5411 diesel, saltwater cooled, gate-valve

[John]

I have a 1980 Catalina 27 with a 5411 diesel (11hp), saltwater cooled. My engine gate valve (T-valve) which supplies saltwater to cool the engine is shot and I was wondering if anyone out there knows what size this gate valve is. Or could point me the right direction to find out. It looks like it’s about 1/2". I’m pulling the boat on Friday and would like to buy the valve before I pull it. I’ve already checked out the Catalina 27 association Tech Section and had no luck. Thank you, John

 

[Bob Camarena]

Replace with Ball Valve

Don't replace it with another gate valve, replace it with a marine-grade ball valve. I'm pretty sure that my C-30 5411 is 1/2", but Why not buy both a 1/2" and a 3/4" and return the one that doesn't fit? You need to be careful in unscrewing the old gate valve to hold the glassed in pipe stub securely with a pipe wrench so you don't mess things up. If you want to do the job right, you'll want to replace the glassed-in pipe with a proper thru-hull fitting. Check the archives for details. Note that I haven't taken this last step but I have replaced all of the gate valves with ball valves. You should go ahead and replace them all while the boat is out of the water. The ball valves are easier to use and much less prone to failure.