Tool for Unseizing and Lubricating Well Valves, and Method of Unseizing Said Valves

A tool for de-rusting and/or lubricating a valve, said valve of a type having a greasing zert and a valve stem, said valve stem having an interface surface between a stationary portion of said valve stem and a rotatable portion of said valve stem, said tool comprising:

• a hollow tubular member, having at one end thereof an open, hollow, flexible member adapted to be placed over an outer periphery of said valve stem, said greasing zert, and said interface surface;
• a circumferential tightening member, encircling said one end of said tubular member so as to cause said tubular member, when said one end thereof is placed over said exterior periphery of said valve stem, said interface surface, and said greasing zert, and said circumferential tightening member is actuated, to sealingly engage said gate valve about said outer periphery thereof;
• a fluid inlet port, situated along a length of said tubular member, in fluid communication with an interior of said tubular member;
• a pressurized fluid inlet port, having coupling means to allow supply of a pressurized fluid to said interior of said tubular member and to both said greasing zert and said interface surface.

A method for unseizing and/or lubricating a valve of a type having a handle, a greasing zert and a valve stem, said valve stem having an interface surface between a stationary portion of said valve stem and a rotatable portion of said valve stem, said method comprising the steps of:

• (i) removing the handle of said valve from said valve;
• (ii) placing a hollow tubular member, having at one end an open, hollow, flexible member, in sealing engagement over a portion of an outer periphery of said valve stem, said greasing zert, and said interface surface, so that said interface surface and said greasing zert are sealed within an interior of said hollow tubular member;
• (iii) providing a rust removal and/or penetrating fluid to an interior of said hollow tubular member and causing said fluid to surround said greasing zert and said interface surface;
• (iv) providing said fluid under pressure to said interior of said tubular member and causing said fluid to enter said greasing zert and/or said interface surface and thereby flow into an interior of said valve;
• (v) removing the tubular member from sealing engagement with said valve stem, re-attaching the handle to the valve, and rotating the handle to unseize the valve;
• and
• (vi) providing, under pressure, a lubricating medium to said interior of said tubular member and causing said lubricating medium to flow into said greasing zert and/or said interface surface.

A method of unseizing and/or lubricating a seized valve of a type having a handle, a greasing zert and a valve stem, said valve stem having an interface surface between a stationary portion of said valve stem and a rotatable portion of said valve stem, said method comprising the steps of:

• (i) positioning the valve in as fully open a position, if possible, and thereafter removing the handle;
• (ii) placing a hollow tubular member, namely one end thereof having an open, hollow, flexible member, in sealing engagement over a portion of an outer periphery of said valve stem, said greasing zert, and said interface surface, so that said interface surface and said greasing zert are sealed within an interior of said hollow tubular member;
• (iii) providing a rust removal and/or penetrating fluid to an interior of said hollow tubular member and causing said fluid to surround said greasing zert and said interface surface;
• (iv) providing said fluid under pressure to said interior of said tubular member and causing said fluid to enter said greasing zert and said interface surface and thereby flow into an interior of said valve;
• (v) removing the hollow tubular member from sealing engagement with said outer periphery of said valve stem, re-attaching the handle, and rotating e the handle so as to close and open the valve to thereby ensure the valve is unseized;
• (vi) rotating the handle to the fully open position, and removing the handle from the valve:
• (vii) pumping grease into said greasing zert.