pgchd
05-23-2005, 03:54
Thanks George Lowery, Jeff Miller and Randy Dupree for all the
"plumbing" help on the coach. I changed the "paddles" on Friday night
and the surgery was very successful.
George, the "dump" went fine and the screwdriver worked perfectly!
thanks again for the tip and all the info on our coach!
Jeff, thanks for the tip on knowing my "inlet from outlet"! Got a
package of plumbers silicone Grease from the local Hardware store,
worked great!
Randy, thanks for the paddles, they came in 1 day! Your mother in law
is "on the ball" dude! Please thank her for me. The "black tank"
replacement took about 25 minutes, that is the one where the cylinder
is vertical and out front. Could not find stainless screws because
those heads are "special" to fit the cylinder cutouts and gates so I
wire brushed and painted the old ones, will work fine until next year.
The "back cylinder" which controls the gray tank lies "horizontal" and
behind the y-pipe outlet and the wall of the compartment makes
installing the paddle a little more of a challenge but it can be done,
took me about 1hour for that one. Now they both operate with "two
fingers" like Jeff said and the old paddles we "destroyed" mis shaped,
causing the leakage/ sticking. Here is quick write-up for the back
cylinder in case anyone else wants to do this and has a setup similar
as my small way of giving back to the community for all the help:
1)-Let the air pressure bleed down it will make it easer for you. If
you do not and are in a hurry, the do this with the 'valve open" and
the black balled handle removed from the shaft to give you the extra
1/2 inch of working room you will need
2)- soak the screws in wd-40 then remove them with the "proper"
Phillips screwdriver to prevent stripping, should come out easy
3) move the entire piston assembly and gently remove the gate "cap"
be careful there is an oring on it and you do not want to damage it
4) with the assembly moved as far "right" as you can the paddle should
just be "sticking its top edge out of the gate before the shaft hits
the right compartment side wall, using the gate slowly rotate the
entire assembly unscrewing it from the paddle, you may need to start
the process with a 1/2 wrench on the piston shaft where the shaft
screws into the paddle, you will see where the wrench fits after you
"clean off" the grime.
5) when you have the whole assembly unscrewed for the paddle, it will
lift forward leaving the paddle in the gate. You can retrieve it with
a pair of needle nose pliers or hemostats, which is what I used
6) Lub up the new paddle with silicone grease and install back into
the gate about 1/2 way in with the outlet side facing away from the tank
(Jeff's tip)
7) Using your hemostats, hold the "top edge lip" of the paddle and
lock your hemostats, then slide the paddle into the gate so only the
top edge lip is exposed and the hemostats is hold the paddle from
going all the way into the gate. Don't worry if you mess up and the
paddle goes all the way in, just use the hemostats to retrieve it and
start again! yes it took me 2 times to get it right the first time
8) now using clean ungreasy hands/gloves gently align the piston shaft
assembly to the paddle, there is EXACTLY enough room to do this with
out sawing the right compartment wall open if you remove the shaft
handle/ball first! Gently hand screw the assembly into the paddle
until you to make sure you are not cross threading it, once you are
sure, then you can use the 1/2 wrench to screw the shaft all the way
in and the gate holds the paddle from spinning so now you can remove
the hemostats from the paddle lip
9) once the shaft is all screwed down, lub'er up ( sharft), replace
the gate cap and oring, screw the piston housing on to the gate and
you are all set!!!
"plumbing" help on the coach. I changed the "paddles" on Friday night
and the surgery was very successful.
George, the "dump" went fine and the screwdriver worked perfectly!
thanks again for the tip and all the info on our coach!
Jeff, thanks for the tip on knowing my "inlet from outlet"! Got a
package of plumbers silicone Grease from the local Hardware store,
worked great!
Randy, thanks for the paddles, they came in 1 day! Your mother in law
is "on the ball" dude! Please thank her for me. The "black tank"
replacement took about 25 minutes, that is the one where the cylinder
is vertical and out front. Could not find stainless screws because
those heads are "special" to fit the cylinder cutouts and gates so I
wire brushed and painted the old ones, will work fine until next year.
The "back cylinder" which controls the gray tank lies "horizontal" and
behind the y-pipe outlet and the wall of the compartment makes
installing the paddle a little more of a challenge but it can be done,
took me about 1hour for that one. Now they both operate with "two
fingers" like Jeff said and the old paddles we "destroyed" mis shaped,
causing the leakage/ sticking. Here is quick write-up for the back
cylinder in case anyone else wants to do this and has a setup similar
as my small way of giving back to the community for all the help:
1)-Let the air pressure bleed down it will make it easer for you. If
you do not and are in a hurry, the do this with the 'valve open" and
the black balled handle removed from the shaft to give you the extra
1/2 inch of working room you will need
2)- soak the screws in wd-40 then remove them with the "proper"
Phillips screwdriver to prevent stripping, should come out easy
3) move the entire piston assembly and gently remove the gate "cap"
be careful there is an oring on it and you do not want to damage it
4) with the assembly moved as far "right" as you can the paddle should
just be "sticking its top edge out of the gate before the shaft hits
the right compartment side wall, using the gate slowly rotate the
entire assembly unscrewing it from the paddle, you may need to start
the process with a 1/2 wrench on the piston shaft where the shaft
screws into the paddle, you will see where the wrench fits after you
"clean off" the grime.
5) when you have the whole assembly unscrewed for the paddle, it will
lift forward leaving the paddle in the gate. You can retrieve it with
a pair of needle nose pliers or hemostats, which is what I used
6) Lub up the new paddle with silicone grease and install back into
the gate about 1/2 way in with the outlet side facing away from the tank
(Jeff's tip)
7) Using your hemostats, hold the "top edge lip" of the paddle and
lock your hemostats, then slide the paddle into the gate so only the
top edge lip is exposed and the hemostats is hold the paddle from
going all the way into the gate. Don't worry if you mess up and the
paddle goes all the way in, just use the hemostats to retrieve it and
start again! yes it took me 2 times to get it right the first time
8) now using clean ungreasy hands/gloves gently align the piston shaft
assembly to the paddle, there is EXACTLY enough room to do this with
out sawing the right compartment wall open if you remove the shaft
handle/ball first! Gently hand screw the assembly into the paddle
until you to make sure you are not cross threading it, once you are
sure, then you can use the 1/2 wrench to screw the shaft all the way
in and the gate holds the paddle from spinning so now you can remove
the hemostats from the paddle lip
9) once the shaft is all screwed down, lub'er up ( sharft), replace
the gate cap and oring, screw the piston housing on to the gate and
you are all set!!!