"Head-Mate" Seaclos Rebuild?

[SEMIJim]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

You could always remove the internal hose, and put a longer straight hose on the the seacock, then with the hose above waterline, open the seacock.... and use a long stick or wire down the hose to clear the obstruction... that would removed the need to dive on it.

Hey, good idea! Thanks! Then I could attach the same hose to the pump, poke the other end into a bucket of water, and test the pump.

Originally Posted by sailingdog

BTW, if you do get the plugs,

Oh, I'm going to get the plugs, all right. I hope never to have to use them, but I also hope never to have to use my life insurance policy .

Originally Posted by sailingdog

put them in a plastic bag and attach the bag to the through hull with a line. Also, drill a small hole through the thickest portion of the plug, so you can use that same line to tie the plug in place in an emergency. The reason for the plastic bag is simple—softwood plugs are designed to swell up when they get wet and help seal them into the through-hull—so, you want to keep them dry until they are used.

Thanks for the tips!

Jim

[MHRitter]

I have a Wilcox Crittenden 1460-C I cleaned the Joker valve once in the spring of 2000 and now 2011 I bought a rebuild kit. I ended up tightening the #019596 Intake Valve cover too tight and it cracked and now leaks a little when I pump up water from the sea. The new Joker is great. I'll probably never find a replacement cover #019596 unless someone else has a used one. I'll look on e-bay next. In any case I now know why folks just by new units. Anyway to tell if the mounting hole patterns are the same for Jabsco and Seaclos (they sure look similar).

[GaryHLucas]

I have a little cheap advice. Before buying the rebuild kit look the head over very carefully for any major parts that are broken, cracked etc. Then try loosening all the fasteners to make sure none are stuck. If it passes this inspection then the rebuild kit makes sense. If it doesn't then you saved $50 towards a new head. Rebuilding heads is a necessary evil, no matter how much you spend for it. Taking it apart occasionally and checking that everything is okay is not a bad idea. One that hasn't been apart in a really long time often won't come apart without breaking something.

Gary H. Lucas