looking for itty-bitty part

[Carlos12790]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]Hey all:

Just fired up the head for the first time a few days ago on my recently-bought 83 Catalina 25. It leaks - little gushes - from the pump on the draw stroke. What is the standard fix for the trusty Wilcox-Crittenden HeadMate? I see that Catalina Direct offers a head repair kit for $65. Does anyone have experience with this model, and is it possible to just get a replacement packing nut/ rubber washer for the pump handle shaft? Is this something I could likely find at a plumbing parts store?

Practical Sailor says this head is one of those bottom-of-the-line units that was ubiquitous in a million boats a few decades ago, and to get something better. I'm wondering if it's just worth it to get a better unit, like the Jabsco . Suggestions welcome...

Thanks,

Carlos
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[Steve Dion]

Yes, that is true! Now they just throw in a Jabsco.

Just replace it!

 

[Stu Jackson]

It's hard to see in the picture, but there should be a small nut under the handle around the shaft. Tighten the nut a little bit and the water will stop. The WX Head Mate is "middle of the line" and much better than a Jabsco (a bucket is better than a Jabsco!). Too bad they stopped making the WX.

 

[zeehag]

hay!!
i have a jabsco and it works.....



for now...

 

[Bill Murray]

Replace it -- But -- check out all of the threads on this topic - especially Peggy Hall's ----- When you replace it, save money by spending a little more at the outset. Do not buy a JABSCO (cheap junk which the maintenance costs will quickly outpace what you spend to buy good stuff) - buy a Raritan from this site - best equipment/ good price too .. and you may be able to buy the conversion kit and re-use your existing bowl.

 

[Carlos12790]

Stu -

I tightened the nut as tight as I could by hand and it made no difference. Next step is to gently push on it with a wrench (I'll be at the boat today.) Maybe that's all it needs, but as someone in another forum mentioned, if one thing is starting to go it might indicate the beginning of the end of this particular head's life-span, almost 30 years old at this point.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Carlos

 

[Bill Murray]

zeehag is right -- Jabscos work and can be maintained to keep working -- problem is that the maintenance parts cost nearly as much as new unit. In fact a few years ago, WM had a sale where the complete new unit was less than the price of a complete rebuild kit!

 

[kloudie1]

There is a little standard lip seal in the top nut that seals on the pump shaft.. The good thing is that the water that leaks out is sea water!.(so ya really don’t have to fix it immediately. . If you want to fix just that leak for about $5, take the nut off and take the seal out. Then take it to someplace like “Motion Industries” (yellow pages under packing and seals) and get a new seal .. try to get VITON if they have it.. will last a lot longer.. also try to get a stainless spring in the seal instead of chromed steel.

 

[Bill Roosa]

O-ring seal

It has an O-ring seal. To replace costs ~$1.00 for parts. Take the old one with you to the store to make sure you get the right diameter.
If you unscrew the handle by grabbing the shaft with pliers (protect the shaft finish with a rag) then unscrew the nut where it is leaking you will find an O-ring inside the nut. GENTLY TEASE it out with a toothpick (not a sharp object like a knife). Home depot has O-rings in plumbing.
Don’t forget to turn off the raw water before doing this as a leak may result.

 

[BobM]

When in doubt

It has an O-ring seal. To replace costs ~$1.00 for parts. Take the old one with you to the store to make sure you get the right diameter.
If you unscrew the handle by grabbing the shaft with pliers (protect the shaft finish with a rag) then unscrew the nut where it is leaking you will find an O-ring inside the nut. GENTLY TEASE it out with a toothpick (not a sharp object like a knife). Home depot has O-rings in plumbing.
Don’t forget to turn off the raw water before doing this as a leak may result.

Lubricate it with some vaseline. My Delta kitchen faucet just started to leak and the darn thing is only a year old. Disassembled, re-coated the o-rings with vaseline and reassembled. Brand new.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Replace the toilet!

Thetford Norcold discontinued the entire W-C line at the end of '08...so any money you spend on a toilet that was next to the bottom of the marine toilet food chain (Jabsco IS the bottom) to start with will only be money you could have put into the new toilet you're gonna have to buy soon anyway...and the hoses you'll prob'ly need too.

Go with a Raritan PHC "conversion" sbo.com PHII PHC LBA You'll spend a little more now, but it'll give you 20 years of reliable trouble-free service if you only keep it well lubricated and rebuild it every 5-6 years.

Never use Vaseline or any petroleum product in marine plumbing (or rubber gaskets in a kitchen faucet at home either)...it's destructive to the rubber parts in toilets and reduces hose resistance to odor permeation. The damage occurs over time, so you prob'ly won't connect your use of petroleum to equipment failure.

 

[butchrobbins]

are u a diy? If not, just go ahead and replace the whole thing. Probably isn't $100 difference in kit and whole unit. Labor about the same.

 

[Carlos12790]

Thanks

Great advice all.

I took the nut off (seemed to be nylon) the pump handle shaft and started to dig out the seal. I saw that there was a notable gap around the shaft. Then I began thinking....

I took apart a little bit of line I had lying around, and unraveled a few strands about 1/16" thick. I have a hunk of beeswax for various things, got it warm in the sun, the drew the line through it, and worked the wax in with my fingers. (I was thinking of the old-style oakum caulking used for log cabins.) Wrapped about four or five turns around the shaft tightly, and tightened up the nut.

Wow - finger-tight, and no leakage. And I didn't have to go on a hardware store hunt. I'm sure I'll need to tighten this down as it settles in, but it's a great fix for now.

Coincidentally, I chatted with a guy who had just replace his head with a Raritan. He gushed praises for it (like the pun?) Several other folks in the marina have this model and told him to skip the others and just get it. Also, he had some questions and called them, and he was most impressed with their customer service.

So I think when the WC (that's Wilcox-Crittenden) looks like it's hit the wall, I'll go with that conversion kit.

Carlos