I have an old ball valve controlling the water intake for the engine on my Hunter 34. The valve is stuck in the closed position preventing water from getting in to cool the engine. The valve handle just spins. Clearly I need to change the valve but in order to accomplish this I need to get the boat to a yard with a travel lift for a short haul. Towing the boat is a very expensive option since the closest yard that can accommodate me will take about 3 hours to reach by tow. I was thinking about rerouting the engine intake through another operating sea valve temporarily . The sink in the galley is the closest. Will this work? Does anyone have anyone have any other suggestions? Thanks for the help.
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Listen carefully...<G>
Anthony, with a little time well spent, you can replace that throughull while the boat is wet at your dock. I have done it a few times. Assume your raw water intake throughull is starboard. Remove all gear from the starboard side of the boat and place it portside in the cabin. Borrow as many 40 gallon plastic trash barrels as you can, and place them along the port rail. Use a hose and fill them with water, your boat will heel to port, and the starboard raw water throughull will rise out of the water. You get the idea? You can use a mast halyard to secure the boat in the position you need, and then get in the water and do what you have to do. Even if you can't get the throughull entirely out of the water, the pressure will be off, and you can use underwater sealants to secure a new backing plate and the new throughull. It works! I hope you find that it can work for you. Regards, Jim
Anthony, with a little time well spent, you can replace that throughull while the boat is wet at your dock. I have done it a few times. Assume your raw water intake throughull is starboard. Remove all gear from the starboard side of the boat and place it portside in the cabin. Borrow as many 40 gallon plastic trash barrels as you can, and place them along the port rail. Use a hose and fill them with water, your boat will heel to port, and the starboard raw water throughull will rise out of the water. You get the idea? You can use a mast halyard to secure the boat in the position you need, and then get in the water and do what you have to do. Even if you can't get the throughull entirely out of the water, the pressure will be off, and you can use underwater sealants to secure a new backing plate and the new throughull. It works! I hope you find that it can work for you. Regards, Jim
Sometimes it is just a new handle.
Anthony: Sometimes it is just the handle that is bad. I would try to find a new handle and see if that takes care fo your problem. While the valve is bronze the handles are usually some cheap-o-crap-cad-plated-plastic-covered handles. They will rust long before the valve fails. Try getting a new handle first.
Anthony: Sometimes it is just the handle that is bad. I would try to find a new handle and see if that takes care fo your problem. While the valve is bronze the handles are usually some cheap-o-crap-cad-plated-plastic-covered handles. They will rust long before the valve fails. Try getting a new handle first.
Anthony, that ball valve is half inch. Just get
a new one. Take off the hose and unscrew the old one. Just before the old one comes off, have the new one standing by. When the old one is lose, just slide a finger over the pipe and then substitute a wood plug into the threaded pipe. Wrap the pipe with lots of teflon tape. Make sure you wrap in the right direction. Then with the new ball valve in hand (and closed) quickly remove the plug and substitute the new ball valve. Some water will enter the boat. No biggie. Just concentrate on getting the treads started and you've got it. Another way is to ask a diver who just might be working in the area on a scrub job, to stick the tapered plug in the through hull when he is in the neighborhood. Offer up a six-pack. What ever you do, the boat's not gonna get very wet.
a new one. Take off the hose and unscrew the old one. Just before the old one comes off, have the new one standing by. When the old one is lose, just slide a finger over the pipe and then substitute a wood plug into the threaded pipe. Wrap the pipe with lots of teflon tape. Make sure you wrap in the right direction. Then with the new ball valve in hand (and closed) quickly remove the plug and substitute the new ball valve. Some water will enter the boat. No biggie. Just concentrate on getting the treads started and you've got it. Another way is to ask a diver who just might be working in the area on a scrub job, to stick the tapered plug in the through hull when he is in the neighborhood. Offer up a six-pack. What ever you do, the boat's not gonna get very wet.
Valve
Before you try and change the valve while in the water, make sure you have a plan B set up with the marina. Depending on the corrosion , when you unscrew the valve it may break the seal on the thru hull and leak. You may have to haul to remove the thru hull and replace or reseal. Good luck
Before you try and change the valve while in the water, make sure you have a plan B set up with the marina. Depending on the corrosion , when you unscrew the valve it may break the seal on the thru hull and leak. You may have to haul to remove the thru hull and replace or reseal. Good luck
To answer the question, . . .
yes, you can use any other inlet to cool the engine. Just cut up an old garden hose. I don't have a galley inlet, I would have to use the head inlet. Make sure the hose is not the collapsible type however. But I think Fred's idea of removing and replacing should work just fine. Put a little weight on a wrench first and make sure the valve turns and not the thru-hull. But it could be that the handle is the problem as Steve points out. In which case a visegrip will get you going.
yes, you can use any other inlet to cool the engine. Just cut up an old garden hose. I don't have a galley inlet, I would have to use the head inlet. Make sure the hose is not the collapsible type however. But I think Fred's idea of removing and replacing should work just fine. Put a little weight on a wrench first and make sure the valve turns and not the thru-hull. But it could be that the handle is the problem as Steve points out. In which case a visegrip will get you going.
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