Seacocks and BREAKER BARS?

When I bought my 83 Grand Banks 49, both engines' seacocks were frozen in the open position. My mechanic was able to "unfreeze" them with a little WD, patience and a 14-16", black, approximately 1-1/2" diameter hard rubber/plastic tube which he slipped over the handle and applied torque to it. I asked him what he used, and he said with a smile that it was a "good tool".

I've been looking for that "good tool" since then......hardware stores, Lowe's, HD, Walmart, on line looking for a BREAKER BAR. A guy at one hardware store told me that's what it was called. Don't think so.

On my next pull out I will replace both seacockes, but until then (2 years), I'd like to find this tool since it was so effective.

Any thoughts?

"Cheater" bar is what I call them.
If you have to use one to open or close your Seacocks, I think I'd step up the haul out and replacement schedule for sooner than later.

A short length of black PVC pipe.

As was mentioned, at the next haul out, take those seacocks apart and service them. In the mean time, exercise them regularly.

Get a 2" diameter piece of pipe, or whatever size pipe ID will fit over your seacock handle. Minimal clearance is better. I have one stored in my engine room for just this purpose. SS pipe is not that expensive. 2" x 14" long is around $45

I'm​ happy with the Sea Cock helper tool from Top Shelf Marine. It's just what I needed for a lightly stuck seacock.

http://www.topshelfmarine.com/product/sea-cock-ball-valve-helper/

Agree with TJM that any pipe with just enough ID to slide over the handle is best. 12 to 16" long is plenty. If you have a scrap metal yard nearby you should be able to find what you need real cheap.

Greetings,
Mr. CSF. I fully agree with Mr. MS. Hauling sooner rather than later. You might consider adding a grease nipple if possible when servicing your sea cocks. I truly hope you don't break off said tight sea cocks in the mean time. Have some wooden plugs and a mallet close at hand.

This is one reason why I TRY to remember to go through the boat and exercise all the seacocks about monthly. I don't get to it as often as I should.

There's a reason some call it a breaker bar.

The handles suppied on sea cocks are often just stamped out of sheet 1/8" SS. The result is there is little surface area in contact with the flats on the valve shaft. Excessive leverage will cause the hard SS to round off the softer bronze shaft. Adding a second handle before you add a cheater bar will reduce the chances of rounding off the shaft flats.

Just remember... LONG STEADY PRESSURE! Don't try to yank it or push/pull with all your might. Just a nice steady amount of pressure. Don't force it or you will tare-sumptin'-up.

Never use force, just a larger hammer.

The Marelon seacock folks are quick to tell you that you void your warranty if you use any sort of cheater.

I keep a variety of cheaters around the shop. Amazing how effective a piece of 2" PVC pipe can be.

I recall helping my dad adjust the torsion bars on the family 1961 Desoto. He had the large box wrench on the nut and I was at the other end of a 10' piece of steel pipe, walking it around.

The Topshelf product that Bluefish recommend is very good. It allows you to slip it on through a slot in the side when the handle starts to get horizontal.

I made mine from a short piece of 7/8" stainless tubing. I flattened the end of the tube which made the opening wide enough to slip over the seacock handle.

The tech at Groco told me they should be lubed with Molycote by 3M. He said that no other lubricant should be used.

JDCAVE said:

The tech at Groco told me they should be lubed with Molycote by 3M. He said that no other lubricant should be used.

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Grocos website says ULube. Any difference or "better than" comments? I actually realized it's a task I need to do as well

One thing I have learned from this forum: Exercise your seacocks. I tried to tell my wife that and she took it the wrong way.

Only have 2 that were sticky. Used PBlaster and patience now they are free.

The need for a cheater bar is screaming a message to you. Service the seacock on the hard. Otherwise you better have an excellent damage control kit and good bilge pumps for when you snap off the mushroom head.

Gmarr said:

Grocos website says ULube. Any difference or "better than" comments? I actually realized it's a task I need to do as well

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I remember the conversation well, and the guy was very specific. Actually, Molykote 111 is a Dow-Corning product. I'm not familiar with Ulube. Perhaps it's an equivalent product. He also sent me a zero fitting so I can do it while seacock is assembled and in the water, but I figure once a year is better than not at all. I remember chasing all over the Vancouver area last year trying to find it.



