Frozen seacock-Suggestions?

[jpendoley]

I have two cockpit seacocks that are frozen in place. I think they are ball valves. I’m not sure how to unlock them.. Looking for suggestions. Thanks!

[Statistical]

You replace them. That discoloration is pretty significant galvanic corrosion so it is probably worse inside the valve.

If they were in better shape I would suggest using the tap to add some grease to try and slowly work it loose. In this condition if you try to force this the most likely outcome is going to be the handle breaking off in your hand and a good chance of that being followed by a geyser inside your boat.

[jpendoley]

Thanks. What do we make of
the four bolts? They don’t terminate on the exterior, I can’t understand what purpose they serve. Ordinarily I would have expected the bolts to be flatheads and the nuts to be threaded onto the bolts on the inside sandwiching the backing plate to the hull. Not sure what to expect or even how to remove them.

[Statistical]

Originally Posted by jpendoley

Thanks. What do we make of
the four bolts? They don’t terminate on the exterior, I can’t understand what purpose they serve. Ordinarily I would have expected the bolts to be flatheads and the nuts to be threaded onto the bolts on the inside sandwiching the backing plate to the hull. Not sure what to expect or even how to remove them.

If the bolts don't go through the hull then they likely screw into inserts in the backing plate.

I presume it is something similar to this


If it works the same once you unscrew the three bolt you then can unscrew the valve & flange from the thru-hull.

It is hard to tell for sure from the photos so I would wait for confirmation from others people and maybe post some more photos from different angles.

[HopCar]

The round base makes me think it’s a Perko seacock. Is the handle cast bronze like the body of the seacock?

I’d put some penetrating oil in through the drain plugs on the side. Let it work for a while then try to force it. If it comes loose, great you fixed it. If it doesn’t break loose, the stem or handle breaks and you replace the valve.

Don’t worry about the blue/green stuff on it. That’s just verdigris. The Statue of Liberty has been covered in it for more than a hundred years.

To prevent this from happening again just exercise the valve a few times a year.

[gonesail]

stuck open? boat in the water?

[deblen]

Originally Posted by HopCar

The round base makes me think it’s a Perko seacock. Is the handle cast bronze like the body of the seacock?

I’d put some penetrating oil in through the drain plugs on the side. Let it work for a while then try to force it. If it comes loose, great you fixed it. If it doesn’t break loose, the stem or handle breaks and you replace the valve.

Don’t worry about the blue/green stuff on it. That’s just verdigris. The Statue of Liberty has been covered in it for more than a hundred years.

To prevent this from happening again just exercise the valve a few times a year.

This ^^^^^^ -just verdigris from sweat. / Len


https://marinehowto.com/seacock-thru-hull-primer/

[jpendoley]

Originally Posted by gonesail

stuck open? boat in the water?

thankfully, no. on the hard and going through all of the systems.
. Statistic.al and Hop very helpful posts. The valve is a Perko and the handle is solid bronze. I doubt the corrosion is dangerous because I already put a handle extension on the valve with quite a bit of pressure and it did not budge.
Fun with thruhulls!

[gonesail]

if on the hard .. you can remove the hose and spray the inside with some kind of penetrating oil. also you can see how bad the corrosion is.

[Statistical]

Originally Posted by jpendoley

thankfully, no. on the hard and going through all of the systems.
. Statistic.al and Hop very helpful posts. The valve is a Perko and the handle is solid bronze. I doubt the corrosion is dangerous because I already put a handle extension on the valve with quite a bit of pressure and it did not budge.
Fun with thruhulls!

In that case if it is in the water I would leave it alone. Have a mallet and bungs nearby. Not ideal you can't close the valve but it should be fine until next haul out.

On the next haultout, Perko does make repair kits which means disassembly is possible on these valves. That top nut screws off giving you access to valve internals. That may be enough to get the internals cleaned up and working again. If not you could buy a repair kit (replacement ball & seats). So you may not need to replace them just rebuild them. Thank the previous owner for actually installing valves that can be rebuilt.
https://www.perko.com/images/catalog...(0805INS2).pdf

[jpendoley]

Statistical-the boat is on land😊 I really appreciate everyone’s feedback and suggestions

[Statistical]

Originally Posted by jpendoley

Statistical-the boat is on land😊 I really appreciate everyone’s feedback and suggestions

Well the risk of sinking should be minimal then.

[Pearson365Guy]

I know exactly what valves those are and where on your boat. I just pulled mine and serviced them 2 months ago when I was on the hard. Mine were frozen too, just like about every 365. I tapped my handle with the wooden butt end of a hammer until I got movement, then back and forth until I reached the stops. I did all of this out of the water with the valve on a table, spraying lube . I remounted the valve on top of g-10 backing boards that were threaded for bolts. Glassed those in and replaced the thru hulls with new ones. Its not a hard job if your out of the water. Uncomfortable to do in that locker is a better way to put it.

[jpendoley]

365Guy-I had a 365 (sloop) and spent many hours in those lockers! A little cramped but not bad as boat lockers go!