Thru hull fitting

[Ken Honeycutt]

Bought an 85 31' this winter and after reading through the forums I thought it would be a good idea to change out the gate valves under the sink. I started to remove the waste gate valve and spun the thru hull fitting slightly. I realized after I started the project that I probably bit off more than I could chew with the limited time I have to spend at the boat - (can only work on it during weekend and it is a 2 hour drive). My concern is now, if I leave the gate valve in place for now until I have more time to work on it will I have a problem with the thru hull fitting leaking? It seems to still have a good solid bond to the outside of the hull - but I don't want to take any chances (I'll take a day of vacation if I have to to install a new thru hull even though it will p off my better half - but I would rather spend the vacation time sailing).

 

[mike]

hi< you need to rebed a spun thru hull fitting it could leak and that would be a disaster.that said it is a 2 person job one one the valvel and one on the outside with a step-wrench or something can be cobbed up to hold the thru hull there are 2 pins on the thru hull to hold it. later mike

 

[Ken Honeycutt]

Fiber Washer

Thanks for the reply - I guess I'll bite the bullet and remove the valve. I am just a little curious though about the fiber washer behind the mushroom head - did Hunter use this as a sealing washer instead of bedding the thru hull? - seems like it would act this way - and if so - if the washer wasn't damaged there should still be a seal..just a thought..

 

[John T1594]

Fiber washer

I also encountered the washer under the mushroom head when I changed the thru hulls on my 1980 H30. At the time I thought that it was made of red/orange rubber. It did not look healthy to me and no one in the yard had ever seen a thru hull sealed that way. I bedded and sealed the mushroom head with 3M 4200 and never had a problem.

 

[Ken Honeycutt]

fiber washer

John, Thanks - I did a little investigation last weekend looking at other boats - I didn't see anything like a washer on any other thru hulls on other boats either so I guess it must be something unique to these year Hunters - when you bedded yours was there any evidence that it was bedded by the factory?Thanks for the response

 

[John T1594]

Factory original

Ken,I replaced my thru hulls after twenty years of service and they were the original factory installed thru hull mushrooms for the head and the galley discharge - with the original gate valves still in place. The fiber or rubber washer never leaked in all that time. The gate valves failed and that was why I replaced the whole mechanism.