Replacing Head

[totch]

Has anyone replaced the head in a Mk II Newport 30? If so how do you get the bolts out of the base? There doesn't seem to be any access for removal. Naturally I took the whole thing apart before I found out about that little detail. Any ideas?

[KeelHaulin]

You might have to cut an access hole on the vertical wall of the base that the toilet sits on. This was done on my Newport 41; probably when the head was last replaced. Just use a hole saw of the correct diamater to install a round inspection cover. My boat has a 3" hole which is barely large enough; if you can fit a 4" hole it would be preferable.

[BarryL]

Hello,

I had to cut an access hole when I replaced the head on my 1986 N 28. I cut in the vertical part an dcovered it with a SS grill. It looks fine and was easy to do.

Barry

[poore]

Fortunatly my newport 30 ll had a hole cut in the fiberglass that the head sits on.it was covered with teak if you dont have one cut a hole that you can get your hand and a wrench in.

[Stenn]

Why bother with an access hole under the base? I just replaced my old Jabsco with their latest model (all because the flange at the back of the pump isn't sold anymore....the 24 year old toilet was fine otherwise!!)....and I just let the old bolts drop down in the base and used lag bolts into new holes I drilled (the old and new bases weren't the same spacing anyway).....if the first head lasted 24 years, I'm not going to have to do this again, and the lag bolts are holding the new head down just fine....I globbed a little 5200 into each hole too, just to give the lag bolt's threads a little help.

[KeelHaulin]

A good reason not to use lag bolts is because the floor that the toilet sits on is cored. So if water (or any other fluids) leak around the toilet it can get down into the core of the toilet pedestal and cause it to rot out. This is especially true if you use lag bolts because there is no way for the water to escape if they form a tight seal against the bottom layer of fiberglass (the water will not drain out). I backfilled the old holes with epoxy and did the same with the holes for the new unit to prevent any rotting of the core. To do this you need access from underneath to plug the holes and tighten the new bolts when installed.

[Stenn]

KeelHaulin, I don't understand your response.

The lag bolts I'm talking about are like giant wood screws with a hex head on top that tights down onto the base of the new toilet and just digs into the fiberglass with those big "wood screw" threads....how would the pointed, "wood screw" ends that are going down into the fiberglass form or cause a seal in the underside of the pedestal, that would prevent any fluids from draining out of the core? And there didn't seem to be any concern for your point by Newport/Capital Yachts...the original bolts were not sealed between the toilet base and the bottom of the pedestal, and no sleeves through that pedestal and no presence of any sealant to prevent what you're envisioning. Have you actually seen this rot on a Newport, or is this ideal engineering theory?

Also, though your point is well taken (although it didn't look to me like the pedestal was "cored"), if a skipper were ignoring and allowing Head leaks of that magnitude in the first place, they'd have more to worry about than just the pedestal rotting.

Stenn