Jim

"On my next pull out I will replace both seacockes,"

Depends , if they are the classic tapered bronze they can easily be freed and reused.

If they are a step above SS and plastic seal home water pipe type , you might look for a grease fitting .

A 1/8 pipe plug you screw a Zerk fitting into then grease.

If these are "ball valves" and they don't want to turn be very careful using any pressure beyond just the factory supplied handle. I have seen shafts snap off and balls completely separate from the stem. If they are getting that tough to turn it is time to replace them. As has been mentioned all seacocks need to be cycled or exercised regularly..

If these are tapered cone style please avoid the use of breaker bars or cheater bars on bronze tapered cone seacocks (not entirely clear what type we are discussing but based on the vintage they could be tapered cone or ball valves).

Tapered cones come out by loosening the adjustment nuts and lightly tapping them, on the threaded end, with a lead or brass mallet, and a nut to protect the threads, towards the handle end. This is not beating on them just a couple of light taps and they "pop"....

You then lap fit (valve grinding compound) them and use Spartan Grease available from Spartan bronze. Tapered cone seacocks can literally outlast the boat with proper maintenance. The Taiwanese builders sometimes used Wilcox Crittenden tapered cones and then began making their own and finally switched to ball type seacocks... If you wreck a tapered cone seacock they no longer exists unless you go with Spartan Bronze.

If they are tapered cone this may help: Servicing Tapered Cone Seacocks

Photos of your existing seacocks would help with the advice.
Pay attention to CMS's advice. If you have the tapered bronze units they are worth servicing as they should still be in good shape other than the handle sticking.

JDCAVE said:

I remember the conversation well, and the guy was very specific. Actually, Molykote 111 is a Dow-Corning product. I'm not familiar with Ulube. Perhaps it's an equivalent product. He also sent me a zero fitting so I can do it while seacock is assembled and in the water, but I figure once a year is better than not at all. I remember chasing all over the Vancouver area last year trying to find it.

View attachment 64352

Jim

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Jim,
Checked the 111molykote on the Dow website.
It has heavy consistency.
Did you use it to service the seacock on haul out?
Ken

Another point about the tapered bronze seacocks, the nut on the back side should be loosened slightly to allow the valve to rotate. If it is tightened down then the valve is very hard to turn (by design) and you can easily break something. That Compass Marine article linked earlier is a great "How to" on maintaining one of these valves.

Marty.....................

Does anybody have experience with the Marelon seacocks? I think I would be inclined to use them.

Sailor of Fortune said:

Does anybody have experience with the Marelon seacocks? I think I would be inclined to use them.

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I have them on my Catalina 400. The boat is 12 years old and they have been working great. I have owned the boat for 6 1/2 years and I have lubed the marlon with Super Lube every time the boat has been hauled out of the water. In my case, that has been a grand total of twice in 6 1/2 years and one of those times was when I shipped the boat North to WA.

I know that some folks don't like/trust them, but I haven't had a problem.

FWIW, this thread reminded me to exercise the seacocks on Kinship. I did it today. 4 thru hulls under the water line, 7 thru hulls above the waterline, and countless other interior valves.

Sailor of Fortune said:

Does anybody have experience with the Marelon seacocks? I think I would be inclined to use them.

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Yes they work great.

Marelon.....

But need frequent exercising and lube does help....even though the ones in the assistance towboat fleet probably never got lubed, just excercised regularly.

Sailor of Fortune said:

Does anybody have experience with the Marelon seacocks? I think I would be inclined to use them.

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Take a look at the Tru Design thru-hulls and seacocks that Raritan is bring in to the US. I think it is a simpler and stronger design. I'm also not a big fan of Forespar's, the maker of Marelon, customer service. Raritan's customer service is top notch.
http://raritaneng.com/category-pages/trudesign-products/

HopCar said:

Take a look at the Tru Design thru-hulls and seacocks that Raritan is bring in to the US. I think it is a simpler and stronger design. I'm also not a big fan of Forespar's, the maker of Marelon, customer service. Raritan's customer service is top notch.
http://raritaneng.com/category-pages/trudesign-products/

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Interesting. Thanks.

Plastic seacocks worry me as standing on it or a flying tool box might knock it off.

Better seized bronze than snapped plastic.