New old WC seacock

[Concordia...41]

OK the karma thing is beginning to surprise even me, and I am used to a full-time guardian angel watching over me.

Anyway, as I browsed the back isles of a local chandlery pricing bronze do dads - did you know a 2" 45 degree coupling is $58??? :eek::eek: - I stumbled across this in a bin all by itself:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pb8fa5e22aa2bfe1a2300555b25d88928/e7e9e246.jpg

It's 1 1/4" and the tag reads 1986, but the price was illegible. I left it with the guy on duty who was going to call his boss and get a price.

They called yesterday to say it's $94.59.

It's definitely frozen, but may have potential.

What say you all?

[Hwyl]

How much of a saving over new? They seem to retail at about $200. I'm assuming you have wholesale accounts and "Port Supply" which should drop the price.

[Jim Ledger]

If it's frozen, then removing the nut, covering the threaded shank with a block of wood, and hitting it with a hammer will remove it. The shaft is tepered in a tapered seat so any movement at all breaks it free. Then, a little WD-40 and work it back and forth to remove the corrosion.

It looks like it needs drilling for the flange bolts.

[Paul Fitzgerald]

Around here the surveyors ask you to change bronze through hull fittings after 15 to 20 years, they tend to go soft and fail.
I would always put new bronze through hull fittings on a rebuild.

[George Ray]

'Frozen', when one is talking about a never used taper seat bronze valve is seldom (ever?) a big issue. Disassemble and lap the mating taper surfaces with valve grinding compound and the unit is then literally NEW.

[JimConlin]

Tradition be damned, but i prefer the Marelon seacocks.
http://store.hamiltonmarine.com/prodimg/FOR-904011.JPG

They are less likely to sieze up, won't split if water is allowed to freeze, take less maintenance, are lighter and less costly. The 1-1/2" one is about $90.

[Bob Cleek]

I'd be cruising the knacker's yards, if such still exist, before paying out that kind of cash for used fittings. There's always some yard somewhere that is smashing up old boats. It's amazing how much of this sort of stuff goes into the landfill. Make friends with the management and they will often give you a "first shot" at the wreckage before loading it into the dumpster. A sawsall and a wrecking bar will go a long way. Just saw the wood around the fitting and grab it. You can always remove it and restore it at your leisure.

Having time on my hands last week, I was taking a more careful look at the Jamestown Distributors catalog. Good outfit in my experience, but WHOA! the prices! I hadn't had occasion to price a one inch bronze nut in a long time, and hope I never do again. They wanted something like twenty-four bucks for ONE. This is getting crazy, it really is. This stuff is just not that expensive to make. Apparently, they are charging whatever the market will bear. It won't be long before they are burning boats for their fittings again!

[Figment]

Jim, have a look at the new "Series 93" units. I installed three 1-1/2" units last winter for my cockpit and galley drains. Among other "ease of installation/configuration" features, on some models the handle will shutoff in either direction.
They seem expensive, until you realize that the price includes the thru-hull as well.

[JimConlin]

Where are the "series 93" seacocks sold? I thought they were only sold to OEM's.

[Figment]

Yeah, I know that's the party line, but Hamilton has a few models, I got mine through Marine.com (make sure you have your part numbers right because they don't really know what they're selling), and I'm told that Forespar will sell direct if you pester them enough.

[Hwyl]

Just realised that WC means "Wilcox Crittenden' and not 'Water Closet'