[Irish Mist]

Mike,

After all this review. I am thinking about screwing out bolt where grease fitting goes and putting a pipe fitting there with hose to funnel and spraying something like P. D. Blaster. Let you know what happens.

Joe

[Irish Mist]

Hi Mike This is something I got from the Motor boat people on their Web Sites

Stuck Seacocks
Tony; Both cockpit drain seacocks on my trapper 300 had been seized ever since I bought it in 2000. March this year coming up to lift in,I finally bit the bullet and released them.
1. Loosen keeper plate (leave nuts at end of thread),then,
2. Take a heavy hammer (lump hammer) and give a firm but light knock on a socket extension pushed up to the base of the seacock cone from the outside(size of extension or drift needs to be slightly smaller than skin fitting diameter).
3. The cone seized because its probably bone dry, will break free and then can be removed.
4. Clean cone and body of seacock with white spirit and inspect. If both surfaces look serviceable, grease liberally with seacock grease and replace, tighten keeper plate until cock can be turned easily.
5. Cones when clean should have that brassy colour, if they have a pinkish tinge the seacocks are becoming depleted by galvanic action and you may have to consider linking them to your anode or even replacing.

________________________________________
If your going to try the release method rather than the put a new one in, then this stuff ACF-50 is really the bees knees for releasing seized parts, as it actually changes the corrossion byproduct which is what holds two pieces of metal together. Loads better than plus gas or WD. I know only becasue I’ve tried them all. I have no connection with ACF but it really is a must have for boats.

http://www.worldwideaviation.co.uk/Marine
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02-06-05, 21:57

JAYEL
Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Essex England
Posts: 135

Re: Jammed seacock
________________________________________
Tony; Dont try to hammer handle round, you will tear the whole fitting away from the hull. One sharp wallop from outside as I described should do it. Why you no risten (Benny Hill)?

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#10
03-06-05, 10:38

asj1
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Home: North Bucks, Boat: Suffolk Work :central London
Posts: 528

Re: Jammed seacock
________________________________________
Tony,
You have had many good responses. I had same situation when I bought Onia. I laid her up ashore for many months for refit so task was easier. As others have said what finally worked was a suitable dowel (broom handle in my case) shaped to fit snuggly inside and then hammered fairly hard — it just popped out ! I had previously put all sorts of easing oils/ sprays etc from inside.
Having cleaned it up, two grades of grinding paste, finishing with T Cut, then cleaning off and greasing with the right grease etc the seacock is now a pleasure to use – no leaks and a very light pressure to move.
Old Gate valves I changed to ball valves – a surprisingly easy and cheap conversion.

Regards
Andrew
__________________
Andrew

In message dated 8/19/99 4:08:40 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
writes:
<< cone or gate valving, I guess. >>
There is a vast difference between a cone seacock and a gate valve. Figure
it out and get back to us.
The only seacocks I am familiar with are the Wilcox-Crittenden “Ful-Flo”
flange base, tapered cone plug, bronze seacocks – the big, expensive kind you
bolt onto the hull. They are the only kind I use. Since thruhulls would
only take up space in the flow channel so I don’t use them.
To free a stuck seacock of this type, with the conical bronze plug:
Loosen the plug’s locknut and adjusting nut a turn or two. First spray some
lube juice (I like the LPS-1, LPS-2, LPS-3 series) on the threads. I find a
pair of large Channelock gripping pliers, the kind with the blue handles,
about 14″ long useful here.
Determine if the seacock is open or closed. The mold mark on the handle end
of the plug goes the same way as the hole in the plug. That is, if the mold
mark is at right angles to the hull, the valve is open and you are lucky. If
it is closed grease will not help free it as the grease will go into the
plug’s passageway. If the seacock is open inject grease into it by removing
the two 1/8″ pipe plugs on the body, install two grease fittings in their
place (ordinary steel from the auto parts store will do temporarily, but
replace with stainless very soon) and pump some grease in. Rap on the plug a
bit and wiggle the handle around and stress the valve to see if the grease
loosened it. Remove the handle and put something heavy against the seacock
housing body just above the handle end of the plug and strike the adjusting
nut end of the plug with the biggest, heaviest thing you can get. The idea
is to strikemoderate blows all over to loosen it and then strike with
something very heavy against the adjusting nut end to pop it loose.
If this doesn’t work get a propane torch. Get the kind that has the piezzeo
sparker. You pick it up and squeeze the button to get a flame. When you
release the button the flame goes off. The kind with the turn valve you
light with a striker is too dangerous – I almost burned my house down when
one fell over in use.
Wrap dripping wet cloth around the base of the seacock to keep it below 212
deg and then apply lots of heat very quickly to the bronze body gripping the
plug. It is best to use lots of heat for a short time so use the biggest,
hottest torch you can get. I use the burning attachment for my oxyacetylene
rig. Heat it up and rap on it with your hammers.
It would help a lot if you could get some pressure against the adjusting nut
end of the plug with a gear puller or something cobbled up with threaded rod
and 2x4s.
Grease (if valve is open), rap, push on the plug, heat, back-up the
body/strike the plug. Increase the ferocity of all of these forces until the
plug comes free.
When plug is free, take up slack in the adjusting nuts, pump in grease and
rotate the plug until it rotates smoothly. Later you can remove the plug and
clean it up if you really want to but I have found clean seacocks sometimes
leak. After a while in use corrosion fills up gaps and the seacock stops
leaking. I tend to not clean seacocks but move them often and grease them if
they get stiff.

