Switching head

[TXS-ALAMO]

My Rairitan PHII is leaking at the pump and has rust stains coming out of the housing. The cost of the rebuild kit is pretty high. I don't know whether to replace/rebuild or to just toss it and get another head. I have heard good things about the Lavac heads. Does anyone have an opinion about sticking with the Raritan or going with the Lavac? Silly me! On this site, everyone has an opinion; that's what the site is for!

[knothead]

Originally Posted by TXS-ALAMO

Silly me! On this site, everyone has an opinion; that's what the site is for!

You can say that again. Here's mine.
I've rebuilt my head a couple times. The result is usually satisfactory but shortlived.
The next time I think I will just replace the whole thing including hoses, and then, make sure it's never used.
I don't remember how much the kits cost in the past, and I don't know what they cost now. I don't even know what model I would purchase. I just know that it is a miserable job that I didn't enjoy,(not that I relish the thought of removing and reinstalling either).
Others will no doubt have had a different experience, (pehaps my head was of poor quality to begin with). I know that some brands are terribly expensive and it would be foolish not to rebuild something of quality.

[sailingdog]

If you're going to go with replacing the head... I would switch to the Lavac units. They seem to have far fewer problems than other heads and if you're switching out the head anyways, it might make sense to use the opportunity to upgrade to a Lavac. Do not get the electric Lavacs, as they seem to have a lot of problems that aren't seen with the manual units.

Having a head on the boat that isn't usuable is fairly pointless., especially if you have the fairer sex aboard.

I would replace all of the hoses with Odor-Safe hose as well. I would probably go make the head/holding tank system capable of pumping out to the ocean via the thruhull, provided you do ocean passages on your boat.
This last step is not necessary if you do not do ocean passages.

[mike dryver]

hi all!!!
i didn't think $309+change was cheap for a new raritan ph2 what ever the letters and nos are. i just replaced my old 1979 raritan with a new one because the electric pump seized up. it was put on by a prev. owner. anyway the new head works great per the admiral. i was going to get a rebuild kit for the whole old head (head and pump sys.) but the admiral said no. why don't rebuilds work for the old heads? what am i missing in the contexts here? if you replace what moves? and the seals all things being equal the rebuild should work as new or there abouts. no?
regards mike

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by mike dryver

hi all!!!
i didn't think $309+change was cheap for a new raritan ph2 what ever the letters and nos are. i just replaced my old 1979 raritan with a new one because the electric pump seized up. it was put on by a prev. owner. anyway the new head works great per the admiral. i was going to get a rebuild kit for the whole old head (head and pump sys.) but the admiral said no. why don't rebuilds work for the old heads? what am i missing in the contexts here? if you replace what moves? and the seals all things being equal the rebuild should work as new or there abouts. no?
regards mike

Generally the work involved in doing a complete re-build, and the amount of money spent, is not much less than simply replacing the head. Many people choose the spent the slight difference, and not have to open up the old head, and deal with the contents therein.

[mike dryver]

p.s. on last post. the reason i replaced the head was because the admiral was going to be at the boat at 4:30 pm. and at 2:00 pm i was in Me. at the supplier and could not get the head pump or head i needed, went toward home and my son, son's are great they make you think when you don't want to stopped at west marine portsmouth and they had rebuild kits for $58+- or a new head for $309. the admiral said she wanted the head working by the time she got there. new head finished 1 min. no joke before she called from the dock to get her. i will tell you i like the way the new one works verses the old you can pump it dry verses the old one.
anyway my 2cnts worth mike

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by mike dryver

p.s. on last post. the reason i replaced the head was because the admiral was going to be at the boat at 4:30 pm. and at 2:00 pm i was in Me. at the supplier and could not get the head pump or head i needed, went toward home and my son, son's are great they make you think when you don't want to stopped at west marine portsmouth and they had rebuild kits for $58+- or a new head for $309. the admiral said she wanted the head working by the time she got there. new head finished 1 min. no joke before she called from the dock to get her. i will tell you i like the way the new one works verses the old you can pump it dry verses the old one.
anyway my 2cnts worth mike

LOL, You owe your son big time... smart boy... I guess he takes after the Admiral.

[camaraderie]

LOL too!
Just a point of information...For the PHII...you can get the partial rebuild kit for $40-60 which lets you fix SOME things (not shaft seals for example), or you can buy the complete pump assembly (everything but the bowl) for about $160 at Defender (I imagine they would honor that price here as well). West wants about $250 for the same assembly. You don't have to pay $300+ for a whole new head if the bowl is in good shape.

[geary126]

Yeah, I just went through this. My friend Jeff had the same issue a week before, too. He bought the rebuild kit, and that didn't work, so then he went back to West and purchased a new head. Lost 3 hours plus 60$. So just cut to the chase, and bought a new Jabasco. So cheap, I can do it again in 2 years, plus possibility of easy upgrade to electric.

This was a no brainer. probably the only substantive thing one can do to a boat for less than $150.

[sailandoar]

James Baldwin (Two times circumnavigator): "The Foolproof Head"

Read Article: => http://www.sailnet.com/collections/a...eid=baldwi0013

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