(stupid) question re: lubricating marelon through-hull

[cooper999]

Hey all. Please reserve judgement if this sounds foolhardy, but I'm not hauling out this winter and want to lube the marelon through-hull for our galley sink. It is going to be a difficult matter to get the drain hose off the valve. This being the case, would it be super dumb to pour an ounce or two of west marine head lube into the sink in hopes that will provide some lubrication for the marelon before addressing more thoroughly when we haul in spring? I'm fine if doing so doesn't help much. I'm not fine if it causes any damage.

Thanks for your input!

 

[frick]

In the Water Through the Winter

I haul my E29 every Two years.
Here is what I do for the winter....
I fill all my hoses with the pink antifreeze. Never had a problem.

Also all my sea cocks a the bronze stainless Steel ball Valve types. When i am on the the hard, I just put a glob of waterproof grease on a stick and lube the ball valve... With a little on and shutting of the valve it spreads the grease around the ball.

Rick

 

[Loren Beach]

A perceptive question. Not 'stupid' at all.
I have poked some grease up from the outside when the boat was hauled, but this can only reach one half of the sphere. You would indeed need to remove a hose from the tail piece on the inside to coat that half. Being hauled out every three years, this is not much of a schedule to keep.

The composite material in those old RCMarine/Forespar fittings was slightly hydroscopic. i.e. it would swell slightly and bind if not operated frequently.
I surmise that to be the reason for the vendor's caution to operate their valves quite frequently.

Per a shipwright I know, you can ("carefully...") loosen the pressure against the ball by backing off the huge 'nut' on the end of the assembly, like a fraction of a turn. I never tried that. It would be a bench job, after bringing the valve home, IMHO.

The newer design changed the valve assembly completely and pressure against the ball is maintained by four ss screws at the top. When messing with the valve assembly, you are trying to reduce ball pressure but stopping short of allowing water to seep in around the assembly.

Nice product, what with eliminating the chance of electrolysis, but with other concerns.

Loren

 

[e38 owner]

I leave my boat in from time to time over the winter. I also have some Marelon thru hulls. My theory being you can't really lube because oil is lighter than water I tried the following. Don't know if it helped but they have not stuck.

Sink Use shop vac to push water out of thru hull for winter., close thru hull, pour in a little lube and let it sit.

Engine Vacuum out thru hull at filter. See Above

 

[alcodiesel]

It sounded like a good idea right up till the reminder that oil floats on water.

 

[Grizz]

Sprayed lithium grease

1 benefit of being hauled each fall (there aren't many, but this counts as 1) is the 'spring commissioning list' includes spraying each thru hull fitting from the exterior and working each of the 4 seacocks with lithium grease. It's a much easier task with 2 (inside and out), but manageable with 1. Peace of mind.

The 4 seacocks? Engine intake, galley sink, head sink and head intake. The head holding discharge was glassed in and abandoned 4 years ago, Lake Michigan = NDZ.

A cautionary tale: The galley seacock appeared to be functional when purchased, even states so on the original pre-purchase survey ['all seacocks are operational']. This was proven false in a revolting, smelly and disgusting manner when the galley sink hose was disconnected...allowing all the nasty/stinky/green/oily ooze trapped in the hose to splatter onto hands and hull. Ugh.

The OEM Marelon seacock had, fortunately, seized in the 'closed' position. It just felt as though it was opening/closing when the handle was rotated 90°. Not the case, just the handle rotated, not the ball, which was frozen closed. The handle, at some point, had snapped, doing nothing. So the liquids we thought were exiting weren't, accumulating in the length of hose beneath the P trap. Ugh.

Easy fix by replacing with a functional seacock. And now the lithium grease is used to confirm ease of open/close function each spring.

As stated previously, '1 benefit'.

 

[Pat C.]

Forespar makes a product for this called Marelube. It's Teflon, there is a paste and a liquid version designed to pour into plumbing where it is difficult to remove fittings. I think it's tefgel, the paste looks identical, but don't know for sure. Search Marelube at forespar.com.

 

[cooper999]

Perfect-seems like what I need and I feel better realizing this is specifically for what I'm trying to accomplish.

As always, thanks to the ericsonyachts.org village for making ownership easier!

Forespar makes a product for this called Marelube. It's Teflon, there is a paste and a liquid version designed to pour into plumbing where it is difficult to remove fittings. I think it's tefgel, the paste looks identical, but don't know for sure. Search Marelube at forespar.com.

 

[alcodiesel]

I wonder, if it is a paste if one could snorkel underneath with an acid brush arraignment with a dollop of grease to poke up into the thru hull. Of course in warmer weather. One could confirm open and closed with an assistant inside.

 

[Pat C.]

Probably could. Paste is rather thick, like consistency of life caulk. The jar comes with a brush identical to the one included with tef gel tube, so it wouldn't work, but I imagine a cotton tip applicator would.

 

[Curtis]

Vaseline??

Can Vaseline be used to lubricate the marelon sea valves?

 

[Rocinante33]

Vaseline seems like it should work.

I have used trailer axle grease in the past with seeming success.