Good Luck,
Norm
S/V Bandersnatch
Anchored Ocean City NJ
___________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________
Both of my port and starboard sea cocks were frozen solid when I purchased my 53MY. I tried and tried to free them by hand with no luck. I was reluctant to get in there with a hammer or mallet and it is real cumbersome to get a pipe on it. In the end I decided to add this to “the list” of fixes that I plan to do when I haul the boat for a pressure washing and bottom paint. As winter set in I started growing more concerned about those stuck sea cocks. So I decided to try one more time, would you believe it a 5 year old could turn both of them with 2 fingers! I can only assume it was the cold!? After all it was December and the water temperature at the time was very close to freezing.

For what it’s worth, you might be able to place a few bags of ice around a stuck or frozen seacock and call it a day.

________________________________________
Rich Johnson
Washington, DC
53′ MY M/V Lady Elizabeth
Genesis post # 12 is right on.

In addition, there is little reason to fret about seacocks that don’t close for a season or two..as long as you are NOT in a freezing climate in the water during the winter……the chances of anything going wrong that would happen to be ‘cured” by closing a seacock handle are miniscule.

Depending on your boat and the depth below sea level of the intakes, a typical intake hose stuck straight up inside will not admit water…if it does, keep some wooden plugs of various sizes available….you can always cut off an intake hose a foot above a seacock and stick a wooden plug in to seal it temporarily although I can’t think of anything likely that might happen to require such a fix. Another alternative: keep a length of hose available to “extend” an intake hose up higher if desired…find a size PVC that fits inside…you can even use a reducer style PVC, or makea PVC “cap” to seal off a hose if you like. (I don’t recommend any of these as necessary, but if you sleep better, go for it.)

For TAPER type seacocks, loosen the nut (If I recall there may be a nut and a locknut, so loosen both) on the opposite side of the seacock from the handle…the smaller diameter end of the taper plug is by the nut…tap the nut lightly toward the handle to push the plug from its stuck position…if it’s stubborn, tap on a piece of wood to prevent burling the nut on the thread and making later disassembly difficult…then snug up just enough to stop a dripping….
turn the handle to healp seat the plug….next time you are hauled out, remove the taper plug and use one of the greases mentioned already… waterpump grease is one suitable type…

When hauled out: As a last resort, after loosening the nut, applying some heat with a propane torch to expand the seacock and help break the corrosion bond can also help…the idea is the heat the seacock housing a bit and cause it to expand slightly…I’m NOT talking cherry red here, that is WAAAAAAAY too much….

Waterpump grease should be safe to use with any type underwater seacocks. Anywater water resistant ,thick lubricant, which will tend to stay in place should be ok….

________________________________________
Rob Brueckner
former 1972 48ft YF

Re: freeing stuck seacock – 10-15-2007, 01:01 PM
________________________________________
Another idea to consider. Remove the quarter inch drain plug and replace it with a grease fitting. Get a tube of water proof boat trailer wheel bearing grease and a grease gun. Pump her up each day for 3 or 4 days and then start trying to move it a little at a time. Give her a pump a day for maybe 10 days and keep working the handle. Only get one side of the ball, but has been enough for me in several cases.

Pete
________________________________________

[Irish Mist]

Thanks Al,

Good advice. In fact I usually haul and paint bottom every other year and use a diver to clean it in no haul years. 2010 is now suddenly transferred from a diver year to a haul year to in addition to other joys fixing the seacocks. At least I will have fresh paint and a cleaner racing bottom for the Rendezvous.

All the Best

Joe

[Irish Mist]

Thanks Barry. We have a good local Ace Hardware will try them. Did you see in News Letter where Dick is offering a special prize to the Dickerson that sails the longest distance to the Rendezvous in June. Is that enough of an incentive Al to get a group of New England Dickersons to meet up with the Southern Hampton VA group.

Should be fun.

Joe

[Irish Mist]

Hi Anie Rose08

Membership Certificates and the Dickerson Owners Directory are available only to Members of the Dickerson Owners Association. The Annual dues is only $35.00 for those that own Dickersons and $25 for Associate Members of past owners and interested parties. A Membership Form can be downloaded from the Home Page under the Heading What this Site Contains. You may also want to click on Newsletters on the Home Page and read our November Issue.

We would love to have you as a Member and add you to our list of Members from some 16 States and Canada.

Let me know if I can be of any help.

Joe Slavin Membership Committee jws2827@aol.com

[Irish Mist]

Thanks Al.

