life was that simple .
 
petem said:
To clarify, are you saying you've broken a Trudesign? Which are you impressed by their quality Marelon or Trudesign?
Click to expand...

broke on purpose a trudesign as I had to replace it and was too difficult for one person to be outside and inside the boat at the same time (plus had some spare ones...)
Positively impressed by what I've seen and that's Trudesign.

V.
 
Pete, I've fitted both types and given the choice I would go for Tru design. The materials used in both are comparable however, there have been reports of the handles on the older style Forespar Marelon seacocks coming off in the hands of the user while opening or closing the valve! If the valve is open when this happens, water rushes into the boat while the user desperately tries to find something that they can use as a make shift handle to close the valve (taper ending pliers seem the favoured option).
This may have been resolved on the latest Forespar valves but the Tru Design do seem to have a much more substantial handle.
As for the skin fitting, I'd be surprised if you can get the existing seacock off without grinding the skin fitting away. The good news is that you can fit a Marelon skin fitting and attach a Tru Design seacock and forget all about electrolysis!
 
In 2015 shortly after purchase I had the yard change them all .
Glad I asked and paid a fixed quote .
We had metal replace metal , think all DZR reason they were original circa 2001 and a few were seized .
So practical and insurance reasons , I now excerise them regularly.
The main engine intakes ended up a massive job to get out .
Super massive wrench inside to take off the cock and approx 1 day of grinding each to remove the TTH fitting .
This culminated in a hydraulic jack being set up under the boat the day after the grinding to push what remained up inside the boat the hull is over 5 cm thick under the E room centre where the main engine THH fittings are .
Not somthing I would have being able to DIY .
Similarly although smaller attaching the heads sea out cocks onto the newTTH fitting was a 8ugger due to the cabinetry.

Aside they do stiffen up .
What I mean is if it’s been a few months since last excerise as opposed to a few weeks the main engines take a bit of shifting , I recall having to gently tap one handle with a hammer .Point is I,am glad they are all metal - robust enough .
Never had any corrosion issues , just stiffness and age ,the age leads to anxiety.
Anyhow anxiety or not there’s a nice invoice in the history file now :encouragement:
 
Replaced thru hulls and Seacocks with Tru Design last year and very pleased I did,. When the old ones were cut off the state of them was very poor. Definitely do both IMHO.
 
Thanks all. Doesn't the point that the old bronze ones have to be removed with an angle grinder really prove the point that it's a pretty crappy material to make them from? I'm guessing that the plastic ones don't suffer in the same way?
 
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