Stiff Cocks - tips

[bob_tyler]

Before launching I realised that all my seacocks were pretty tight and stiff. I didn't want to strip them all down for greasing, some are difficult to get at, so tried an experiment.

Got a spray can of Teflon grease, fitted the extension tube which comes with it, and got a friend to spray into the cocks from outside while I wiggled them back and forth.

Two of them required an extension to the handle at first but steadily eased after spraying. Now I am afloat they all appear watertight and work smoothly.

Intend to repeat operation next autumn when laying up which should protect them to the start of 2006 season.

 

[Evadne]

I will be interested to hear if they are still working ok at the end of the season. Conventional wisdom says that light oil will wash out (WD40 certainly does) and I found that ordinary grease cakes and seizes. 2 years ago I bit the bullet and bought some Blakes' seacock grease, and the ones I did then are still smoothly operating with no further maintainence. Hopefully I'll remember to do the cockpit drain ones, while the engine is out. They are permanently open and only Mike Tyson could close them without a hammer.
Actually, unbolting the plate and removing the spigot is not a great tribulation, provided they are accessible from the inside of the boat in the first place, that is! I use a long metal drift to drive it out from the outside.

 

[capricorn]

I gave mine a squirt this year with the teflon based waterproof wax I use to grease the chaim on my motorbike. Very noticeable effect initially and still smooth a month after launch. As you say, will be intersting to see how they look at end of season.

 

[bugs]

Viagra.


sorry, couldnt resist. Ya have to admit an unfortunate choice of subject title/

 

[Lakesailor]

[ QUOTE ]
got a friend to spray into the cocks from outside while I wiggled them back and forth.



[/ QUOTE ]

Some friend.

 

[bob_tyler]

[ QUOTE ]
Ya have to admit an unfortunate choice of subject title/

[/ QUOTE ] Really,what a nasty mind you have /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I have to admit that, while originally posting, I was wondering if it would be Kimmerised and I,in turn, committed to purgatory.

Look at the high number of strikes however - a large number of forumites and visitors seem to be interested in the perfectly innocent heading. Really!!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[Parsonsheath]

Honest guv,

most of us just looked to see if we should rat on you to Kim for failing to go straight to the lounge.

I will be interested to see what people say about the Teflon at the end of this year, I did use the proper stuff before I launched a year back, one is hard work, the others still really easy, and I was wondering about a quick squirt of the teflon on the awkward one.

 

[sailorman]

[most of us just looked to see if we should rat on you to Kim for failing to go straight to the lounge.]

Comfey Chair for starters /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

A common mistake that people make - assuming taper sea-cocks is what you're talking about - is to over-tighten the yoke that holds the plug in place. The nuts (OOPS!! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif ) should be no more than finger-tight. If the valves have been lightly lapped and given a smear of Keenol they will remain easy to open well into the following season. You should not need more than one finger to operate them. If you turn them off and on regularly they will not seize, nor will they leak.
Fair Winds!

 

[Mirelle]

Permanently open cockpit drain seacocks - is this a record?

When I bought Mirelle I methodically stripped and greased the seacocks. Getting to the ones under the cockpit for the cockpit drains, which were seized open, was quite a "performance" for the 31-year-old me. At 52, with girth increased, I would never have managed it.

I mentioned this to the previous owner, who was 78, and had owned the boat for 33 years, as I wondered how he had gone about greasing them.

He calmly admitted that he had never known they were there!