Will get some

All the Best

Joe

[Irish Mist]

Thanks AL and Barry,

Grease I know but blue locktite. Where can I get that. I did most of my winterizing yesterday. My new Rigid 18 inch strap wrench loosened lube oil filter. Had my fuel tank pumped out 3 years ago and installed twin Perkins fuel filters –they are each about 6 inches long–and still I have no vacuum on my gauge. I do about 100 hours a year and Bill Burry says about 300 hours or a vacuum of 3-4 inches. So I guess it is time to change them while I am ahead. I am sure you guys who change your water pump impellars every year would agree. Havent changed filter next to engine either for 3 years. I do have back up parallel filter so I can switch over if one gets clogged and a back up electric fuel pump. So it gets to if you want to go down to the bilge to change when you have guests aboard and are dressed in a Tux..

One of my head thru hull stop cock brass valves was really stubborn. It is amazing I needed a small 7/8 inch wrench to back off nut on lower side so I could force insides up and turn valve. Try to find one forget it. I did find a 6 inch crescent that will open to i inch. How about the good old monkey wrench. Any of you guys remember those. You could grip it at 90 degrees without going straight out.

Joe Irish Mist

Appreciate your advice

[Irish Mist]

Thanks Bob,

Will try it. My problem seems to be key slipping–not staying firm. But I do go about 5 years on the same impellar.

All the Best

Joe

[Irish Mist]

Thanks Al,

Probably put it on tooo tight. Putting grease or oil on gasket when I get this one off.

Thanks for advice.

Joe

[Irish Mist]

Al, I have a westerbeke / perkins 4-107. I do not take rubber impellar out because it is a heck of a job getting it back in because of key always moving and you have to com press the rubber blades to fit. Guess my old fingers are not up to it–unless you have some secrets that will make it easier. I do take off face plate and put grease in between blades of the impellar.

I always have a problem gett ing my lube oil screw on Fram filter off. Seems rubber gasket sticks and yesterday I ended up twisting the filter housing which is made of paper thin metal–but it is still on–did not move. So I decided the heck with these cheap filter wrenches. Going to buy a Rigid strap wrench that has a 1.75 inch wide nylon strap and a 18 inch handle that will handle filters 4 inches in diameter. Cost $60 but maybe it will do the trick. Appreciate any suggestions.

Joe

[Irish Mist]

Hi,

I am near you in Deale at Frank Shermans Marina, I suggest SailMenders Shady Side MD 410 867 4071 a local sail maker who does a great job at a reasonable price or Bacon in Annapolis who does imported sails from China but does a good job also. Would also suggest full batten sails with lazy jacks. Makes it a lot easier’

Joe

[Irish Mist]

Bob,

Thanks–Great Looking Fwd to info. Guess I have been kinda lazy with it. Have not taken it out. It is under sink in head and in back of cabinet, Has a 50 ampere fuse.

Hope you and Barry and the group can organize a Rendezvous at your area. We had a great time at the Western Shore that Randy set up. Much more intimate–really get to talk to everyone.

I was on Rainbow when those cowards cancelled the race. Hi if you want to race do it–if winds are too much forget it. Private decision–right.

All the Best

Joe, Irish Mist

[Irish Mist]

Hi Bob,
I notice in your note that you have an Electo San as I do on Irish Mist. This year I started blowing fuses. Have you had any similar problems, Suggestions would be appreciated.

Joe

[Irish Mist]

Hi Andrew,

Welcome to the Dickerson Forum and congratulations on buying a real classic great sailing boat. I have a 35 center cockpit wooden ketch “Irish Mist’ built in 1968. When we bought it 27 years ago we did the insides over. We took out the dinet and built in a L shape seat with a folding table hinged to the forward bulkhead so it could serve as a bunk when lowered or as a table. We also put in new teak laminate flooring and new counters and plastic head liner. Forget abt plastic head liner it is just a vehicle for mildew. If you are interested I have some photos of the inside layout. I have a small toilet in the aft cabin up against the fwd bulkhead under a lasarret and a chart table that folds up against the fwd aft cabin bulkhead. Have 3 burner propane stove/oven connected to two 10 gal tanks in explosion proof container in aft section of aft cabin behind a slidding cuboard type wall that goes from port to starboard.

We really have a great organization of some 60 members from over 20 States. I hope you will read our News Letters and take time to join The Dickerson Owners. The annual fee is only $35 and for that you get an annual Directory with details–including pictures– on all known Dickersons and their owners. A membership form is on the Home Page of this Web Site.

Lets keep in touch and please let us know if we can help in any way

Joe Slavin DOA Membership jws2827@aol.com

[Irish Mist]

Hi Dana,

I will be sending you some pictures.

Better yet how about joining up with us this weekend for our 3rd West Shore Round Up at West River Sailing Club. in Galesville Friday nite at 5.30 or so you are invited for cocktails on the Irish Mist and then we will go to dinner at a nearby restaurent–dutch treat.

Saturday at noon we have a race off G! followed by Cocktail party at West River Sail Club and no host dinner at Pirates Cove Restaurent. We have 30 people and 8 boats signed up to date.

It would be a great chance to meet Dickerson Sailors and look at their boats. Irish Mist will be there both Friday and Saturday night.

If you can’t race you could sail or drive over.

Let me know if you can join us and I will send you details on race etc.

Joe Slavin E mail me at jws2827@aol.com

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