Something weird found in bilge!

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RobClipper30

Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2020
Messages
18
Hi there,

Happy Holidays!

I was cleaning some oil out of the bilge the other day on my Clipper 30 Flybridge with a Ford Lehman 80ph in it. It's 40 years old.

I found this large cone shaped object in the oil pan under the engine floating in the oil. I can't for the life of me figure out what it is and if something has come loose! Picture attached.

Any ideas greatly appreciated!
IMG_1243.JPEG


Thanks,

Rob
 
The engine room would be my first choice. Probably fell into the bilge accidentally.
 
Often you attach it to the through hull so it is handy in case of an emergency (hose bursts and you cannot turn the handle on the seacock). I keep a mixed set of different sizes handy in the engine room. Hope I never need them but I did use one when one of my 4 air condition hoses leaked (from the seawater pump to the AC unit). Plugged that hose and kept that unit off but still ran the others. Not ideal but secured it with a hose clamp for just a very short time until I could deal with the hose.
 
I keep an appropriately sized one loosely taped to all the through hulls. Came in real handy once on a prior boat when a white plastic seacock broke off in my hand. The plug kept us afloat on the way to the travel lift for an emergency haul out.
 
Ummm, you had a *plastic* through-hull below the waterline?
 
Ummm, you had a *plastic* through-hull below the waterline?
Marelon or equivalent synthetic through-hulls are very common. Not my preference
but when you think about it, GRP is good enough for most hulls so why not the
through-hull? Most of the failures I read about involve the replaceable handle.
 
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I did the opposite. I replaced all my old bronze thru hull fittings with the NZ Trudesign composite fittings. The company has an excellent reputation and the thru hull fittings are fully certified.

A word of caution regarding Bronze fittings. There are a lot of 'cheap' online Bronze products advertised. Check the product carefully if you are going to use it below the waterline.

'True' Bronze is 80%-90% Copper.People more knowledgable than me say that silicon Bronze is the gold standard for thru hull fittings.
 
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That is just the right size for an emergency repair of the raw water intake line. Being as you have another post related to that issue, I'm guessing that this plug was actually used at some point in the past. Evidence, but evidence of what??

Mark
 
Marelon or equivalent synthetic through-hulls are very common. Not my preference
but when you think about it, GRP is good enough for most hulls so why not the
through-hull? Most of the failures I read about involve the replaceable handle.
@KnotYet, I quite agree, but @jg said plastic, not Marelon or some other polymer based product. As you may have noted from some of my other postings, I tend to respond to terminology very literally. In many aspects of the marine world (like navigation and especially electrical matters), forums are littered with incorrect terminology which can lead to some very misleading conclusions and potentially dangerous situations. Mea culpa for being what might appear to be a bit anal sometimes 😏. Best intentions always.

Like you I’m a bit old-school on this matter, still using bronze. Although I’d admit to being very intrigued with Marelon and quite attracted to the whole non-metallic corrosion/electrolysis thing. Next time I have to change out a through hull I’ll have a closer look at the composite alternatives.

PS In this particular case I have seen at least one instance of a sched 40 pvc valve used below the waterline 😳, so thought I’d question it.
 
That part I agree with, that it is an emergency leak plug in case a through hull fitting or any nature or its hose fails in some way so the hole can be plugged.
You will need several sizes to match with the various through hull fittings.

I use wooden ones , each of which is hung from a hook above so is easily seen and grabbed. They are also labelled with a good black felt pen for intended purpose that can be seen readily.

THey need to be readily visible or panic can make you err in finding them if they are stowed somewhere.

I also agree with NoRain's comments about terminology especially about electrical matters and metals is seawater. If people use incorrect terminology it can lead to incorrect understandings and possibly dangerous errors. For this reason I seldom comment about electrical matters any longer other than check the connections, that they are CLEAN, TIGHT, A COATING OF THE ACTUAL CONNECTIONS, wire terminal, wire entry into the terminal, OF NOALOX, PENETROX, OR DIELECTRIC GREASE,,
AND FINALLY Glue Lined Heat Shrink tubing covered and properly done with proper CRIMPERS.
And of course WIRE SIZE OVER LENGTH OF WIRE RUN in both directions.

HMMM basically I have quit that also. ALthough electrically educated and practiced I have been out of it for too long for anything other than the above.

Brass in seawater is not good enough. Fitting need/must be a suitable BRONZE
such as the older bronzes OR Bronze 85, 5,5,5. which is 85 % copper, 5% zinc, 5% Tin, 5% Lead.


Enough as I am no expert. Just reiterating so people will at least understand boats and their needs are OFTEN VERY DIFFERENT from houses.
 
I installed all new forspar maralon sea cocks on my last boat. (Steel hull)
I thought they were very nicely made, big and sturdy. I’d have no problem using them again.
 
Definitely wood emergency plug. Must have fallen in the bilge of the boat. Everyone should have a set or two on the boat for plugging holes, pipes, hoses. And extra clamps. Rags to wrap a round if it is a jagged hole.

Marelon parts. I agree i like the bronze better. However Marelon no electrolysis problems. Good quality Marelon can surpass Bronze in certain situations. Hidden under strainers and daylight. Failure is not really a concern. Poor bonding of Bronze is an another system to maintain.
 
I kept a couple pieces of very dense foam that I believe would work well to plug a leak. Not Styrofoam but stuffing from a very dense and firm pillow. Luckily I never had to use it.

The wooden plugs will probably work well if the plug is the approximate size and shape of the hole.
 
Thanks to everyone for their replies. Good to know it’s a spare part for emergencies and I’ll take the advice to hang it somewhere visible and accessible. Cheers!
 
Hi there,

Happy Holidays!

I was cleaning some oil out of the bilge the other day on my Clipper 30 Flybridge with a Ford Lehman 80ph in it. It's 40 years old.

I found this large cone shaped object in the oil pan under the engine floating in the oil. I can't for the life of me figure out what it is and if something has come loose! Picture attached.

Any ideas greatly appreciated!
View attachment 160627

Thanks,

Rob
West Marine handles a tapered plug made of some foamy rubber stuff - one size fits all. Have a few of them in your engine room where they are easy to reach and use.
 
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