Ball Valve Disassembly

[paulsomlo]

Do these things come apart? https://www.grainger.com/product/1CKD6?gclid=CjwKCAiAq8f-BRBtEiwAGr3DgSXtVWdxZsYn96PadR0vSGR-HwrWFSbbf1-63vB8_dRJyogZpk2B_BoCpbsQAvD_BwE&cm_mmc=PPC:+Google+PLA&ef_id=CjwKCAiAq8f-BRBtEiwAGr3DgSXtVWdxZsYn96PadR0vSGR-HwrWFSbbf1-63vB8_dRJyogZpk2B_BoCpbsQAvD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!2966!3!281698275783!!!g!471093561349!&gucid=N:NSaid:GGL:CSM-2295:4P7A1P:20501231

It looks like it should unscrew into two pieces, but I couldn't get it to move. The valve is very difficult to open and close, and I wanted to take it apart to clean and grease it. I had to settle for cleaning the exposed surface of the balls with 4/0 steel wool through the open ends and applying some SuperLube.

 

[yeldogt]

I tried as well on a 1.5" ... due to the cost and the fact that it was not a critical valve. Could not get it to move ... replaced it.

After that -- I did what you did .... a bit of lube and move in many times. Never tired the steel wool.

 

[Wrench97]

They do come apart, usually not worth messing with though.

 

[dls]

The only thing you could easily replace on these is valve stem gasket. If you are trying to lube the ball, you could do that through in/out openings, no need to disassemble the valve.

 

[Dumber than lumber]

Ultrasonic cleaner. Then lube it.

 

[DeeKay]

Yes, they can come apart and you can pull the ball seats and stem seal *usually*. Because they're so cheap to buy though, service parts(ball seats, stem seal, ball etc) generally aren't available for smaller two piece valves like that one. Sometimes the two halves will have a tiny set screw on them as well, but that's usually higher end stuff.

 

[Robbie B]

You can get them apart. Usually have to heat them a bit. Take the handle off and underneath is another nut that will adjust the tension on the stem seal. That’s the tension adjustment for them. We have tons of various styles of Apollo valves at work. If you back it off too much it’ll leak. If that happens just tighten it back up a hair.

 

[paulsomlo]

You can get them apart. Usually have to heat them a bit. Take the handle off and underneath is another nut that will adjust the tension on the stem seal. That’s the tension adjustment for them. We have tons of various styles of Apollo valves at work. If you back it off too much it’ll leak. If that happens just tighten it back up a hair.

This one doesn't seem to have a tension adjustment - it's not actually an apollo; I linked the apollo, because I couldn't get the actual picture off my crappy phone and the apollo was similar. I did back off the nut that holds the handle, which does decrease the force required, but most of resistance seems to be from the ball and seat. I was replacing a tankless water heater and had a valve on both the hot and cold side. I cleaned and lubed them both and decided to just install the best of the two on the cold side, omitting the valve on the hot side.

These couldn't have much wear on them - they probably weren't actuated in over a decade. What it appeared to be, was corrosion on the ball. I probably need to exercise the remaining one on a regular basis, to keep it moving freely.

 

[Robbie B]

This one doesn't seem to have a tension adjustment - it's not actually an apollo; I linked the apollo, because I couldn't get the actual picture off my crappy phone and the apollo was similar. I did back off the nut that holds the handle, which does decrease the force required, but most of resistance seems to be from the ball and seat. I was replacing a tankless water heater and had a valve on both the hot and cold side. I cleaned and lubed them both and decided to just install the best of the two on the cold side, omitting the valve on the hot side.

These couldn't have much wear on them - they probably weren't actuated in over a decade. What it appeared to be, was corrosion on the ball. I probably need to exercise the remaining one on a regular basis, to keep it moving freely.

Just put it on the list and do it when you change batteries in you smoke detectors. If you ever swap them out there is a different style that the ends bolt on to that are made to be rebuilt easily. Might want to look at them in that instance.

 

[snyder]

It seems that over the years the teflon seats inside will deform. This is usually what causes problems with ball valves.

 

[nadogail]

IMHO, unless you have bushels of valves to deal with, I don't think acquiring the tools and equipment to overhaul ball valves will be less expensive than simply replacing them as needed.

 

[paulsomlo]

IMHO, unless you have bushels of valves to deal with, I don't think acquiring the tools and equipment to overhaul ball valves will be less expensive than simply replacing them as needed.

Other than getting it apart, I'm not sure what tools would be needed - and at $12 each, I thought it was worth trying.

 

[rlitman]

They do come apart, usually not worth messing with though.

The two piece body ball valves I'm familiar with usually use a thread locking compound on the body threads. I've seen them get loose and have tightened them, but I agree that it's usually not worth messing with.

It seems that over the years the teflon seats inside will deform. This is usually what causes problems with ball valves.

