alibaba 76 Posted September 23, 2022 Share Posted September 23, 2022 Hopefully someone has done this before.... The bronze seacock on my Lotus is now 35 years old and is starting to show signs of dezincing- patches of pink and the internal cone is badly pitted. I don't trust it anymore. I've looked up the diagram of how it is put together and the outer flange is held by coachbolts through the hull to the inner flange. it is of course put neatly away in a cupboard under the sink in the toilet, and therefore there is no room to swing a hammer and drift. The tube that goes through the hull may even have been epoxied in place for all I know.. see pic. I realise that I am going to destroy the thing to get it out, and all I can think of at the moment is to punch and drill the coach bolts out from the outside. If anyone has any tips etc ? If it won't come, plan B is to block it off and put a separate skin fitting alongside it, but I'd prefer to do a 'proper' job. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Panther 1,581 Posted September 23, 2022 Share Posted September 23, 2022 Get a hole saw bigger than the seacock and it will be out in 60 seconds. Epoxy and ply to fill the hole then install new one. I did it last year. Easy peasy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Panther 1,581 Posted September 23, 2022 Share Posted September 23, 2022 Hammer bung in from outside for the centering drill bit, do the whole job from outside. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
alibaba 76 Posted September 23, 2022 Author Share Posted September 23, 2022 Thanks - that'll work, but only once I have managed to remove the coach bolts and the outside flange. Then, as you say, bung and hole saw makes it easy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Panther 1,581 Posted September 23, 2022 Share Posted September 23, 2022 Get a bigger hole saw and cut outside the outside flange. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
alibaba 76 Posted September 23, 2022 Author Share Posted September 23, 2022 Hah! You're a hard case! The diameter of the outside flange is nearly 4 inches, 95mm, so I'll try to keep it smaller if I can. It's less to fill and then put a new hull fitting in. Although,in the end I might have to go big. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Psyche 626 Posted September 23, 2022 Share Posted September 23, 2022 a grinder gets them off fast too but a hole saw is neater Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Panther 1,581 Posted September 23, 2022 Share Posted September 23, 2022 Same amount of work to fill a 4in hole as a 1in hole Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cameron 74 Posted September 23, 2022 Share Posted September 23, 2022 1 hour ago, Black Panther said: Same amount of work to fill a 4in hole as a 1in hole Actually in many ways its easier to fill a bigger hole (but there are limits!).... better access to taper the edges etc 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
alibaba 76 Posted September 24, 2022 Author Share Posted September 24, 2022 Thanks guys - its off, holesaw three quarters of the way and then a sledgehammer did the rest. A couple of marine ply discs will fill it. Everything was epoxied in and hidden. There was not outer flange, they had simply set the bolts in epoxy a la West System. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Frank 157 Posted September 25, 2022 Share Posted September 25, 2022 I always use the hole saw trick TCT versions are inexpensive these days , glass, metal or whatever they go thought it all. Just pot the new one in over size hole with epoxy slurry, don't need the gland nut. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
waikiore 398 Posted September 26, 2022 Share Posted September 26, 2022 Unlikely to be a Blakes seacock on a Lotus, probably a Chatfield one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
alibaba 76 Posted September 26, 2022 Author Share Posted September 26, 2022 Yes, it's a good copy or v/v, says CEL on it, guess that stands for Chatfield Engineering LTD. Anyway, it's off, and the new one in. Glad Chatfields is still going, they're a good bunch. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Psyche 626 Posted September 29, 2022 Share Posted September 29, 2022 They are not cheap but you get what you pay for Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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