Help Identifying Tapered Seacock

[feltonmichael]

I have a tapered seacocks on my 1966 countess 44 and I have one that leaks it's the one pictured, it seeps out of the end opposite the handle. Im unsure of the manufacturer and was hoping someone might recognize it. I can get the leaking to stop if I tighten down the nut but then I have to loosen it to turn it again. I dont know if there is supposed to be some kind of seal on that end??? If I disassemble it and lap it with valve lapping compound will this help to stop the leak? The boat is in the water but I figure I can plug it from the outside and then work on it. Also it has no stops on it so im never quite sure if it's fully open or closed is there a way to add a stop????
Thanks in advance for everyone's help..

Michael

[sailorchic34]

There are very rusty grease fittings on the side of the valve body. Get a grease gun and shoot some grease in each side of the body and move the handle around a little. That may stop the leak right there. The tapers can be removed and polished and reused too. Just be sure to inject grease in the housing before tightening the nut on the back.

Handle to the side is closed. In line is open.

[feltonmichael]

Are these fitting seperate from the drain plugs? I haven't noticed em but then again I haven't really looked either.

[onestepcsy37]

look like the wilcox-crittendon valves i have no my 1979 boat - seven of them. they are made of bronze and almost indestructible (just don't ground them to anything). every four years or so when i haul out for a bottom job i rebuild each of the valves.

on the side opposite to the handle there is a locknut and a flange nut. remove the locknut, then the flange nut. there may also be a large washer. then tap out the tapered plug with a soft mallet. clean the bore and the plug with a rag and mineral spirits and very lightly sand them. coat the plug heavily with wheel bearing grease, put it back in the bore, and replace the nuts. tighten them enough that the handle moves stiffly. should be good for another four years.

when i first got the boat eight years ago the po had probably not serviced them ever. they were difficult to take apart - the plugs were nearly welded to the bore. but a lot of pb blaster and mallet tapping eventually separated them....

[CarlF]

I can't tell the brand from the picture but they are traditional tapered sea cocks. If so, lapping is highly likely to fix the problem you describe.

Spartan sells lapping compound. The catalog page gives instructions.

Spartan Marine Hardware Catalog

[onestepcsy37]

by the way, in the pictures the handle is (or should be) in the closed position.

grease nipples - some of my valves have them and some don't. i have no explanation for that as i believe they are from the same time period and were probably all bought and installed at the same time. in any case, i don't use them.

and yes, you could use valve lapping compound as sold at some auto parts stores. just make sure you remove all of it before reassembling the valve. i used that the first time i serviced the valves but not the last time - just cleaned and lightly sanded.

[HopCar]

They look like Wilcox-Crittendon valves to me as well. Doesn't matter who made them, the advise to take them apart and lap the cone is correct. I couldn't see any grease fittings in the pictures but it's not uncommon for an owner to remove the winterizing drain plugs and replace them with zerk grease fittings. Grease fittings should never be installed on ball valve type seacocks as you can blow the seals with the grease pressure.

[GordMay]

See “Servicing Tapered Cone Seacocks”
➥ Servicing Tapered Cone Seacocks Photo Gallery by Compass Marine at pbase.com

[cburger]

Good advice here about lapping the tapered seacocks. Your boats valves require regular service to work well. Spartan Bronze in Maine sells the lapping product you will need as well as the instructions as to how to perform this service, not a difficult job at all. Once completed the cone needs a liberal coating of grease. The nut on the handle shaft allows you to adjust the fit of the cone, the idea is to tighten it enough that the valve stps leaking but the handle can still be turned. Bronze and Stainless Marine Hardware, Seacocks, Portholes, Thru Hulls - Spartan Marine Hardware and Accessories