Water filler cap

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twinkeel

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Finally managed to extract the seized water filler cap but only by drilling it out / destroying it

Thought I would pop down to Force 4 and get a replacement !!

That was dumb of me - the boat ( and I assume the filler cap) is 25 years old and made of what I think is a zinc alloy. No makers marks or logos.

Anyhow Force 4 only appear to have either complete units ( Plated brass I think) which would mean doing what I want to avoid ( messing with the deck fitting itself) as well as costing rather more than I expected or they have some plastic replacement caps which are of a bayonet type and not the right diameter either.

So anyone got any ideas for where I might get a replacement filler cap ??
 
You don't seem to have posted any pictures of the original so difficult to know what you are requiring.

You do not seem to have asked on the Cobra-Seawolf Owners forum. It's possible someone there will know the type fitted and be able to help locate one.

If the original is something no longer manufactured then you will probably have no option but to replace the whole fitting. With luck you will find something that will fit the existing hole without to much work other than filling the fastening holes and drilling new ones.

In the general scheme of things replacing a deck filler is not a major task, just one of those annoying but inevitable ones. Replaced my plastic one with an aluminium one years ago.
 
Try and get one machined, make a drawing of the shape you need measure the thread for pitch,or take a bit of the destroyed thread for pattern to a local machine shop. Just a thought. best of luck.
 
I had same problem on 25 year old boat.

My local chandlers had a catalogue with loads of separate caps. they didn't match and are different colours, but we found one of the same diameter and it does the job.
 
Photos are at http://s623.photobucket.com/albums/t...0Filler Cap/
Click to expand...
Ah its the same as mine, At lest it is if it has a sort of rounded squarish deck plate with 4 screws. No idea now of the make or origin .. Sowester probably.

I suggest you measure the OD of the filler neck and try to get a replacement that is the same size to avoid too much butchery to fit.

try not to get too much muck down the pipe while you are working .. tape a plastic bag over it
 
Thanks Vic,

Certainly has rounded squarish deck plate with four screws and google shows me an Australian web site with pictures of a Sowester that looks very much like mine.

I can also find that Sowester were in Poole, so got very excited but rang to be told that they went bust about 8 years ago.

So, unless someone took on the dies / moulds I guess that is the end of that.

Meanwhile am looking at the cheap nylon / fibreglass fittings that Force 4 sell. Looks to me like I could fettle the deck fitting to go inside the Sowester deck plate and glue it in place and use their cap. It will reduce the flow rate I guess but its not a big tank

Thanks again for the help
 
You could be making a bigger job out of it than just replacing the whole thing ... and ending up with a less than 100% satisfactory bodge into the bargain
 
twinkeel said:
So anyone got any ideas for where I might get a replacement filler cap ??
Click to expand...

Whilst idly surfing the net, I came across this curious web site that has alloy deck fillers that may (if you're lucky) be the same as yours. The only contact details are a phone number and an on-line enquiry form.

142096.jpg
 
At first glance they look like mine except that mine is not labelled, I don't think it is anyway, and mine does not have the rubber sealing ring (that would be important for fuel but not vital for water).
 
VicS said:
At first glance they look like mine except that mine is not labelled, I don't think it is anyway, and mine does not have the rubber sealing ring (that would be important for fuel but not vital for water).
Click to expand...

I would think that the seal is important for water as well, as you don't want salt water leaking into your drinking water tank? I admit it would be very little, but even a small amount of salt can taste unpleasant, also other things on the deck could get to leak in such as bird poo, leading to bacterial contamination.
 
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Dipper,

You have it right.

After much googling and phoning around ( btw there are some really helpful people out there so dont believe evrything you hear about our 'broken society') I eventually tracked down Unipart Marine as the distributors. They supply people like Force 4 who however do not carry the items as stock. The nice people at Parkstone will however order them and they are now on their way.

The web site you found is actually Unipart themselves selling direct although in this case the P&P made it better to buy the caps from F4 as I drive past their door on the way to the boat.

I was going to wait until I actually have the bits before declaring success but seeing the replies thought I best do so now.

Many thanks for all the helpful replies
 
Twinkeel

Thanks for the feedback.

When Sowester went bust, Mark Dowland Marine (then in Wareham) expanded to fill the gap. They later metamorphosed via the Burden Group into Unipart so it makes sense that they still have access to some of the old Sowester designs.
 
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