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Had to check the url when I saw references to lubing seacocks and ball valves. Wanted to make sure my corporate spy ware didn't tag me for offensive content coming through the T1...
Was scared I'd see a pic of Wiley in leather...
__________________ "You're gonna need a bigger boat" -- Martin Brody
"Kiss my a$$, I bought a boat. I'm going out to sea." -- Lyle Lovett
Never have lubed one. Just open and close it at least once a month.
Neither have I but if I were dissassembling for maintenance one I would use "plumber's grease" from the home center or a plumbing supply house. It's waterproof and heat proof and made for lubricating valves.
BTW: Plumbers have some pretty colorfull language: Ball cocks, nipples, spuds .....................
My buddy Dillon has a solution. It has something to do with removing the crust that accumulates at the bottom of the seacock shaft from all the things that stick to it in the bilge.
I'll have to find out what Dil do.
Sorry, I just can't leave this one alone.
__________________ "You're gonna need a bigger boat" -- Martin Brody
"Kiss my a$$, I bought a boat. I'm going out to sea." -- Lyle Lovett
Never use things that contain graphite in seawater applications. Dissimular metal stuff you know. I used a red grease called red and tacky. The stiffer and tackyer the better, since we are trying to lube a "hot rod" just a seacock. Beware of sand getting in your grease.
A seacock is a critical safety device. It should be properly maintained according to the manufacturer's instructions!
The information presented here is not a recommendation! These are my observations and methods that worked for me. I started by following the manufacturer's instructions and continued investigating until I found the sources of the problems causing my seacocks to not work the way I wanted.
My 2000 Searay 380DA now has six seacocks. These are all Apollo Conbraco hull-mounted using the thru-hull and the flange attached to cored sections of the hull. These are attached w/ large self-tapping screws and washers.
My boat has two 1¼" valves for the engines, two 3/4" valves for the gen and the A/C, a 1½" valve for the macerator and a 1" valve I added for the bow raw water washdown.
These all worked okay. I'd lube these and actuate these but they never worked great and more lube / actuation never changed the operating characteristics.
The manufacturer was contacted to request their recommended service procedure. They suggested no lube. I pressed them for acceptable lube options and they finally stated a silicone lube is safe, but never WD-40.
The silicone lube was tried, but the lever movement remained about the same.
When the boat was out of the water I disassembled the output nipple, the drain plug and the lever mechanism.
All of the valves had one problem. Some had a second problem.
On all valves, the lever mechanism needed service. Once the lever is removed, the actuating rod and the rod retention nut is exposed. When I removed the retention nut, the two nylon washers and the actuating rod, I found crud on all three parts. Some had crud on the nut.
Those parts were cleaned of crud w/ methods that could not damage the surfaces.
At assembly, those three parts were lubricated w/ Mobil XHP222 marine grease that I purchased from McMaster-Carr. This is a great product and is now always aboard my boat. I use this lots.
These parts were all reassembled in the same orientation. This is important!
The retention nut was snugged and not over-tightened. If the nut is too tight, then the valve will be difficult to move.
On two seacocks, an examination of the stainless ball revealed a small lip that prevented full motion travel. I used the marine grease and my fingernail to remove that lip crud from the stainless.
The ball was lubed by hand onto that sphere w/ that Mobil marine grease. I also filled the drain w/ grease.
With the handle off I performed many 360° rotations of the ball / actuation rod. I pushed grease into the drain by hand periodically.
I would never use a grease gun onto a fitting at the drain, because high-pressure grease could cut the spherical ball seal.
Now, every seacock has a very easy / smooth motion. They have the feel of a silent light switch.
It should be possible to remove the retention nut / actuation rod while floating, but I don't know.
A seacock is a critical safety device. It should be properly maintained according to the manufacturer's instructions!
The information presented here is not a recommendation! These are my observations and methods that worked for me. I started by following the manufacturer's instructions and continued investigating until I found the sources of the problems causing my seacocks to not work the way I wanted.
My 2000 Searay 380DA now has six seacocks. These are all Apollo Conbraco hull-mounted using the thru-hull and the flange attached to cored sections of the hull. These are attached w/ large self-tapping screws and washers.
My boat has two 1¼" valves for the engines, two 3/4" valves for the gen and the A/C, a 1½" valve for the macerator and a 1" valve I added for the bow raw water washdown.
These all worked okay. I'd lube these and actuate these but they never worked great and more lube / actuation never changed the operating characteristics.
The manufacturer was contacted to request their recommended service procedure. They suggested no lube. I pressed them for acceptable lube options and they finally stated a silicone lube is safe, but never WD-40.
The silicone lube was tried, but the lever movement remained about the same.
When the boat was out of the water I disassembled the output nipple, the drain plug and the lever mechanism.
All of the valves had one problem. Some had a second problem.
On all valves, the lever mechanism needed service. Once the lever is removed, the actuating rod and the rod retention nut is exposed. When I removed the retention nut, the two nylon washers and the actuating rod, I found crud on all three parts. Some had crud on the nut.
Those parts were cleaned of crud w/ methods that could not damage the surfaces.
At assembly, those three parts were lubricated w/ Mobil XHP222 marine grease that I purchased from McMaster-Carr. This is a great product and is now always aboard my boat. I use this lots.
