*cry

[David Underwood]

Hello Peggy,I liked your idea of the safty cord on tools to keep them onboard (from another post, another forum a few days ago).But, as stranger things have happened, this is sorta strange... Working on the boat this past weekend, I dropped another screw driver, thought about your suggestion. Then, went to use the head, just liquid this trip, and when I tried to flush, nothing happened. The pump handle had very little resistance. No liquid (pee) flushed nor did the toilet try to bring in fresh water either. Worked fine till I dropped that damn screwdriver!!!!! Lesson: take good advise and USE IT! So, can you help me with suggestions on this latest greatest problem? The make of the head is: Wilcox-Crittenden and it is the Head-Mate Seaclos model. Its about 4 years old now. Thank you in advance. David Underwood

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Where did the screwdriver land???

If it just went overboard, I can't imagine that it could anything but coincidence that your toilet quit working immediately afterward.No resistance at all when you pump leads me to guess that the o-rings in the pump have failed. Rebuilding it should solve the problem.Or...you've parked the boat in very shallow water (which is hard to do with a sailboat, but has been done) and sucked up some sand or grit. Either way, you're gonna have to open up the pump and see what's preventing it from pumping.Otoh, if the screwdriver landed in the toilet...???

 

[Stu Jackson]

WC Head Mate

FreebirdWe have one. It works fine, now. When we bought our boat in 1998 it wasn't working very well. I bought the rebuild kit for $90 and did the work, which anyway required the head to be removed.Last year I bought a whole new head pump kit for over $100 and slapped it in, needed to buy a special small ratchet screwdriver ($12) to get to the screw at the back of the pump assembly near the base of the china bowl.Many have written that it's cheaper to buy a whole new head. THEY ARE RIGHT. The new ones are listed in WM for around $150, but you can comparison shop with Defender and WM should honor it.Our china section is still OK, although I had to replace the plastic bolts that hold the seat onto the bowl. $1.20 at Ace Hardware.After all that, FORGET ABOUT REBUILDING. just buy anew one, it's a LOT LOT LOT easier, and you have to do all the %^%@#@#%&** work anyway.Been dere done dat. Stu

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Can't argue with a word you said, Stu

However, instead of replacing the HeadMate with another one, I'd spend a little more and replace with a PH II.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Peggie, I almost

included that. Only reason I didn't was that I didn't want our friend to get involved in changing his hoses out, yet.But, Freebird, you didn't say what kind of boat you have or what year. If it's a Catalina 34, we just started a new Fleet there on your Lake.If, as Peggie said, you want to improve your head to the best going, buy a PHII, drill new lag bolts and maybe the hoses you have will work.Stu

 

[David Underwood]

Thank you Peggy and Stu...

Well, I used a toilet plunger to push fluid thur the pump and into the holding tank.. many, many buckets of water with treatment chems. and finally got it clean enough to take apart. Ugh, what a nasty job. What I found was a small nut at the base of the pump (inside) that had come unscrewed from the pump shaft. The little wheel like part was at the bottom also, so, pushed it back up pass the threads, screwed the nut back on and tighten as much as I thought I could get by with and not break anything. "Why the hell they did not use a locking nut there"? I asked myself. Whats worse, I did not have one to use in place, but next time if there is one, I will. I'll look into the PHII heads, Thank you so much for your replys. O, by the way, that screw driver is in 45 feet of water, but I'm going to fix that problem with your suggestion. Thanks Peggy! and Thanks Stu.PS. Stu, she is a 1982 Hunter 33, lots of Catalina and Hunter boats on our lake.

 

[Bob]

Check through hull input

I had a similar problem two years ago. But it didn't happen "suddenly", but developed over time.Eventually my newly rebuilt pump gave way, due to overly anxious crew trying to get "everything down". Long story short, we kept a jug of water nearbye in the head. At haulout, we found a fairly sizable barnacle esconced in the throughull, which on my boat is only about 1/2 inch diameter.Last year we very carefully used a generous amount of bottom paint (the one for instrumwents) and did not have anything growing in any of the throughhull orifices!!I cam t othat conclusion (blocked throughhull) by removing the inlet hose from the through hull and inserted it into a bucket of water and saw it pumped pretty good. We also found a crack in the pottie housing at its base, which was also sucking air.We bought a new MSD last summer. No more problems. (knock on teak)Bob