Help Identifying Head: 1978 32' Islander Mkii

[mattdpeterson]

Hello all.. I need a bit of help.

The head on my 1978 32' Islander MKii no longer primes with fresh water (lake boat). It still pumps fine if I pour some water in.

I'm assuming that a pump rebuild is in order, but I'm having trouble identifying the head.

I've been told it was a groco, but when I sent the attached photos to groco they said it wasn't one of theirs. I'm waiting to hear back from Jabsco, but my gut still tells me it's a groco.

Any help you could provide would be much appreciated. Photos are here:
https://goo.gl/photos/aQSPU5wEbBFeGZxF8

 

[SFS]

Peggie Hall is our resident expert on all things related to heads. She is on the site a lot, and will no doubt weigh in when she sees this post. Whatever she says is all you need to know.

 

[mattdpeterson]

Looks like I have a Jabsco Model 59128. Now just need to determine the method to get the sucker priming and pumping again.

Thanks SFS!

 

[SFS]

How did you figure it out?

Edit: Never mind, I just read Peggie's post.

 

[Benny17441]

It looked to me like a Wilcox Crittenden Headmate #1460. It looks like one I had installed 10-12 years ago and I just found the paperwork but I could be wrong. It does not look to me like a Jabsco but if you have a positive ID from the manufacturer that should supersede my impression. The good thing is you should be able to find a rebuild kit. Peggie can probably point out the fouled part and advise you on where to find the kit.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Ben's right...it's a Wilcox-Crittenden Headmate, discontinued--along with every other W-C product nearly 10 years ago.



You can still get a rebuild kit and some parts for it, but I don't recommend putting ANY money into a toilet that old...parts that can't be replaced are worn out. You can prob'ly get it to bring in flush water again, but it's no longer even flushing anyhere near as efficiently it did when it was new (which wasn't that great then). It's time to give a decent burial and replace it. The best choice today is the Raritan PH SuperFlush: raritan ph superflush @ Defender the newest version of the Raritan PH II, which has been the top rated manual toilet for more than 30 years.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

OMG Benny, we're both wrong! It IS a Jabsco 59128--a Canadian version called the Brydon Boy that was discontinued in the early '80s. Just for fun I googled Bryden Boy pump and found this photo in an eBay listing...t's an exact match for the pump in Matt's photos. The label on the top of the pump is the give-away. I think we were both taken in by the same handle on both of em.



Jabsco supported it with a few parts and a "universal" rebuild kit that fit it and the SeaLand 751 and 752 (discontinued in the late '80s) till the early 90s...nothing is still available for it any more. So the rest of my advice still stands, Matt...it's definitely time for a new toilet.

 

[SFS]

After that unconditional endorsement I gave to Matt about you, and you pick TODAY to be....................momentarily mistaken?

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

I'm so sorry...I hang my head in shame! But at least it was only momentary...If I hadn't decided to try to find a photo of the Brydon Boy pump, the reputation that's taken me 25 years to build would be down the toilet in a single post!

 

[Ron20324]

I'm so sorry...I hang my head in shame! But at least it was only momentary...If I hadn't decided to try to find a photo of the Brydon Boy pump, the reputation that's taken me 25 years to build would be down the toilet in a single post!

(Like Gretta Garbo) Reahlly Peggy, just Reahly. Where IS yourh head these days? Oh, wait a minute...

 

[Benny17441]

I'll share some of the blame, it did look a lot like the Wilcox. I suspect the similarities did not come about by simple coincidence. Good call Peggie.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Nope...none of the blame is yours, we jumped to the same conclusion at the same time. It was the pump handle and a similar label on the top of the pump that led us both in the wrong direction. If Matt hadn't asked Jabsco and gotten a reply from them--and posted it!--it would never have occurred to me that we could be wrong.