These parts were all reassembled in the same orientation. This is important!
The retention nut was snugged and not over-tightened. If the nut is too tight, then the valve will be difficult to move.
On two seacocks, an examination of the stainless ball revealed a small lip that prevented full motion travel. I used the marine grease and my fingernail to remove that lip crud from the stainless.
The ball was lubed by hand onto that sphere w/ that Mobil marine grease. I also filled the drain w/ grease.
With the handle off I performed many 360° rotations of the ball / actuation rod. I pushed grease into the drain by hand periodically.
I would never use a grease gun onto a fitting at the drain, because high-pressure grease could cut the spherical ball seal.
Now, every seacock has a very easy / smooth motion. They have the feel of a silent light switch.
It should be possible to remove the retention nut / actuation rod while floating, but I don't know.
The other maintenance item I perform on my seacocks and all my other underwater hardware is periodic rebedding.
There is an abundance of humor provided by "experts" devoting energy to paint and polish, while ignoring periodic maintenance, like rebedding and then sharing surprise when the hardware leaks.
The Harley guys say: "chrome won't get you home" applies to that mentality.
The factory sealant is good, but it is not designed for the life of the boat.
When I rebed my underwater hardware I clean all the old sealant off w/ the recommended solvent, inspect and repair any deterioration on the hull, then use 3M 5200 according to the manufacturer's instructions.
That includes following the five day minimum curing time prior to splashing the boat. I've seen people apply 5200, then splash the boat the same day or the next day, w/ total disregard or ignorance of following the instructions.
The other disregard I've seen in following the manufacturer's instructions is using this product w/ bare metal, instead of onto the recommended primed metal surface.
So far I've been very satisfied w/ the performance of 5200.
My boat has brought me back through some nasty conditions and never developed a leak. Part of that is attributable to maintaining all the systems to excess according to the applicable FSMs and manufacturer's instructions.
It pays to know your boat and take care of your boat!
BTW your home port is one of the favorite locations for the wife and me to dock or drop anchor.
My preference is to ensure that I don't have problems, not justify why I think they shouldn't happen.
Some are lucky and have / cause problems at the dock, but they usually happen at the worst possible time.
So rather than planning / expecting my demise w/ EPIRB, gobs of flares and an old life raft w/ hope that it all works when the boat is going down, my preference is to prevent problems over bobbing in the water hoping for help.
Plus, the wife doesn't have a sense of humor for problems!
A seacock is a critical safety device. It should be properly maintained according to the manufacturer's instructions!
The information presented here is not a recommendation! These are my observations and methods that worked for me. I started by following the manufacturer's instructions and continued investigating until I found the sources of the problems causing my seacocks to not work the way I wanted.
My 2000 Searay 380DA now has six seacocks. These are all Apollo Conbraco hull-mounted using the thru-hull and the flange attached to cored sections of the hull. These are attached w/ large self-tapping screws and washers.
My boat has two 1¼" valves for the engines, two 3/4" valves for the gen and the A/C, a 1½" valve for the macerator and a 1" valve I added for the bow raw water washdown.
These all worked okay. I'd lube these and actuate these but they never worked great and more lube / actuation never changed the operating characteristics.
The manufacturer was contacted to request their recommended service procedure. They suggested no lube. I pressed them for acceptable lube options and they finally stated a silicone lube is safe, but never WD-40.
The silicone lube was tried, but the lever movement remained about the same.
When the boat was out of the water I disassembled the output nipple, the drain plug and the lever mechanism.
All of the valves had one problem. Some had a second problem.
On all valves, the lever mechanism needed service. Once the lever is removed, the actuating rod and the rod retention nut is exposed. When I removed the retention nut, the two nylon washers and the actuating rod, I found crud on all three parts. Some had crud on the nut.
Those parts were cleaned of crud w/ methods that could not damage the surfaces.
At assembly, those three parts were lubricated w/ Mobil XHP222 marine grease that I purchased from McMaster-Carr. This is a great product and is now always aboard my boat. I use this lots.
These parts were all reassembled in the same orientation. This is important!
The retention nut was snugged and not over-tightened. If the nut is too tight, then the valve will be difficult to move.
On two seacocks, an examination of the stainless ball revealed a small lip that prevented full motion travel. I used the marine grease and my fingernail to remove that lip crud from the stainless.
The ball was lubed by hand onto that sphere w/ that Mobil marine grease. I also filled the drain w/ grease.
With the handle off I performed many 360° rotations of the ball / actuation rod. I pushed grease into the drain by hand periodically.
I would never use a grease gun onto a fitting at the drain, because high-pressure grease could cut the spherical ball seal.
Now, every seacock has a very easy / smooth motion. They have the feel of a silent light switch.
It should be possible to remove the retention nut / actuation rod while floating, but I don't know.
This seacock maintenance process has been working well for me over time.
Wingless,
Great summary; thanks! Since you're obviously attuned to the seacock, do you have similar PM on the hoses? Change according to age? Hoses can "look dry" but be OK, and other times, they can be OK but fail horribly. I'm comfortable with the obvious: double clamp, don't overtighten, etc, but what's PM and what's paranoia?
Seacock lubricant? 
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