Seized seacock

[MickJ]

The heads raw water intake seacock is seized open, any ideas on how to unfreeze it without resorting to excessive pressure? I've sprayed copious amounts of WD40 in the general vicinity (its in an awkward position and hard to get to) but to no avail...

Thanks,
Mike.


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[ccscott49]

What type of seacock? Ball, gate or blakes?

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[MickJ]

There are that many types? I cant get to it to see, its behind a tiny access hatch and obscured by a load of pluming. Its a bronze lever arm type, on a small '97 Sealine, does that help?

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[ccscott49]

Sealine 97, probably a normal ball valve, but is the arm bronze aswell? Anyway, you really need to do this out of the water, or at least dried out, in case it breaks, if its a ball valve, the best way, is to remove it and work on it out of the boat. basically brute force is required, to turn it, but if it's seized, you might think about replacing it. If its a blakes, bronze handle, they can be stripped down and cleaned greased and will give many more years of service, does it have screws on top, under the handle and the pipe coming out of the side, or is the valve inline with the pipe? this will tell me if it's a blakes. There was a post just recently on un-seizing a blakes seacock, I think that was on a sealine aswell, do a search.

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[MickJ]

I dont think it has a bronze handle, its painted red, so probably just steel, the pipe comes out of the top, so just a basic ball valve then. Sounds like a lay-up job at the end of the season if I can get away with it. In practice, does everyone really close their seacocks when leaving the boat?

Thanks,
Mike.

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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

Yes, every time, otherwise you are relying on jubilee clips and rubber hose to stop your boat sinking. Never leave the boat with the sea-cocks open.

It just is not worth the risk.



<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk/TC_minicruise_2003_01.html>Cardigan Bay Cruise</A>

 

[MickJ]

Just done a search and read the dozens of posts on seized seacocks, funny how you miss things when not looking for them. I am now suitably worried that I'm off to the boat now...

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[ccscott49]

Always close seacocks before leaving boat. Yes definitely a ball valve, try a little bit of force to get it to turn, they normally do, but if it just wont budge, get a new one and dry out against a wall for a tide, you can do it very quickly, if the pipe is a pain, dont worry, just get the valve on, then put the pipe on later.

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[Deleted User YDKXO]

Not necessarily

Not necessarily. I checked with my insurance company last year. I asked them whether my policy would be invalidated if I didnt close all seacocks before leaving the boat. They told me that they reccomended leaving the engine raw water intake cocks open as they had experienced more claims by owners forgetting to open them before starting the engines and hence cooking them than from owners sinking their boats as a result of leaving the cocks open
Obviously its a good idea to close toilet seacocks and the like but I always leave my engine seacocks open

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[ccscott49]

Re: Not necessarily

Put your ignition keys in the engine compartment, you'll never forget to turn them on! Whenever I go in the engine room, I take the keys with me, unless they are already running.

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