seacock removal

[Bob Loewenstein]

I have a leaky seacock (for the head) which I have lapped several times to no avail. I am thinking I might remove the seacock and try lapping in the shop rather than on the boat...but I might have to replace it. I've taken the two nuts off the screws in the through hull, but the seacock must be bedded on. What is the best way to remove it (or any hints I need to know from those who have done this) and what must be done to replace it.

Thanks in advance...

Bob



rfl@yerkes.uchicago.edu

[Ed Haley]

The April issue of Cruising World has a step-by-step removal process of a bronze seacock similar to your head's water intake seacock. There's a special step wrench that fits in the opening from outside. The thru-hull fitting then twists out. The article explains everything nicely and has pictures of the entire routine. Instead of lapping, the article uses a emory paper method of servicing the seacock.



eghaley@dreamscape.com

[Tom B.]

Another way to remove the seacock: put the 2 screws back on then find yourself an old truck spring and cut it to fit the inside diameter of the outside fitting as this fitting screws into the seacock. Find a good-sized wrench to fit your ex-broken truck spring then twist that outside fitting off. Go back down below, remove the two nuts and then just pry the seacock off from its bedding. If you decide to go with a new seacock call Spartan Marine at 1-800-3-Cleats. More than likely your seacock is 3/4" for the water intake (head). The Cruising World article is excellent, however there is some satisfaction to be had from inventing solutions with what you have at hand.

I have a leaky seacock (for the head) which I have lapped several times to no avail. I am thinking I might remove the seacock and try lapping in the shop rather than on the boat...but I might have to replace it. I've taken the two nuts off the screws in the through hull, but the seacock must be bedded on. What is the best way to remove it (or any hints I need to know from those who have done this) and what must be done to replace it.

Thanks in advance...

Bob

[Matt Cawthorne]

Bob,
I am not sure how to explain this without a diagram, but I will try. When the core section of the seacock is lapped it will naturally seat-in in the axial direction a little deeper than it was before. A problem arises in that a portion which was previously sticking out of the body (and therefore not lapped to a smaller diameter) also moves axially and engages the body. The result is that the lapped core can not move far enough to seat correctly. On one seacock that was in poor shape, I had to CAREFULLY file the portion which does not normally engage the body (large end) enough to stop the interference. This only involves removing a small amount of material. I don't know that this is your problem, but it is worth checking. It is worth masking the section which you do not want cut when working with the file.

Matt



mcawthor@bellatlantic.net

[Skip]

There is an excellent tool available at Home Depot for cheap. When I borrowed a step wrench from my neighbor, the marine mechanic, what he called a step wrench is what plumbers call a spud wrench. It functions in gripping the through hull for removal exactly like the step wrench described in the Cruising World article, and is styepped to fit diameters from about 1/2" to about 2", but I've only used it for the 1 1/2" Spartan fittings.

The tool is a "Radiator Spud Wrench" #8618 and can be bought in the pl
umbing department at Home Depot or other pplumbing supply locations, or can be ordered directly from Durst Corporation, Mountainside NJ 07092.

Home Depot price is $10.97.


Good Luck

Skip

The April issue of Cruising World has a step-by-step removal process of a bronze seacock similar to your head's water intake seacock. There's a special step wrench that fits in the opening from outside. The thru-hull fitting then twists out. The article explains everything nicely and has pictures of the entire routine. Instead of lapping, the article uses a emory paper method of servicing the seacock.

medeiros@bnl.gov

[john churchill, SKUA]

The April issue of Cruising World has a step-by-step removal process of a bronze seacock similar to your head's water intake seacock. There's a special step wrench that fits in the opening from outside. The thru-hull fitting then twists out. The article explains everything nicely and has pictures of the entire routine. Instead of lapping, the article uses a emory paper method of servicing the seacock.

when i told spartan that i had used the emory paper method to clean the crud off mine, they said i had probably already ruined it. fortunately they were wrong, but it seems they take a dim view of that technique.