The seats are teflon, and lubing them won't help.

 

[The Cobbler]

you should exercise valves at least once per year ( and even more) to help keep them working smoothly

 

[GraySkies]

Not worth trying to disassemble. They use threadlocker on them. They don't want you messing with them, because the stack height in there with the seats is super critical, and easy to mess up.

I work in a shop that rebuilds larger ball valves all the time (3" to 12" balls). We hone and teflon coat the balls, and make our own replacement seats to match whatever stack height we end up with after honing and coating the ball.

The small ones like that, we just replace.

 

[paulsomlo]

Not worth trying to disassemble. They use threadlocker on them. They don't want you messing with them, because the stack height in there with the seats is super critical, and easy to mess up.

Well that would explain my difficulties, then. Wouldn't mind hearing more about the process you guys use to rebuild them, especially making replacement seats, sounds interesting.

 

[mobiledynamics]

Is it corrosion of the ball or just mineral buildup on the ball. I've always attributed to the latter

 

[rlitman]

Is it corrosion of the ball or just mineral buildup on the ball. I've always attributed to the latter

I've wondered the same. I know that cheaper valves use a plated brass ball, but you can spend extra for a stainless ball. I can't say I've had problems with either style.

The ones that regularly give me grief are the small ones on hose-end manifolds.

 

[Wrench97]

When I've seen issues(air brake lines on 28' trailers) they were usually damaged but the few seized ones I attributed to the stem corroding.

 

[mobiledynamics]

I have to now brush up on my valve WIKI. All I ever use is Apollo (usa) valves full port.
I believe all of them, wheter it be sweat or IPS, is chrome plated <dunno>.

I have stayed away from SS and I cannot recall why but there was a reason - I just remember SS balls was not recommended for water applications on something I read. I may be very well wrong on this statement......

 

[Dogwater]

I’ve taken lots of those apart for recycling purposes. Put one end in a bench vice, heat it up with a propane torch & use a 12” crescent wrench to turn it..

 

[paulsomlo]

I've wondered the same. I know that cheaper valves use a plated brass ball, but you can spend extra for a stainless ball. I can't say I've had problems with either style.

This appears to be brass plated - and the plating looks like it's wearing off

I’ve taken lots of those apart for recycling purposes. Put one end in a bench vice, heat it up with a propane torch & use a 12” crescent wrench to turn it..

Yep - the part that I left out was the torch, which, if they used thread locker, would be the key.

 

[GraySkies]

Well that would explain my difficulties, then. Wouldn't mind hearing more about the process you guys use to rebuild them, especially making replacement seats, sounds interesting.

We work on valves for large oceangoing vessels. It's not really anything mysterious. It's fairly standard work in the industry. Disassembly and reassembly is just basic wrench-turning. The honing and seats are fairly standard machining procedures.

The honing is done on a spherical hone. We take the minimum amount from the ball needed to clean up the surface, as long as it can be done without going under minimum allowable size. If we can't clean it up without going under the minimum, we replace the ball.

We have the prints for the valves, so we have the stack height spec and the detail drawings of the factory seats. If factory oversize seats are available, we measure the stack height of the ball with a set of factory oversized seats, and machine down the back side of the seats, duplicating the factory machined profile, until we make stack height spec for that housing.

If oversize seats are unavailable, we start with raw bar stock in whatever plastic product is spec for the seats, and we machine a new set of seats from scratch. We make them oversize, take a stack height, then take off what we need to in order to hit the right number. Having the right crush is critical for proper sealing.

 

[mobiledynamics]

So what is the consensus. Exercising valves help or not ? I've never made it a point to do it but IME all ball valves get a little tight like that over time. Still holds water though.

My experience is with the big ones down to the 1/2 ones I have under the sink
I'll replace them if I happen to be working on them and they are coming out as part of due course. But I'm not proactively trying to keep them in check....I also just attributed to minerals on it. That which is outta my control..

 

[DeeKay]

So what is the consensus. Exercising valves help or not ? I've never made it a point to do it but IME all ball valves get a little tight like that over time. Still holds water though.

My experience is with the big ones down to the 1/2 ones I have under the sink
I'll replace them if I happen to be working on them and they are coming out as part of due course. But I'm not proactively trying to keep them in check....I also just attributed to minerals on it. That which is outta my control..

Yes, exercising valves helps a ton. I try to do it at home at least yearly, same with breakers.

This is actually an annual PM for the air separation plants I work on; exercise/stroke all plant valves, from the tiny 1/8" valves all the way up to the 30" valves. That goes for any quarter turn whether it be butterfly, ball, rotary globe, plug whatever. And any stem valve; globe, gate, rising stem blah blah blah. It just keeps things freed up and lasting a lot longer. Whether it's just a toilet valve, or a big processing plant there's nothing worse than having to shut down an entire system because you have to replaced an isolation valve that leaks or is frozen up.