Lubrication for seacocks

[falcon]

I am installing new seacocks and noticed that since they have sitting in my shop for a couple of years that while new, they are a bit stiff to open and close. What is the recommended lubricant?
Thanks,
Pete

[Rachel]

Can you tell us which specific seacocks they are?

[falcon]

Rachel,

There are 4 of them: two 1.5" Groco BV1500 vaulves for the cockpit drains, a 1.5" tri-flange Groco BV1500 for the manual bilge pump, and a 1" groco BV1000 for the raw water intake.

Pete

[Rachel]

Hi Pete, and thanks for the additional info.

I've never lubricated ball-type seacocks, and I was curious, so I went to Groco's website and looked up the BV-series maintenance/service recommendations. They say that no lubrication is necessary, and to just "excercise" the seacocks on a regular basis. So, they don't mention any specific lubricant.

Are yours still on a bench or, if on your boat, out of the water? I wonder if they might be a bit easier to operate once they are wet and also once they are held fast so that you have more leverage when operating them? I know mine seemed very hard to operate when they were sitting on my bench (mine were also ball valves, although Conbraco brand).

I think if it were me I would wait until they were in the water, and then if they were still overly stiff, maybe (?) put something like vegetable oil through them once? The BV valves have PTFE (aka Teflon) seats and seals, so I would want to make sure not to damage those.

Here is the Groco page, and also a link to where you can find it (it's also available in .pdf form):



http://www.groco.net/SVC-MAN-07/Sec4-svcman.htm

Rachel

[falcon]

Rachel,

Thank you for alerting me to the Groco information page. I should have thought of that. I was interested to learn that they can be dissasembled in the field. The boat is still on the hard so as you suggest, they mayl be easier to turn once there wet.
Pete