Seized Blakes Seacocks Question

C

crown22

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 Jul 2004
Messages
292
Location
Manchester
Visit site
Hello Everybody,
My Ebay bargain was on Windermere for five or six years with the previous owner using a porta-potti.
As I expected the heads seacocks are seized.My next move will be to try a mixture of heat, plusgas and gentle
hammering with a broomhandle or similar. But the seacocks are fastened to the hull using four screws
which are fastened to a wooden pad which is fastened to the hull. Why not just remove the screws into
the wooden pad and take home for dismantling?The boat has been on the water without any leaks for
four months.Now out of the water till April Thanks in advance.Colvic Sailer 26 1983 approximately.
 
Last edited:
Have you tried slackening off the clamp plate bolts a couple of millimetres then plenty of penetrating oil and a good bash with a (short)broom handle & lump hammer? Worked for me on a friends boat a couple of years ago. Don't remove the plate completely as the inner cone can fly off and cause damage!
 
awol said:
Taking them home for heat and a vice will solve the problem. Makes lapping the cones easier too. Or you can mess about with dowels, hammers, penetrating oil (WD40 is not much use), paraffin, whatever.
Click to expand...

+1 and you will be able to check that the bolts are ok while you're at it.
 
crown22 said:
Hello Everybody,
My Ebay bargain was on Windermere for five or six years with the previous owner using a porta-potti.
As I expected the heads seacocks are seized.My next move will be to try a mixture of heat, plusgas and gentle
hammering with a broomhandle or similar. But the seacocks are fastened to the hull using four screws
which are fastened to a wooden pad which is fastened to the hull. Why not just remove the screws into
the wooden pad and take home for dismantling?The boat has been on the water without any leaks for
four months.Now out of the water till April Thanks in advance.Colvic Sailer 26 1983 approximately.
Click to expand...

If they are only screwed to a wooden pad take them off, take them home to refurbish and then refit them with phosphor bronze bolts

scockdia.jpg
 
If your seacocks were fitted correctly, they should have four through bolts that go through both the wooden pad and the hull, not screws to the pad - which is decidedly insecure. If they've sat unused for years, then removing the seacocks and drawing those bolts may require a considerable amount of persuasion.
I had exactly the same challenge that you report last year; I ended up having to cut one of the seacocks out (this is a wooden boat rebuild project) of the hull !
 
Thanks everybody I'll check on how the seacock is fastened down -bolts or screws -and report back.Thanks for the excellent exploded diagram.
 
A good option for any seized metal parts is ACF-50, it does what it says on the tin.

It actually chemically dissolves the products of oxidation as I understand it, in practice it just works.
 
Neil_Y said:
A good option for any seized metal parts is ACF-50, it does what it says on the tin.

It actually chemically dissolves the products of oxidation as I understand it, in practice it just works.
Click to expand...

In your experience, is ACF-50 better than PlusGas? The reason I ask is that my tin of PlusGas is almost empty and if there is a better product, I might try it.
 
Hello Everybody.Yes the seacock's were bolted through as I would have expected.Hot Air gun followed by cold water and then a
light crack with a hammer and piece of wood from outside did the trick with the waste seacock. The inlet had a strainer through bolted so was relieved when the hot cold treatment followed by a crack onto the moveable spanner did the trick again.I've attached a picture of the inlet before it goes back with some Blakes Grease.Thanks again.inlet.jpg
 
Last edited:
Yes I will lap them before re-fitting.Any ideas about the copper appearance at the top and bottom?They still look as thick
as I would have expected when new?Thanks
 
crown22 said:
Yes I will lap them before re-fitting.Any ideas about the copper appearance at the top and bottom?They still look as thick
as I would have expected when new?Thanks
Click to expand...

That looks in excellent condition. The pinky colour is just surface discolouration and nothing to worry about.
 
crown22 said:
Yes I will lap them before re-fitting.Any ideas about the copper appearance at the top and bottom?They still look as thick
as I would have expected when new?Thanks
Click to expand...

Below is the before and after lapping pictures from one of my cones. I do not what causes the copper but it easily laps out. Maybe it is something to do with zinc depletion but on the surface only as opposed to throughout the structure. Mine are over 40 years old. The lapping stopped a back flow into the galley sink when healed heavily. Before lapping the closed seacock passed when the yacht was pressed. I expect mine to outlast the yacht and me!


IMG_4973 by Rival Sailor, on Flickr

IMG_4977 by Rival Sailor, on Flickr
 
BlowingOldBoots said:
Below is the before and after lapping pictures from one of my cones. I do not what causes the copper but it easily laps out. Maybe it is something to do with zinc depletion but on the surface only as opposed to throughout the structure. Mine are over 40 years old. The lapping stopped a back flow into the galley sink when healed heavily. Before lapping the closed seacock passed when the yacht was pressed. I expect mine to outlast the yacht and me!


IMG_4973 by Rival Sailor, on Flickr

IMG_4977 by Rival Sailor, on Flickr
Click to expand...

40 year old Blakes would be bronze, so dezincification is impossible. Even with non-zinc copper alloys it is quite common for the copper to show on the surface. There is a photo of an 80 year old bronze keel bolt on the website that shows it.
 
vyv_cox said:
40 year old Blakes would be bronze, so dezincification is impossible. Even with non-zinc copper alloys it is quite common for the copper to show on the surface. There is a photo of an 80 year old bronze keel bolt on the website that shows it.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the explanation of the copper.

As a by the way, I just noticed on the picture, that the boss which the handle locates onto is cracked. I'll need to keep an eye on that.
 
BlowingOldBoots said:
As a by the way, I just noticed on the picture, that the boss which the handle locates onto is cracked. I'll need to keep an eye on that.
Click to expand...
If that breaks off you may need a tapered wooden bung and a hammer rather quickly.

I would hold the cone upside down and pour a little meths into it and see if it seeps through the crack.
 
Last edited:
vyv_cox said:
Not sure it's a crack, looks like a wear step against the keeper plate.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure that the keep-plate comes into contact with the round boss. I don't think it does on mine. And it doesn't seem to in this one:
https://www.asap-supplies.com/blakes-seacock-402207?nosto=nosto-page-product1

Interesting, by the way, to see where the nuts are located in the one I have linked to. I always put them there since it makes adjustment easier but some people don't, and the manufacturer's instructions show them under the lugs on the body of the seacock.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top