With my boat on the hard for the winter here (boo hoo), I've begun my winter maintenance program. I usually start by lubing the upper and lower furler bearings, as well as the idler blocks, chains, and cables on my wheel steering. This just makes spring maintenance a bit shotrer. I also grease my inline ball valves on all the thru-hulls, but don't like to remove the hoses they attach to in order to lube the top side the ball. Here is how I do it: Take a 1/4" dowel and dip it into some PTFE (or other suitable) grease. With the valves closed, insert the dowel in the thru-hull and rub the dab of grease on the underside of the ball. Now go into the boat and rotate the handles of each inline valve about 45 degrees. Take the dowel with grease now on the side of the tip and insert it into the thru-hull and feel around with it to get all the way through the half opened valve. Twist the dowel to slip the grease onto the top side of the ball. Open and close the valves a few times to distribute the grease evenly. This works nicely for me, hopefully for you, too. Happy holidays to all.
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Should they be lubed?
I talked with Apollo tech support one day (Hunter uses their ball valves)and was told not to lub their marine valves. I was told that the PTFE plastic seats the ball rides in is self lubricating. Allan
I talked with Apollo tech support one day (Hunter uses their ball valves)and was told not to lub their marine valves. I was told that the PTFE plastic seats the ball rides in is self lubricating. Allan
Hard to operate ball valves
I have several of the Apollo ball valves that are very hard to operate. Others turn very easily. I have tried to lube them, although I have not tried the trick described by Warren, but to no avail. Is my problem really just a lack of lube or am I likely to have some other issue?
I have several of the Apollo ball valves that are very hard to operate. Others turn very easily. I have tried to lube them, although I have not tried the trick described by Warren, but to no avail. Is my problem really just a lack of lube or am I likely to have some other issue?
trapped crud
Rich Just putting lubricant on them as Warren described is a good idea but sometimes will not help if they are not cleaned of trapped or built-up crud. I dissassembled them 2 years ago at last haulout and it made a big difference. Pain in the butt to do but they work a lot smoother now one year later.
Rich Just putting lubricant on them as Warren described is a good idea but sometimes will not help if they are not cleaned of trapped or built-up crud. I dissassembled them 2 years ago at last haulout and it made a big difference. Pain in the butt to do but they work a lot smoother now one year later.
For Allan...
Clearly, one must know what his balls are made of
. My inline valves have stainless balls ... and they do require lube. They were not Hunter OEM on H28.5, which came with gate valves (if you can imagine that). I trashed the gate valves and replaced them with quality inline valves soon after I bought the boat.
Clearly, one must know what his balls are made of
. My inline valves have stainless balls ... and they do require lube. They were not Hunter OEM on H28.5, which came with gate valves (if you can imagine that). I trashed the gate valves and replaced them with quality inline valves soon after I bought the boat.
Furler Bearings
Warren, Curious about your statement of lubing the upper and lower furler bearings. Everything I have heard or read says that these should only be cleaned with fresh water, and no lube used, as the bearings are plastic. I do clean mine, but have never made any attempt to lube them. Am I missing something?
Warren, Curious about your statement of lubing the upper and lower furler bearings. Everything I have heard or read says that these should only be cleaned with fresh water, and no lube used, as the bearings are plastic. I do clean mine, but have never made any attempt to lube them. Am I missing something?
For Nice and Easy
I have a newish Furlex 200. It came with both instructions for how to lube the bearings, a tube of Furlex lube, and instructions to do this annually, which I have been doing. Im not sure what the bearings are made of, but they are not plastic.
I have a newish Furlex 200. It came with both instructions for how to lube the bearings, a tube of Furlex lube, and instructions to do this annually, which I have been doing. Im not sure what the bearings are made of, but they are not plastic.
For Warren
The Apollo valves have stainless balls. If your valves have PTFE seats, you might want to talk to the mfg about lubing them. The Apollo tech guy said that lubing stainless balls mounted in PTFE seats builds up crud and eventually interferes with their operation. Allan
The Apollo valves have stainless balls. If your valves have PTFE seats, you might want to talk to the mfg about lubing them. The Apollo tech guy said that lubing stainless balls mounted in PTFE seats builds up crud and eventually interferes with their operation. Allan
lubing
Unless the manufacture suggests lubing, or if you are NOT having problems, lubing could be a bad idea. Lubing attracts dirt - teflon bearings are naturally lubed, and attracting dirt will only reduce their efficiency, as I see it. I have never lubed my furler bearings and they have served me flawlessly. The same goes for blocks. I have never lubed them and have never, in 30 years, had a problem.
Unless the manufacture suggests lubing, or if you are NOT having problems, lubing could be a bad idea. Lubing attracts dirt - teflon bearings are naturally lubed, and attracting dirt will only reduce their efficiency, as I see it. I have never lubed my furler bearings and they have served me flawlessly. The same goes for blocks. I have never lubed them and have never, in 30 years, had a problem.
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