xyachtdave
Well-Known Member
Thought I’d share my recent experience to help anyone out tackling this job, often when I google practical boat jobs the search results include YBW words of wisdom. Scroll down to avoid the painful tale and link to the right bits…
The seacock had been getting stiff to operate and was the original 1995 item. We had poor water flow from the exhaust and after checking the heat exchanger, impeller, strainer, anti siphon and exhaust elbow I steeled myself to tackle it.
If you’re wondering why the seacock wasn’t my first port of call…X Yachts hadn’t exactly left a lot of access, very difficult to access and I was hoping it was something else.
The only bit of luck I had tackling this was the scrubbing posts at the club were booked and I had to lift the boat out, my plan of a couple of hours maximum to change it was a little optimistic and I’ve been in trouble with the tide coming in.
Two full hours to remove the old seacock, this involved cutting out some of the ply around the engine room which fortunately was under the bunk where it’s hidden and some swearing.
The East Coast is light on decent chandlers and wanting to sort this out over last weekend went to Marine Superstore in Port Solent, the website showing stock of everything required.
A 220 mile round trip later I’m back at the boat with a male nipple to go in the saildrive, street elbow, seacock and hose tail. I took the old seacock with me and all the bits screwed together in the shop and appeared interchangeable.
Originally I was going to order the Volvo seacock from Volspec, it was £155 plus postage and was out of stock in the UK. Don’t be fooled by search results that show it ‘in stock’, it’s not, I’ve rung them all!
Well this is where I learned about tapered and parallel 1/2 BSP threads. The hole tapped in the seacock is a 1/2 BSP taper thread. The taper threads fit in parallel fittings but not visa versa, which is why all appeared correct in the shop and the old seacock fitted all the new bits.
We measured the threads with a gauge and micrometer and there was negligible difference, the parallel thread nipple would not go even a 1/4 of a turn in to the saildrive.
There wasn’t anything available quickly in bronze in tapered threads or a nipple with taper to parallel, brass and air line fittings are online but nothing I’d put permanently under the water.
Long story short, you need this, owner is very helpful, £50 delivered next day.
Volvo Penta Saildrive Seacock ball valve Bronze, DZR, stainless
The seacock had been getting stiff to operate and was the original 1995 item. We had poor water flow from the exhaust and after checking the heat exchanger, impeller, strainer, anti siphon and exhaust elbow I steeled myself to tackle it.
If you’re wondering why the seacock wasn’t my first port of call…X Yachts hadn’t exactly left a lot of access, very difficult to access and I was hoping it was something else.
The only bit of luck I had tackling this was the scrubbing posts at the club were booked and I had to lift the boat out, my plan of a couple of hours maximum to change it was a little optimistic and I’ve been in trouble with the tide coming in.
Two full hours to remove the old seacock, this involved cutting out some of the ply around the engine room which fortunately was under the bunk where it’s hidden and some swearing.
The East Coast is light on decent chandlers and wanting to sort this out over last weekend went to Marine Superstore in Port Solent, the website showing stock of everything required.
A 220 mile round trip later I’m back at the boat with a male nipple to go in the saildrive, street elbow, seacock and hose tail. I took the old seacock with me and all the bits screwed together in the shop and appeared interchangeable.
Originally I was going to order the Volvo seacock from Volspec, it was £155 plus postage and was out of stock in the UK. Don’t be fooled by search results that show it ‘in stock’, it’s not, I’ve rung them all!
Well this is where I learned about tapered and parallel 1/2 BSP threads. The hole tapped in the seacock is a 1/2 BSP taper thread. The taper threads fit in parallel fittings but not visa versa, which is why all appeared correct in the shop and the old seacock fitted all the new bits.
We measured the threads with a gauge and micrometer and there was negligible difference, the parallel thread nipple would not go even a 1/4 of a turn in to the saildrive.
There wasn’t anything available quickly in bronze in tapered threads or a nipple with taper to parallel, brass and air line fittings are online but nothing I’d put permanently under the water.
Long story short, you need this, owner is very helpful, £50 delivered next day.
Volvo Penta Saildrive Seacock ball valve Bronze, DZR, stainless
