Gate Valve / ballast fill valve

[EZ]

Every year I lube the valve with Evinrude grease. Last year it was still stiff after I greased it. When I took the boat to the dealer for regular engine service, he cleaned it out and re-greased and the valve worked smoothly again.

[paul I]

Some of those greases and sprays can cause the rubber to swell. I used marine grease and it seems to have worked.

I have a original replacement that I installed when I added a mounting plate for my plotter/fishfinder. Just a piece of 1/2" starboard and four 1/2" longer bolts gave me a great place to mount the depth sensor without drilling the hull. I replaced the valve only because I realized during the installation that the plastic sleeve that the handle threads into had stress cracks. There was nothing wrong with the rubber seal at all. In fact the rubber was in excellent condition.

I credit this to lubing it 2x a year with spray silicone. Silicone is what is most often recommended for o-rings because it does not harm rubber. Oil based greases and lubes will break the rubber down and make it brittle over time. You can use silicone grease as well.

The valve is most definitely an RV product and I got an exact replacement from an RV dealer. I cant remember the brand name, but it is pressed into the valve somewhere.