This is how I restored a seized bronze seacock. It's an old WC 1 1/2" barrel style unit that came with my boat that I'll use for my sink drain seacock.
The handle wouldn't turn, so I used diluted muriatic acid to dissolve the corrosion bond between the barrel and the seacock body. Lemon juice might work as well. Then I used vise grips to turn the barrel loose. After rinsing the parts to remove the acid, a brass brush was used to brush the surfaces clean. The seacock was then reassembled, but the handle was difficult to turn and the seacock leaked.
It was apparent that the sealing surfaces of the barrel and seacock body needed repair. So I then used valve grinding compound (available for a couple bucks from any auto parts store) to lap the sealing surfaces. This was accomplished by spreading a thin layer of valve grinding compound over the seacock barrel, reinserting it into the seacock body, and rotating the barrel. As the barrel was rotated, it became progressively easier to turn. Once the barrel could be rotated with one finger, I installed the washer and nut, tightening them securely. The barrel was then too tight to turn by hand, so I used vise grips to start rotating, and it quickly became easy to turn. I then disassembled the seacock, rinsed it and reassembled.
The seacock now holds water without leaking, and the handle is easy to turn.
Restoring seized seacock
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Re: Restoring seized seacock
You didn't use any grease after everything was cleaned?
Dave Finnegan
builder of Spindrift 9N #521 'Wingë'
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Gresham’s Law of information: Bad information drives out good. No matter how long ago a correction for a particular error may have appeared in print or online, it never seems to catch up with the ever-widening distribution of the error.
builder of Spindrift 9N #521 'Wingë'
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Gresham’s Law of information: Bad information drives out good. No matter how long ago a correction for a particular error may have appeared in print or online, it never seems to catch up with the ever-widening distribution of the error.
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Re: Restoring seized seacock
I tried using grease after cleaning, but it was still too hard to turn. It's now lapped well enough that it seals without grease, but I'll use grease when I install it to prevent corrosion and to keep it turning freely long term.
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Re: Restoring seized seacock
This will go over all the finer points of maintaining a tapered cone seacock..
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/tape ... e_seacocks
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/tape ... e_seacocks
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Re: Restoring seized seacock
Nice article. Sadly I'm missing the bronze handle for my seacock. Gotta keep an eye out for one of those.
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Re: Restoring seized seacock
The Spartan handles fit many of the older WC's.. Paul at Spartan Bronze can ship you one..Tallystick wrote:Nice article. Sadly I'm missing the bronze handle for my seacock. Gotta keep an eye out for one of those.