The pump stoke on the manual Jabsco toilet becomes very hard to work. A small squirt of baby oil or vegitable oil into the bulb frees it quickly, but only for a short time, and I'm sure it's not a good idea to have oil floating on the surface of the tank contents (porbably cuts off the oxygen to the tank bactgeria). Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
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Jabsco Pump
I just replaced my pump. It was a relatively short and simple job to do. The new pump works as slick as possible. My old one was so stiff that I ultimately broke it pumping so hard. Now it is almost as if I'm flushing my toilet at home.
I just replaced my pump. It was a relatively short and simple job to do. The new pump works as slick as possible. My old one was so stiff that I ultimately broke it pumping so hard. Now it is almost as if I'm flushing my toilet at home.
We KEEP having this conversation...
Anything that's thin enough to pour down the toilet will just wash out in a few flushes. If you want to keep the pump pumping smoothly for an entire season, here's how...it's a 10 minute job: Buy a tube of thick teflon grease (available from any bicycle shop for a lot less than any marine source). It's the same lubricant that's in all toilets when they leave the factory...that lasts a season, maybe too. Remove the top from the pump. Depending upon the age of the toilet, that's done by either loosening the hex nut or removing 6 screws. Pur a healthy squirt of the grease into the pump...pump a few times to spread it all over the inside of the pump cylinder. Repeat if you think it needs more. Put the top back on, being very careful not to overtighten the screws...that will crack the pump housing. YOu're done till next spring, when you'll do it again as PREVENTIVE maintenance. That sound you hear is the rubber seals and o-rings being worn away by friction against the pump cylinder...waiting till you hear it or the pump becomes hard to pump is tantamount to waiting till your engine starts to smoke to add any oil. PH IIs need lubrication too. Unfortunately, they don't have a removeable top...you have to take the pump off the base and squirt the grease into it from the bottom, then set the pump back down. But it doesn't take any longer to do that than it does to take the top off a Jabsco and put it back. Steve, you just spent $100 to keep a $100 toilet working, when you prob'ly could have gotten at least one more year out of it for about $3.00--the price of tube of teflon grease.
Anything that's thin enough to pour down the toilet will just wash out in a few flushes. If you want to keep the pump pumping smoothly for an entire season, here's how...it's a 10 minute job: Buy a tube of thick teflon grease (available from any bicycle shop for a lot less than any marine source). It's the same lubricant that's in all toilets when they leave the factory...that lasts a season, maybe too. Remove the top from the pump. Depending upon the age of the toilet, that's done by either loosening the hex nut or removing 6 screws. Pur a healthy squirt of the grease into the pump...pump a few times to spread it all over the inside of the pump cylinder. Repeat if you think it needs more. Put the top back on, being very careful not to overtighten the screws...that will crack the pump housing. YOu're done till next spring, when you'll do it again as PREVENTIVE maintenance. That sound you hear is the rubber seals and o-rings being worn away by friction against the pump cylinder...waiting till you hear it or the pump becomes hard to pump is tantamount to waiting till your engine starts to smoke to add any oil. PH IIs need lubrication too. Unfortunately, they don't have a removeable top...you have to take the pump off the base and squirt the grease into it from the bottom, then set the pump back down. But it doesn't take any longer to do that than it does to take the top off a Jabsco and put it back. Steve, you just spent $100 to keep a $100 toilet working, when you prob'ly could have gotten at least one more year out of it for about $3.00--the price of tube of teflon grease.
My Experience
My pump moulding cracked at the pipe connections so I had to buy a complete new pump. Peggy's original suggestion that teflon grease fixed the problem for a season was true at that time, however the new pump (yr 2000) quickly seized up and the teflon grease treatment only lasted a couple of weeks. (Sorry to contradict you Peggy). Puzzled I put the old piston into the new pump and things got better but still not perfect. Curious I measured the pistons (ugh!). The old piston (1996) was smaller in diameter in the groove where the 'O' ring sits. It hardly needs to seal here as the pump motion seals it on top and bottom surfaces of the groove. One day I shall reduce the diameter by about 15 thou and see if this does the trick.
My pump moulding cracked at the pipe connections so I had to buy a complete new pump. Peggy's original suggestion that teflon grease fixed the problem for a season was true at that time, however the new pump (yr 2000) quickly seized up and the teflon grease treatment only lasted a couple of weeks. (Sorry to contradict you Peggy). Puzzled I put the old piston into the new pump and things got better but still not perfect. Curious I measured the pistons (ugh!). The old piston (1996) was smaller in diameter in the groove where the 'O' ring sits. It hardly needs to seal here as the pump motion seals it on top and bottom surfaces of the groove. One day I shall reduce the diameter by about 15 thou and see if this does the trick.
Worked, but only for a few days
Hi Peggie, and thanks for the advice. I used the teflon grease (a large gob of it) and it worked like a charm. I could operate the piston with only one finger! But now, only 5 days later, it's getting stiff again, as the grease has probably wiped away. Do you think either the pump chamber or the o-ring are bad? What to do? George
Hi Peggie, and thanks for the advice. I used the teflon grease (a large gob of it) and it worked like a charm. I could operate the piston with only one finger! But now, only 5 days later, it's getting stiff again, as the grease has probably wiped away. Do you think either the pump chamber or the o-ring are bad? What to do? George
My Experience
I think there is a big difference in lubes. I had a heck of a time finding Super Lube in the tube. So, I purchased a clear teflon lube in a jar. It worked great in the head for a while, but then it would start to get harder to pump and would make some noise. When I finally found Super Lube at a local ACE hardware, it worked like a champ and lasted for a season despite heavy use. I currently am almost out of the stuff and again am having a tough time finding a replacement. Peggy said try a bike shop. I went in to a very large one, and they just didn't have any product that wasn't low viscosity and the greases were not synthetic. I found that I can order some tubes on=line and shall. It is good for a lot of other boat stuff too. Rick D. PS: just came across a new product that sounds the same. Here is the link: http://content.loctite.com/viperlube/
I think there is a big difference in lubes. I had a heck of a time finding Super Lube in the tube. So, I purchased a clear teflon lube in a jar. It worked great in the head for a while, but then it would start to get harder to pump and would make some noise. When I finally found Super Lube at a local ACE hardware, it worked like a champ and lasted for a season despite heavy use. I currently am almost out of the stuff and again am having a tough time finding a replacement. Peggy said try a bike shop. I went in to a very large one, and they just didn't have any product that wasn't low viscosity and the greases were not synthetic. I found that I can order some tubes on=line and shall. It is good for a lot of other boat stuff too. Rick D. PS: just came across a new product that sounds the same. Here is the link: http://content.loctite.com/viperlube/
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