Missing Fitting

Last season I installed a 3/8" drain on my wet elbow running to a small thruhull just above the waterline. This drains the elbow every time I stop. Works great and doubles as a water flow telltale which I can see from the helm.
However, I could not find the 1/4" MPT to 3/8" hose barb I needed in bronze, only brass. If I don't replace it this spring, I'll forget it. Any ideas where I can come up with this fitting in bronze??

Maybe you can find what you need here.

McMaster-Carr

Brooksie said:

Last season I installed a 3/8" drain on my wet elbow running to a small thruhull just above the waterline. This drains the elbow every time I stop. Works great and doubles as a water flow telltale which I can see from the helm.
However, I could not find the 1/4" MPT to 3/8" hose barb I needed in bronze, only brass. If I don't replace it this spring, I'll forget it. Any ideas where I can come up with this fitting in bronze??

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Why? The galvanic rating for both is about the same if that is the concern?

Phil Fill said:

Why? The galvanic rating for both is about the same if that is the concern?

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The zinc in the brass will leach out in salt water. There's an explanation in the West Marine catalog.

As far as sourcing the part WM has some of these but if they don't have the one you need, go to a large plumbing parts distributor (not a home center). Conbraco is one manufacturer of bronze fittings.

Thanks for suggestions. McMaster: no. WM: no. I thought maybe from a dripless stuffing box but they look brass too or plastic.

Can you use nylon? The wet elbow doesn't get much more than warm if the water is flowing well....

You have a point! The zinc in the brass could be sacrificed to protect a higher rated metal like Bronze. However they are rated about the same.

If they were graded 1 to 100. Brass is 45 to 55 and Bronze is 50 to 60.
zinc is 4, Aluminum is 10 to 25, mild steel is 30 to 35, SS is 30 to 55. Nylon might be better, but nylon as it tend to break asnd does not hold up to heat well. I would still use brass if I could not find bronze.

JAT said:

Can you use nylon? The wet elbow doesn't get much more than warm if the water is flowing well....

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I could, but i'm not crazy about the idea. I'll know more after I check the brass one after last season, it's easy to get at.

Phil Fill said:

You have a point! The zinc in the brass could be sacrificed to protect a higher rated metal like Bronze. However they are rated about the same.

If they were graded 1 to 100. Brass is 45 to 55 and Bronze is 50 to 60.
zinc is 4, Aluminum is 10 to 25, mild steel is 30 to 35, SS is 30 to 55. Nylon might be better, but nylon as it tend to break asnd does not hold up to heat well. I would still use brass if I could not find bronze.

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The point is that brass is made from copper and zinc, far apart on the nobility scale, and self distructs in seawater even without other metals connected to it. Called dezincifacation sp?

I'll know more when I inspect the brass one after last season.

Greetings,
Are they available in SS?

I would also go stainless, but brass will last many years.

Stainless? I'll look.
Thanks

Manganese "bronze" is also often used for propellers. Even though it usually contains around 40% zinc, it can succeed using the same strategy: a shaft or prop-nut zinc. Actually, any alloy of copper containing zinc is not 'bronze' but is actually 'brass.' Although it can be very strong, 'brass' is not at all suitable for use as a fastening material due to the likelihood of extreme de-zincification.

Metal Parts for Boats

Brooksie said:

Last season I installed a 3/8" drain on my wet elbow running to a small thruhull just above the waterline. This drains the elbow every time I stop. Works great and doubles as a water flow telltale which I can see from the helm.
However, I could not find the 1/4" MPT to 3/8" hose barb I needed in bronze, only brass. If I don't replace it this spring, I'll forget it. Any ideas where I can come up with this fitting in bronze??

Click to expand...

I checked Fisheries Supply and no joy for a bronze fittling of that size. They do have it in brass. One suggustion is to use brass and change it every year as a maintenance item. The price for this fitting is $1.16 each. Hell, change it every six months. It would give you something to do.

windmist said:

I checked Fisheries Supply and no joy for a bronze fittling of that size. They do have it in brass. One suggustion is to use brass and change it every year as a maintenance item. The price for this fitting is $1.16 each. Hell, change it every six months. It would give you something to do.

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Just what I was going to do, change it each year. I'll let you know what it looks after a season of hot salt water going through it. So all those little barbed hose fittings on the dripless shaft seals are brass or plastic? Wow

windmist said:

I checked Fisheries Supply and no joy for a bronze fittling of that size. They do have it in brass. One suggustion is to use brass and change it every year as a maintenance item. The price for this fitting is $1.16 each. Hell, change it every six months. It would give you something to do.

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Thank God he doesn't have twins!!

From what I've found, bronze parts are only available is a few sizes and shapes. I think I read that it's easy to cast, but hard to machine.

Anyway, many fittings end up being red brass which has a much lower zinc content than the more common yellow brass. If you can find red brass you should be OK, though stainless might be better.

Brooksie said:

Just what I was going to do, change it each year. I'll let you know what it looks after a season of hot salt water going through it. So all those little barbed hose fittings on the dripless shaft seals are brass or plastic? Wow

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FYI, I found last fall that I had a leak on my PSS shaft seal fitting. The nylon fitting that threads into the shaft seal had a small crack. Easily replaced so I did it and bought a spare and a plug and ty rapped it near the PSS. I then thought it would be a good idea to check the fitting on the engine that supplies the water to the PSS. Well guess what? The brass fitting was ready to crumple into small pieces. When I tried to remove it, the hose barb broke off and I ended up using an easy out to get it out. Now I have owned this boat for 5 years so that should give you an idea how long a brass fitting will last in salt water.

As I recall, this fitting is the same size that you need and I did find a SS fitting with much difficulty. I found it at a local firm called Tacoma Screw and they had to special order it for me. Also I have a note that Grainger had it with part # BANJO HB025-038SS.

Also, in case anyone wonders why a plastic fitting is used in the PSS shaft seal. I guess the seal is made with some kind of gaphite and they absolutely forbid having any kind of metal fitting threaded into this seal.

Hope this helps,
Ron

Has anyone checked a good plumbing supply store?

Here's one on Amazon.

Banjo HB025-038SS Stainless Steel 316 Hose Fitting, Adapter, 1/4" NPT Male x 3/8" Barbed: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

Try substituting the word "gunmetal" when you search for bronze on the internet. Get all the UK (and purist sailboat) site hits.

FlyWright said:

Here's one on Amazon.

Banjo HB025-038SS Stainless Steel 316 Hose Fitting, Adapter, 1/4" NPT Male x 3/8" Barbed: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

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That's it Thanks

windmist said:

FYI, I found last fall that I had a leak on my PSS shaft seal fitting. The nylon fitting that threads into the shaft seal had a small crack. Easily replaced so I did it and bought a spare and a plug and ty rapped it near the PSS. I then thought it would be a good idea to check the fitting on the engine that supplies the water to the PSS. Well guess what? The brass fitting was ready to crumple into small pieces. When I tried to remove it, the hose barb broke off and I ended up using an easy out to get it out. Now I have owned this boat for 5 years so that should give you an idea how long a brass fitting will last in salt water.
As I recall, this fitting is the same size that you need and I did find a SS fitting with much difficulty. I found it at a local firm called Tacoma Screw and they had to special order it for me. Also I have a note that Grainger had it with part # BANJO HB025-038SS.
Also, in case anyone wonders why a plastic fitting is used in the PSS shaft seal. I guess the seal is made with some kind of gaphite and they absolutely forbid having any kind of metal fitting threaded into this seal.
Hope this helps,
Ron

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What a complete report Ron. Just what I was worried about. None of the fittings that come with any of the dripless seals look like bronze to me.