I have a 1982 h27 . I have the old gate valve type. How hard is it to upgrade to new ball valve type?
sea cocks
- Thread starter gary8041
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Wait until you are out of the water
As you are in Vermont and will be coming out of the water in a couple of months (October?), you will have a few months to play with the installation. I have replaced the four gate valves with lever ball valves. Raw water intake valve, sink valve, inlet valve to the MSD and outflow valve to MSD. In all four of my installations, the gate valve was not part of the through hull fixture and I could unscrew and replace. I used Appolo bronze lever ball valves over four years ago and have not had a problem. Soak threads with penatrating oil over a couple of weeks. Remove the hoses. Unscrew with two wrenches. Replace with new hose. Good luck.
As you are in Vermont and will be coming out of the water in a couple of months (October?), you will have a few months to play with the installation. I have replaced the four gate valves with lever ball valves. Raw water intake valve, sink valve, inlet valve to the MSD and outflow valve to MSD. In all four of my installations, the gate valve was not part of the through hull fixture and I could unscrew and replace. I used Appolo bronze lever ball valves over four years ago and have not had a problem. Soak threads with penatrating oil over a couple of weeks. Remove the hoses. Unscrew with two wrenches. Replace with new hose. Good luck.
One-half inch?
I assume like my H37C that your thru-hulls are 1/2". Unless you change them for 3/4" you are limited to ball valves or a marelon seacock. I could find no source of bronze 1/2" seacocks. I did replace my engine-cooling thru-hull with 3/4" and a real seacock. My other thru-hulls have ball valves. You have the choice of installing the new valve horizontally on the elbow or vertically directly to the thru-hull. I chose vertically. I did not like the thought that the horizontal valve was susceptible to being stepped on. That leverage would snap the thru-hull I think. Also keep in mind that the ball valve threads are tapered(NPT) and are just a so-so fit(the best reason for going to seacocks). Use a good pipe dope or tape. As Ian points out, a good winter project.
I assume like my H37C that your thru-hulls are 1/2". Unless you change them for 3/4" you are limited to ball valves or a marelon seacock. I could find no source of bronze 1/2" seacocks. I did replace my engine-cooling thru-hull with 3/4" and a real seacock. My other thru-hulls have ball valves. You have the choice of installing the new valve horizontally on the elbow or vertically directly to the thru-hull. I chose vertically. I did not like the thought that the horizontal valve was susceptible to being stepped on. That leverage would snap the thru-hull I think. Also keep in mind that the ball valve threads are tapered(NPT) and are just a so-so fit(the best reason for going to seacocks). Use a good pipe dope or tape. As Ian points out, a good winter project.
Seacocks
As Ian states below, replacing gate valves (with either seacocks or ball valves) can be a relatively straight forward task -- or a nightmare. If the the old gate valves can be unscrewed easily from your 22 yr old boat, it may be a simple task to replace them with inline valves. But often what happens is that you put a lot of torque on the thru-hull fittings when your try to unscrew frozen gate valv esand they begin to turn, rupturing the seal. Now you have a different kind of problem. In any event, if you are going to replace the gate valves, take a hard and long look at your old thru-hull fittings as you just may want to replace them, too.
As Ian states below, replacing gate valves (with either seacocks or ball valves) can be a relatively straight forward task -- or a nightmare. If the the old gate valves can be unscrewed easily from your 22 yr old boat, it may be a simple task to replace them with inline valves. But often what happens is that you put a lot of torque on the thru-hull fittings when your try to unscrew frozen gate valv esand they begin to turn, rupturing the seal. Now you have a different kind of problem. In any event, if you are going to replace the gate valves, take a hard and long look at your old thru-hull fittings as you just may want to replace them, too.
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