Seacock Service - “Head”ing for trouble???

[builder]

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Good plan needed. I have a broken seacock-the big head discharge one. I have everything removed from the area and can get access as best possible to the seacock. It is an original 1 1/4” bronze one. Heavy scaling in the other pipes & valves that I removed has lead me to believe that the ball became “frozen” in this hard sandstone like scale and the shaft from the handle that connects to the ball inside has been forced and has either sheared off or twisted off inside.

My question is 2 fold:
1) how best to open the ball housing ?
2) how best to get the old ball & shaft out?

I should add that “Fabiola” is: in the water in Curaçao. I have a spare original 1 1/4” seacock on hand. I have a wooden plug hammered in from the outside. I have been able to soak the valve in vinager overnight.

I am thinking to heat the lower part of the housing with a soldering torch & have at it with 2 big pipe wrenches - 1 to hold the housing from twisting in the hull & the other to screw off the of the housing.

Am I missing something?

[jonneely]

is it the original tapered seacock or a replaced ball valve? post photos.


Jon

[builder]

Bad picture posting skills here but I hope you can see both the old existing seacock & the new one dismantled. The tricks of the trade I am seeking is how to open the old and remove/replace the broken parts. Any advice on tools & technique is appreciated.

[jonneely]

Not accustomed to this type of seacock, to the normal (original) tapered seacock that to my knowledge all HC33 had, but yours could be different. So I am taking the last photo is the seacock you are trying to dismantle, the one with the hose still on it? Has something actually broken on it yet or is it just frozen? Heat is the name of this game, lots of it. I normally use a heat gun and let it cook it for about 20 minutes. The only negative of this is that it can also soften the sealant that is keeping the thru-hull in place allowing you to break that seal, so you need to be careful. Heat Heat HEAT! but if something is broken on it, it may be faster to just replace it, although if I am following you already have a replacement? Is the boat hauled out currently?

[lhallberg]

Bronze responds well to heat. If you can get a torch on it or a heat gun, as Jon suggested, that will cause the bronze to expand, then contract when it cools. As it cools spray a strong penetrant (I use PB Blaster) around the seams, and it will draw the penetrant in. Also, strong taps with a small (very small) ball-peen hammer, as you heat, and as it cools will help. Repeat, repeat and repeat. Eventually the seal will break.

What to watch out for:
- as Jon stated heat can cause seals to weaken or even break
- use a heat reflective or heat resistive material behind the valve up against the hull to keep direct heat off of the fiberglass
- be sure to put a rag between the teeth of your pipe wrench and the bronze as you can scar the bronze up pretty bad
- when tapping with a hammer be care full not to tap on seams or threads
- when working on a through-hull while in he water always be prepared for the worst case scenario ... ie. the complete fitting to fail.

This also works on the Diesel, Water and Waste bronze fittings on the deck.

When you get it free please post pics as it would be nice to see what's going on inside.

[clonjers]

I have no help for you, except my best wishes. Scary job doing it in the water.

[mattattama]

Do wonder how you got on with this? I wouldn't attempt it in the water. Getting the top cap off by itself is likely to break the seal/bedding of the thru-hull. Looking at the condition of it shows the whole unit, i.e., thru hull as well, should be rebedded and sealed.