Tapered Bronze Valves
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Re: Tapered Bronze Valves
Gotta disagree with you. A good solid WC or Spartan traditional valve works beautiful if maintained. There are a lot of cheap ball valves out there - brass not bronze, plastic galore, mild steel handles that rust. No thanks."If it ain't broke, you're not trying." - Red GreenComment
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Re: Tapered Bronze Valves
So, we're on the same page, Garret.Comment
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The big problem with tapered valves is; the way people wrench on them without loosening the core. More than one thru hull has ripped or ruptured wood or glass hulls by... someone pulling on a wrench.
Either valve can be serviceable I'm not going to argue the plus or minus of either but there is more flow through a marine ball valve then there is through a cored valve,
A tapered valve corewill eventually go deeper and deeper into the body from the core being tightened to a point where there are no more threads.
Can't afford ... But what is the cost of a sinking?Denise, Bristol PA, retired from HVAC business, & boat restoration and buildingComment
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Re: Tapered Bronze Valves
Yeah...I've seen enough to know that people feel strongly about valves one way or another and they're not going to change their minds. Right now I'm focused on servicing my taper valves. I appreciate anybody's experience on doing that. With all due respect I didn't intend this thread to be an argument about which is better.Comment
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Re: Tapered Bronze Valves
I've got a boat full of these tapered valves. They all let a lot of water through even when closed, and are constantly at risk of seizing hard enough that I have to get a wrench to close them. I've rebuilt them several times taking lots of care, but still have issues.
Look carefully at the cone for grooves and corrosion pitting. If bad enough, they will always have issues.
Now I'm slowly swapping them for ball valve seacocks. (the proper ones with flanged base in bronze, not from the plumbing supply house). When closed no water comes in and they never seize up.
The tapered valves have had a long life of corrosion and wear, and its time for them to be upgraded in my case.Comment
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Re: Tapered Bronze Valves
Yeah...I've seen enough to know that people feel strongly about valves one way or another and they're not going to change their minds. Right now I'm focused on servicing my taper valves. I appreciate anybody's experience on doing that. With all due respect I didn't intend this thread to be an argument about which is better.
To wrenching on them:
They come with a handle. By exercising them regularly & keeping them lubed, the handle turns the valve smoothly & easily. If more pressure than what you can get with the handle is needed, they are not adjusted correctly. The inner nut with the flange is the adjustment, the outer outer is a locknut.
If there are grooves worn in the taper, they will let water through. If the grooves are only maybe 0.010 deep, they can probably be lapped - though I'd want the seacock at a workbench & use a drill to remove that much metal - as you are bringing the rest of the valve down to the same level as the bottom of the groove(s). By checking them annually, you catch the grooves before they get too deep. Of course, if the grooves are too deep, it's new seacock time.
To flow: They are all full bore - IOW a 1" has a 1" hole:
"If it ain't broke, you're not trying." - Red GreenComment
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Re: Tapered Bronze Valves
I'm really surprised how shallow the grooves or scores can be to cause leakage. Have you ever used cylinder honing compound? I think it's also called cylinder grinding compound. I imagine the abrasive particles have to be somewhere around one micron.
If this keeps up, further on I could become a valve servicing specialist...a new career, lol.Comment
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Re: Tapered Bronze Valves
I'm really surprised how shallow the grooves or scores can be to cause leakage. Have you ever used cylinder honing compound? I think it's also called cylinder grinding compound. I imagine the abrasive particles have to be somewhere around one micron.
If this keeps up, further on I could become a valve servicing specialist...a new career, lol.
Seacocks are under higher pressure than many think - so a small groove can cause some leakage."If it ain't broke, you're not trying." - Red GreenComment
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Re: Tapered Bronze Valves
I've mostly used valve grinding compound - as any cylinder honing I've done has been with stones & water. I've also used Spartan's (I know the guy who run's their machine shop) & saw no real difference between the 2. Most (real) auto parts stores have valve grinding compound.
Seacocks are under higher pressure than many think - so a small groove can cause some leakage.Comment
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Re: Tapered Bronze Valves
My tapered valves don't leak - but I'm having a helluva time getting them out of the boat.
They have a grease nipple on the sides and everytime i service the motor i inject some marine grease until it all moves smooth. They stiffen up pretty quick though and i worry that in an emergency they'd be tough to close off.
I'm looking at these; https://trudesignplastics-com.s3.ama...1f6c2f4700.pdfIt's all fun and games until Darth Vader comes.Comment
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Re: Tapered Bronze Valves
My tapered valves don't leak - but I'm having a helluva time getting them out of the boat.
They have a grease nipple on the sides and everytime i service the motor i inject some marine grease until it all moves smooth. They stiffen up pretty quick though and i worry that in an emergency they'd be tough to close off.
I'm looking at these; https://trudesignplastics-com.s3.ama...1f6c2f4700.pdf"If it ain't broke, you're not trying." - Red GreenComment
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Re: Tapered Bronze Valves
I have an anecdotal story about lanolin.
I did a run of several hundred lathe turned tubing parts on a precision tapered mandrel. Had to start the cut at the little end and finish at the big end because it expanded with heat and drove further onto the mandrel. The tolerances were tight .0002" total. We couldn't figure out how to remove the parts from the mandrel. Well, lanolin was the winner, hands down. The part slipped right off. Everything else froze up solid. I used two buckets of water, one hot and one cool to size the mandrel before and after each cut. parts were about 6" long, 1" dia, .030 wall thickness. One of the few jobs I made money on, lanolin!
Proper lapping and adjustment of a tapered seat valve is a good way to go. They will never sink your boat when you are not looking. Lanolin maight be a good choice right there. But it won't fix an adjustment or fit problem. The real beauty is you just back off the adjustment a little and tap it loose. It only has to move a tiny bit to be loose.Comment
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Re: Tapered Bronze Valves
When I get the lapping compound delivered probably by the weekend I will try it out. Should be interesting how much action it will take or if it is just too worn to reach uniformity along the length of the barrel. But, I think it will work out.
Also, I do not think any grease or the lanolin would have stopped this valve from leaking in its present condition.Comment
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