URGENT HELP PLEASE!!!SEACOCK FROZEN

[Todd Pearce]

I, my B42 has a seacock outlet for the toilet/holding tank, Its bronze, it has three bolts holding it from the outside of the hull with the outlet in the middle, on the inside its got what appears to be a one piece cast body , and the style matches the two seacocks for the engine, no markings to identify it, and even with the three bolts removed in does not want to come away from the hull!!,its one of the few things stopping us from being ready to go away for Xmas as its frozen shut , and has me scratching my head, I am reluctant to cut it out as I am sure if serviced its a lovely unit, I just need to know how to service it and how to get it out if that's required, I am having a working Bee at the boat this weekend for a push to get over the line and will check this thread in the morning as I want to try and resolve this tomorrow, any and all help great fully received, thanks in advance for your help
Regards Todd

[Navatech]

A picture from the inside as well as the outside would be helpful… Bertram used various models of through hulls and seacocks from various manufacturers… Indeed, possibly a former owner put in something else altogether… Having said that, Perko would be a good guess...

Please note that from this point I'm guessing as I don't know exactly what seacock you have… My guess is that you can't remove the seacock because the outside flare (which screws into the seacock from the outside) hasn't been removed… What I would do in this case is put the three holding screws back… No need to tighten them… Remove the outside flare… Remove the three screws… At this point the seacock should come off… Possibly you may need some "moderate physical force" to overcome the sealant bedding (5200 or 4200 type)…

Removing the flare may require a special (though simple) tool… Mostly because it's quite likely that that too has been bedded with a 5200 or 4200 type sealant… You can make one yourself from steel scraps…

[Todd Pearce]

Thanks will try that,It appears to be a tapered valve type, would love to be able to just remove the taper service and return

[Navatech]

Thanks will try that,It appears to be a tapered valve type, would love to be able to just remove the taper service and return

That's technically possible in that type of valve… But again, without more complete information I'd be hard pressed to give you detailed advise…

[JP Dalik]

Try a little heat if you can safely apply it with a torch.

If its a caulking that's got you locked up heat can help, but you need to be careful

Good luck

[Rocky]

inside and outside pictures= thousand words, for a better understanding to help if you can do so.

[Bruce]

Todd,
Good chance the outer round piece is threaded and screws into the valve body. The three bolts are just retainer to keep body from spinning and orientate it to where the handle works without hitting anything.

If you look into the outer piece there should be one or two tabs on opposite sides that work with a tool to hold or screw the outer piece into the body. Leave the bolts in to keep the body from spinning.
Good chance its caulked and if with 5200, you'll need heat but don't bubble or burn the glass.

If you can't find or borrow a tool for the outer piece, a 1/4 bar stock just cut in width to slide up the inside of the outer piece, engage the tabs and put an adjustable wrench on it to turn.

If it starts to bend, go with 1/2 material.

Heres a pic of the tool if this is what you have.

[Todd Pearce]

All good turns out as usual you guys were on to it, it's a cool set up actually and once I got it out ,one good tap and it was apart ,have beed blasted out side ,now laping the cone back in,some crease and all done,,turns out to be a Wilcox Crittenden part. Nice piece of kit anyone know if they are still around?

[Tony Meola]

Todd

Not the same company they once were. You will not find that tapered valve any more.

I am not sure that is original. I know on our 31, all of the old valves were gate valves and they are long gone. That is a big no no today.

You really should take them apart once a year and grease them. We had one, and we used to pull it apart and grease it about every two to three years, but we always would open and close it so it would not freeze up.

[Pete Fallon]

Todd & Tony M,
The original bronze sea cocks were made by Wilcox Crittenden, heavy duty bronze cone valves, OEM Bertram in the early 60's . The cone valves were done away with per ABYC regulations. The problem was that you needed to have the correct size wrench to loosen the retaining nut so that you could move the valve handle and operate the inner tapered cone. I guess it was too many steps to go thru, I never found what the logic was behind doing away with those valves.
I just replaced my 1961 cone valves last year, to be in compliance so I could sell the boat, the valves were still in good condition, I always kept them greased up, I got a couple of hundred bucks from the recycle scrap yard here in Stuart, Fl. for the bronze. I don't know if W/C are still in business anymore and if they are there is probably only half the bronze that was in them originally. When you replace the valve make sure you put the bonding wire back on the valve body flange. I found that if you don't have the tapered cone tool the end of a medium sized Stilston wrench handle fits into the fitting from the outside and can be turned with another Stilston wrench. My boat is still for sale, 4 jack stands included, along with a bunch of rods and reels and other tackle. I am moving back to the Boston area for more knee surgery, the yard bill is paid up to the end of Dec. Somebody please buy her.
Pete Fallon

[Tony Meola]

Pete

I need to find a new scrap yard. I did ok but I scrapped rudders, old gate valves and probably did not do as good as you. Problem is, they don't post their daily prices on the front door. They have everything on the scale and priced out before you realize you been had.

I just scraped some wire, was not clean, vound out after I was done, another place was offering double the price for insulated wire.

Can't trust anyone anymore.

[Rawleigh]

Pete: I have used the handle of an adjustable wrench shoved up inside the hole to engage the ears and turned it with another adjustable. Use what you got, right!! LOL!

[Tony Meola]

Pete: I have used the handle of an adjustable wrench shoved up inside the hole to engage the ears and turned it with another adjustable. Use what you got, right!! LOL!

I picked up a step wrench at a local plumbing supply.

[Craig G]

I don't know if this method would work for your application or not, but maybe it will eventually help someone with sea cock valve removal. I changed all of mine and removed and glassed the holes of two that I didn't need. The two sinks in my Bahia Mar drained into sea cock valves which were slow to drain. One time, I had a guest that used the head and SHE opened the spicket with the water pump off and so was unable to wash HER hands but left the spicket wide open. You can guess what happened when I turned the water pump on to use transom shower. My thru hole valves were attached with one large very skinny nut that I didn't even try to remove. There would be no room to swing a large wrench to be successful. I just used a Dremel tool with a cut off wheel and cut around the thru hull fitting on the threads under the sea cock valve and above the large hex nut holding the thru hole fitting. Just keep cutting around the fitting. It cuts pretty easy being bronze. Eventually, the valve will fall off, or a few taps with a hammer and it will break off. Then just cut the nut on opposite sides and the nut falls off in two pieces. Then just push the thru hole fitting out to the ground which depending on the bedding, might require a bit if force. Of course, this method only works if the boat is hauled out, but now you will have new thru hole fittings as well and spend much less labor and frustration in the process.