So the house came with a shutoff valve half way embedded in the basement concrete wall for no extra charge.

Photo:
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This is for the backyard watering spigot. Besides being hard to turn (go figure) it's getting drippy and the packing nut feels just about limit down. I'd like to be rid of it and install another shutoff further upstream.

There's no room to get a saw in there to cut it without blasting away at the concrete. If I take the stem out can it be capped in a way that it is "always open" with no shutoff handle? Then control it upstream with a new valve.



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unfortunately they don't make a cap for what you want to do.
you can remove the stem assembly from the valve body, take the washer and screw out of it, repack the packing nut and put it all back together (less the screw and washer). leave it in the open position and ignore it.
it does appear to have a drain button on the bottom for emptying the pipe in the winter.
so, just install a nice, full port ball valve in the vertical pipe and you are good to go..

Why bother? Either, just remove the handle or cut the stem off and leave it there in the open position,

Cut it clean on the vertical and perform some sawz-all surgery. If it's a straight shot, remove it and install a new sill cock with a full port ball valve on the vertical.