Seacock leaking

[grahamdouglass]

My brass Seacock for my raw water intake for my engine has developed a drip from the grease nipple. I started leaking when I squirted a little lithium grease into it this spring. Any comments out there about what to do?

I don't want to haul the vessel, and the leak is not that endangering and I can allways close the Seacock. But if there is a quick fix it would be nice.

 

[rwidman]

I would hope your seacock is bronze not brass because brass does not hold up well in salt water.


The only suggestion I can offer other than replacing or repairing the seacock is removing the grease nipple and replacing it with a solid plug. For most of my life I thought grease nipples were threaded, but I found out a few years ago that some are a press fit with barbs to hold them in place. If yours won't unscrew, this have.


I suppose you could buy the end that snaps over the nipple when greasing it and snap it on and plug it.

 

[folivier]

Usually when a grease zert leaks it is because of a piece of contaminant that was injected, either in the grease or on the surface of the zert that is holding the ball/spring open. You can try working the valve while injecting some more grease. Always best to clean off the zert before injecting grease.

 

[boatpoker]

I started leaking when I squirted a little lithium grease into it this spring. Any comments out there about what to do?

Have you seen a doctor ?

 

[Shoalwaters]

Grease fittings have a little ball inside which is held in the "closed" position by a spring. Disintegrated spring, corroded ball or dirt could allow seal to fail. Suggest replacing the grease fitting with one claimed to be resistant to corrosion.

Ball valves do not usually have grease fittings. Is it reasonable to assume that this is a tapered plug valve? If so, cycling several times (or better yet proper cleaning and servicing) followed by slight tightening might help.

 

[FF]

Install a new grease fitting from an outboard motor source..

 

[bayview]

squirt some more grease and see if that clears it up.

 

[Pgitug]

I would just replace the thru hull with a new one, while the boat is in the water.
We all need a little excitement in our lives to help break up our routine. This is such an opportunity.
Remember. No guts. No glory.

http://youtu.be/z97DChMRhM4

 

[Pgitug]

Now if you only need to replace the valve you can do it the easy way.

http://youtu.be/f-P49Y-o6Y8

 

[DHeckrotte]

You can buy stainless steel zerks. McMaster-Carr.

 

[HopCar]

Like bayview said, try squirting some more grease through it to see if that cleans it. If you close the seacock first, the excess grease will just squirt into the opening in the ball or tapered plug.

If that doesn't fix it, just replace the zerk fitting. They're cheap.

 

[MartySchwartz]

Now if you only need to replace the valve you can do it the easy way.

http://youtu.be/f-P49Y-o6Y8

Yea, right! Like ANYthing comes apart THAT easy on an old boat. I would not try that on my boat for anything short of a short term disaster repair to get be to the haul-out.

I would replace the zerk fitting with a stainless one or a bronze plug. There is no reason to replace a functioning hull valve just because a grease fitting is dripping.

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

 

[dhays]

Yea, right! Like ANYthing comes apart THAT easy on an old boat. I would not try that on my boat for anything short of a short term disaster repair to get be to the haul-out.

Lol, that was my thought as well. Things never go that smoothly for me any time I work on the boat.

 

[cardude01]

I actually thought about doing this awhile back. Wanted to replace a faulty ball valve with a sea cock. Was going to use the seabung deal but wiser folks here on the forum talked me out if it. Glad I didn't try it. I hauled the boat, and the thru hull spun when I started to remove the valve so I had to replace and reseal the thru hull, and it took forever to get the nut off the thru hull. I'm sure I would have sunk the boat. ?

 

[psneeld]

Never trust a marine company that doesn't know the difference between a ball valve replacement and a seacock replacement.

Now if they did that with a Groco ball valve on the special flange and called it that...then we are talking big time and exactly why I went with that groco setup.

 

[FF]

"and it took forever to get the nut off the thru hull. I'm sure I would have sunk the boat."

$10 or $15 will get a nifty grinder to cut off the nut.