Ballast Valve Handle

[Compromise]

Anyone have a solution to the ballast valve handle replacement? Mine leterally snapped when tryint to empty because of barnacles preventing me from pullig it all the way up!
My T handle is now a thing of the past! Any solutions without getting out a welding gun to it?
Thanks

[Frank C]

Easy solution. Home Depot's hardware aisle has a bank of special drawers for unique hardware. Among our 'custom boat parts' that you'll find there:

• Plastic handles (of various styles & thread counts);
  Plastic liner plugs (some stores);
  Expanding ballast vent plug.

[Robert]

I drilled and tapped a hold for the ballast valve stem in a 316 stainless steel rod about 4 inches long. Thread that on the valve and the handle breaking is no longer a problem.
..
There might be a stainless hardware item that has the correct threaded hole already. IIRC the 1999 Mac26X ballast valve has a 1/4 -20 thread. The valve is an RV toilet valve, maybe the RV world has a sturdy handle.
..
Hope that helps.

[Phillip]

I had exactly this problem, and asked a similar question.

For all the mucking around trying to repair it, (and it is not going to be a long term solution) I learnt that the complete valve unit is not common to the marine world at all, but it is a sewer fitting.
It is called a Sliding Gate Valve.

Trout told me "you can buy a replacement at any RV store.
Measure your size and ask for the gray or black water (sewer) covers".

I found one at my irrigation shop, identical manufacturer, just that the opening is 90mm here, yours is 4".

Now if you undo the 4 bolts that hold your it to the boat, the outside cover will come off...make sure you don't loose the big O ring/washer.
Buy a new one, split it in half, and screw the half you need on the boat into place.....better use silicon too of course.
Job done....it will take 5 mins at the most.

The other day I was at an open-air event, and bxggar me, there was a long row of portable dunnies, and they all had this sliding gate valve on the back.

Cheers
Phillip

[Wind Chime]

QUESTION:

I always find it such a pain to have to lean way over the transom to open and close the ballast valve. Even lost my hat once.

Any ideas on extentions for this valve handle?

Thanks!

[Frank C]

I added a cable control that threads onto the gate valve, leads thru the aft bulkhead, up into the pedestal, with a T-handle in there. So now the opening or closing is pretty simple, but the installation was not.

There are many other ways to skin this cat, but the simplest solution I've ever seen is one described right here in the early days. Use the boathook.

[David Mellon]

I remembered someone elses mod and dug up a copy. As I remember the blue handle is from a Waste Marine manual bilge pump:



The Waste Marine pump the handle came from is here:




As I remember there was some threading to do but I forget the details.

[tangentair]

Is that first picture right? and the valve is on the starboard (right side) or is the picture flipped? My valve etc is on the port side.

[c130king]

I think that is an .
Jim

[40Toes]

Is that first picture right? and the valve is on the starboard (right side) or is the picture flipped? My valve etc is on the port side.

On the Stbd side of my 2000X.

[bubba]

A new valve is around $30.00 I had to replace mine when the threads on the valve rusted off and did not empty once when I pulled out.

[John Christian]

Boat Hook is made for the job! If you mount it on your Mast support it's always available for the job.

JC

[Scott]

I just drilled a 2" x 1/2" piece of stainless and put 2 jamb nuts on it (1 self locking and presto. perm gate handle.