I'm looking over the Spartan Marine catalog, ready to order some of their Seacock Lapping Compound. Two questions: (1) what works best for a "grease cutting solvent" to wash the plug and body? (2) the catalog states "Most properly operating seacocks will not require a lapping step" (only a cleaning and greasing). I was under the impression that we should use the lapping compound and regrease yearly. Is it only necessary to use the lapping compound if your seacock is weeping??
Thanks for all of your advice.
Joel
joels@ids.net
Seacock maintenance
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Ken Coit
Re: Seacock maintenance
Joel,
You should use kerosene to clean the barrel and body.
I used fine valve grinding compound from NAPA to lap in my barrels.
Lapping is only required if the parts don't mate very well. The grease will make up for minor mismatches. Weeping seacocks may only mean that the nuts aren't tight enough.
About a year after servicing Parfait's seacocks I had to ease off on a couple of them because they were binding. I was able to back the nuts off and lightly tap the nuts with a hammer to release the barrels. They weeped a bit and then I tightened them slightly until the weeping stopped. They both work like a charm again. All this is a long-winded way to say that weeping does not necessarily mean that lapping is required.
Keep on sailing,
Ken Coit
CD/14
CD/36 Parfait
Hailing Port: Raleigh, NC
Sailing from: Beaufort, NC
parfait@nc.rr.com
You should use kerosene to clean the barrel and body.
I used fine valve grinding compound from NAPA to lap in my barrels.
Lapping is only required if the parts don't mate very well. The grease will make up for minor mismatches. Weeping seacocks may only mean that the nuts aren't tight enough.
About a year after servicing Parfait's seacocks I had to ease off on a couple of them because they were binding. I was able to back the nuts off and lightly tap the nuts with a hammer to release the barrels. They weeped a bit and then I tightened them slightly until the weeping stopped. They both work like a charm again. All this is a long-winded way to say that weeping does not necessarily mean that lapping is required.
Keep on sailing,
Ken Coit
CD/14
CD/36 Parfait
Hailing Port: Raleigh, NC
Sailing from: Beaufort, NC
Joel Silverberg wrote: I'm looking over the Spartan Marine catalog, ready to order some of their Seacock Lapping Compound. Two questions: (1) what works best for a "grease cutting solvent" to wash the plug and body? (2) the catalog states "Most properly operating seacocks will not require a lapping step" (only a cleaning and greasing). I was under the impression that we should use the lapping compound and regrease yearly. Is it only necessary to use the lapping compound if your seacock is weeping??
Thanks for all of your advice.
Joel
parfait@nc.rr.com
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jonathan erb
Re: Seacock maintenance
For 20 years, I have cleaned mine with kerosene and greased with all purpose grease on a yearly basis. I also gently sand the barrel with 320 grit paper. A good quality winch grease seems to last longest. It helps to work them back and forth every month or so. I agree you should not tighten them much. One of mine has a ring of corrosion on the barrel for the position the barrel was in when I had electrolysis from a neighbor. It still does not leak and I don't know what lapping compound is. Annual maintenance seems to be key.
jerb@plawp.com
jerb@plawp.com