I’m the new owner of a 2006 Marlin 300. Love the boat! But the livewell seacock and the A/C seacock are both stuck open. I don‘t want to force them, but I do want to be able to close them. Any advice?
Seacock stuck
- Thread starter Harrysea
- Start date
Following. I have a 330 and the bronze thru Hull for pump out is really hard to turn. I was wondering if taking the hose off and spraying some sort of lubricant in there would work?
blindmullet
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Try using some PB Blaster on it to loosen it up. If you get it freed up work the handle and lube at the same time.
PointedRose
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Most of the old ones have a small drain plug, which can be replaced with a grease zerk. Some of the newer ones(Groco) have a drain and a zerk. Grease them in the open position, or the grease goes into the center of the ball valve, instead of against the side.
www.wholesalemarine.com
Groco Tri-Flanged Ball Type Seacock | Wholesale Marine
The Groco Tri-Flanged Ball Type Seacock features a field reversible handle and is available in multiple sizes. Shop Groco parts at Wholesale Marine.
www.wholesalemarine.com
After freeing it up (PB Blaster, silicone spray, etc - and/or adding the zerk), be sure to exercise the seacock once a month to keep it in good shape. Use to some leverage to get it to start moving - some handles have a square that a socket wrench can be inserted - you can also slip a pipe over the handle for extra leverage. A little bit back and forth, back and forth should do it.
Or, if none of the suggestions above work and you cant free it, just leave it open and install a new shut off valve on the hose itself.
if they don't move easily once you work on them, time for new ones. they should be screwed in to the thru hull pickup so it should be straight forward replacement. need i say ALL work would be best done on the hard?
good luck, ron
good luck, ron
Make sure you are pulling the seacock at the appropriate angle. When I first got my boat, I thought neither worked but it was because I was pulling up rather than the angle at which the rod was expecting. You may need to pull or push depending on it’s position
Hookup1
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If they are left open in salt water for most of their life the marine growth gets up inside and "locks" them in place. Frequently you see this on the large inboards where they won't close all the way. But it does happen to the smaller ones. I can't honestly say what would happen if I tried to close mine!
SkunkBoat
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I test mine every fall when I pull the boat. That way I know if I need to fix them before spring.
I CLOSE all of them for launch. Then when in the water I get an eyeball on them when I open them.
I highly recommend that...
I CLOSE all of them for launch. Then when in the water I get an eyeball on them when I open them.
I highly recommend that...
I think a fair few folks leave them open all the time -- no criticism intended, but I'm not sure they realize how many boats sink at the slip because of a failed hose clamp or leaky hose. With the seacock open the only thing keeping your boat floating is a hose and some clamps in your bilge that may be as old as the boat! I usually open the ones I need at the beginning of a trip and close them all at the end: I always think (1) battery switches are off, (2) shore power & battery charger on, and (3) seacocks closed
The only one I rarely / never use is the head discharge so sometimes I will go several months before I remember to try it. It always turns easily though, so I suspect that the seacocks that are closed don't get stuck as easily due to marine life.
The only one I rarely / never use is the head discharge so sometimes I will go several months before I remember to try it. It always turns easily though, so I suspect that the seacocks that are closed don't get stuck as easily due to marine life.
Close my seacocks unless using but keep them open when in drydock for the winter.
Legend
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This is a handy leverage tool for hard to reach and tough to move seacock. I would be cautious of using it if you seacock is frozen as it could end break it. Use it if your seacock is not getting enough use bc it is 3 feet below deck as many GW are designed
Exactly. I would go as far if you're not using it while underway ,don't open it. There is a lot of water pressure say on your washdown pump if you leave the raw water open all the time. mine are closed all the time unless I need it. in the winter they are opened , well they are opened before the first freeze in October for us. Like other said use a penetrating lubricant like PB to help loosen it up. Good luck.
Question: Mine get exercised regularly. Thus thread got me wondering. When my boat is on the trailer can I just shoot some lubricant like triflo up into them through the bottom opening? I know this sounds dumb but. I never though of lubricating from the inside before. Thanks .
I think I mentioned it above, but be sure to check the handle for a square hole at the end for a socket. If the handle is fully encased, the hole still might be there underneath.
I don't see how it can hurt. I'm not sure how effective it would be, either, since the valve is the open position and the idea would be to get some stuff between the valve and the valve body. But some stuff might creep in. But then go inside and exercise the handle a few times right away.
Thanks for all the advice. Finally got my last seacock closed today. I’ve been using PB Blaster periodically for the last couple of weeks. Today I pulled the deck plate and went after the last stuck seacock with gentle taps until it finally let go. All the hoses and clamps look to be in good shape, but I’ll feel better running with seacocks closed until they need to be opened.
