Marelon Seacock Rotation

FourPoints

FourPoints

.
Apr 8, 2010
1,606
Frers 33 41426 Westport, CT
A number of years ago when buying my boat I had the yard install two Marelon seacocks and through hulls for head plumbing (intake and discharge) for me to replace the Porta-Potty that came with the boat, but didn't end up getting around to until now.

Last weekend I finally got around to installing the plumbing onto these seacocks, and realized for the first time that the elbow screws down to end about 90 degrees off the angle I really need the output (in fact out of 4 quadrants of direction each could face, both seacocks are facing the worst direction possible), and I don't see any way to fix this.

Is there any advice on making the seacock elbow turn an extra 90 degrees clockwise beyond where it is facing now, aside from attempting to cut through the huge amount of 5200 used to install them, and remove the through hull and reinstall it?
 
justsomeguy

justsomeguy

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Feb 20, 2011
8,060
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
Is there no way to remove the handle for reorientation?

Surprising that a boatyard would not think about this...

Edit- oops, you're not talking about the handle, are you? Sorry.

Can't you plumb in a couple of 45 degree fittings?
 
The Garbone

The Garbone

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Nov 7, 2012
678
1978 Catalina 30 Wilbur-by-the-Sea
Having just installed 2 on my boat my only suggestion is removing the top section and shimming so it tightens up a bit earlier. The problem being that the threaded section often needs to be cut down and if they cut too much you may not have the required 5 threads of bite after shimming.
 

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centerline

centerline

.
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
I dont know how tight you are tryng to get them, but you say you cant get it to swing a bit further leads me to believe you have them double tight.
the fittings dont need to be super tight.... they have very little pressure to hold back, and too tight can cause problems later.
you should be able to remove the elbows, use a good sealing compound on the threads and install them oriented in the direction that best suits the need.... if they can still be turned by hand, it really doesnt matter as long as its good compound and the hose you are hooking up to it is secure and doesnt swing and move around when the boat rolls.
the sealing compound will keep it from leaking.

WARNING... dont, as in, DO NOT use the sealing compound as a lubricant so that you can turn it past where it is now.. it puts too much stress on the outer fitting and it could fail, suddenly.

this method will also help when you go to service them in 10years....
 
centerline

centerline

.
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
justsomeguy said:
I'd like to ask when had he last moved the handles? ;)
Click to expand
apparently its been a number of years:D.... he has had no plumbing hooked up to them since the install, so turning the handles would only allow water to flow in to the hull unchecked. so im just guessing he probably didnt do this... unless he was in need of a flow test...
 
justsomeguy

justsomeguy

.
Feb 20, 2011
8,060
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
centerline said:
apparently its been a number of years:D.... he has had no plumbing hooked up to them since the install, so turning the handles would only allow water to flow in to the hull unchecked. so im just guessing he probably didnt do this... unless he was in need of a flow test...
Click to expand
I hear the handles break off, but I'm paranoid like that.
 
centerline

centerline

.
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
justsomeguy said:
I hear the handles break off, but I'm paranoid like that.
Click to expand
the early models supposedly had some issues, but when forespar aquired them, they addressed the issues.... and it was the handles that broke, NOT the valve. it was an inconvenience but not a sinking...

EDIT EDIT.. for safetys sake, see the replies following this one.... my post here may not be as accurate as forespar would like us to believe about their marelon valves.
 
Last edited:
Ron20324

Ron20324

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Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
Since you did not post pictures- and to clarify whether straight or tapered or both threads- I was able to buy some extra degrees of rotation by grinding off some of the threads- in effect shortening the male part. That's to assume that what you are turning is bottoming out?
 
Maine Sail

Maine Sail

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Feb 6, 1998
11,709
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
centerline said:
the early models supposedly had some issues, but when forespar aquired them, they addressed the issues.... and it was the handles that broke, NOT the valve. it was an inconvenience but not a sinking...
Click to expand
Handles still break and some valve models will flood/leak into the boat when you snap the handle off... These valves MUST be lubed at least yearly and excercised often.
 
centerline

centerline

.
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
Maine Sail said:
Handles still break and some valve models will flood/leak into the boat when you snap the handle off... These valves MUST be lubed at least yearly and excercised often.
Click to expand
good information...what i posted came from the forespar website.
i was thinking if I ever had to replace one, i would explore the option of marelon. but not if the problem still exists...

plastic technology is so advanced these days there is no reason for the handles or valve to be able to be broken by manpower alone....
 
R

RIVERCRUISER

.
Dec 3, 2013
169
HUNTER 29.5 PORT CHARLOTTE FL
I don't think FourPoints question is about rotating the handles...

I think he is concerned with rotating the plumbing elbows (els) that are installed in the seacocks to obtain a more direct flow.
 
justsomeguy

justsomeguy

.
Feb 20, 2011
8,060
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
RIVERCRUISER said:
I don't think FourPoints question is about rotating the handles...

I think he is concerned with rotating the plumbing elbows (els) that are installed in the seacocks to obtain a more direct flow.
Click to expand
True, but if the seacock handle isn't rotated every now and then, I'd suspect that would be FourPoints next issue!
 
The Garbone

The Garbone

.
Nov 7, 2012
678
1978 Catalina 30 Wilbur-by-the-Sea
After rereading the OP I think he is just referring to a 90 tailpiece screwed into the top of a valve and not a seacock. I would just take it out and wrap a bunch of Teflon tape on it and put it back in stopping with it pointed in a better direction. Should be ok.


Stu, I think I will have to find out if my be type 93 seacocks still have this issue. Uggg.
 
FourPoints

FourPoints

.
Apr 8, 2010
1,606
Frers 33 41426 Westport, CT
centerline said:
I dont know how tight you are tryng to get them, but you say you cant get it to swing a bit further leads me to believe you have them double tight.
the fittings dont need to be super tight.... they have very little pressure to hold back, and too tight can cause problems later.
you should be able to remove the elbows, use a good sealing compound on the threads and install them oriented in the direction that best suits the need.... if they can still be turned by hand, it really doesnt matter as long as its good compound and the hose you are hooking up to it is secure and doesnt swing and move around when the boat rolls.
the sealing compound will keep it from leaking.

WARNING... dont, as in, DO NOT use the sealing compound as a lubricant so that you can turn it past where it is now.. it puts too much stress on the outer fitting and it could fail, suddenly.

this method will also help when you go to service them in 10years....
Click to expand
That could work fine, I was locked into thinking the elbow needed tightened down all the way.... What sealing compound should I use on the elbow to secure and seal it half a turn before tight?

BTW, I've only gone hand tight so not too much risk of breaking anything...
 
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