[Public-list] Replacing old through-hulls

[Philip Bartlett]

I just finished replacing all the old thru hulls and seacocks on Windward. 
Its a job I have been planning to tackle for the last couple of years and I 
am glad it is done. The engine intake thruhull was behind a screw on screen 
on the outside of the hull and when I removed the screen the head of the 
mushroom fell off!

Getting the old thru hulls out was the easy part. I removed the seacocks and 
nut and used a puller made from a length of threaded rod inserted through 
the thru hull. On the outside of the hull I used a U shaped frame made from 
2X4 scraps to straddle the thruhull. On the inside I put a fender washer on 
the threaded rod to prevent it going back through the thruhull. With a 
helper I tightened the nuts on the ends of the threaded rod and the 
thruhulls came right out.

The worst part of the job was reconnecting the cockpit drains with no room 
to swing a wrench. Its done now but I left some knuckle skin in the bilge.


Philip

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rachel" <penokee at cheqnet.net>
To: "Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all" <public-list at lists.alberg30.org>
Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2007 12:04 PM
Subject: Re: [Public-list] Replacing old through-hulls


>I just went through the researching process on new seacocks (many
> brands), and, just as a cautionary note, the cheaper Grocos (i.e. the
> ones with the vinyl-covered stainless handle, vs. the cast bronze
> handle) have a BRASS stem.  I specifically called the tech folks at
> Groco to ask about this, because some catalogs listed the stem as
> stainless and some as brass.  The Groco rep. told me that the stem IS
> brass.  It used to be stainless, but they were getting some unreliable
> quality on the stainless, so they switched (yeah, so now they're all
> crappy, lol).
>
> The expensive, bronze Groco seacocks are made in the US, but the
> cheaper ones are made overseas.
>
> In my opinion, if you are looking for more economical seacocks (along
> the same lines as the cheaper Grocos), you're better of with the
> Conbraco Apollo seacock.  They look very similar to the cheaper Groco,
> but are made domestically, and have a bronze stem (all bronze wetted
> components).  I think the only vulnerable part on these is the
> vinyl-covered stainless handle (which is on the cheaper Groco too), but
> Conbraco has beefed it up quite a bit, and it's also easily and cheaply
> replaceable, and easy to keep an eye on.  Probably if one took the
> vinyl off it would last much longer as the stainless would be exposed
> to air.  At any rate, I think it's the best of the "less expensive"
> seacocks.
>
> I don't think brass parts have any business in a proper seacock.  Not
> that others' opinions can't differ, but at least one should know what
> one is getting.
>
> Rachel
> 1967 Alberg 30, #221
>
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