Fixing the head

N

n4wwl

Member
Joined
May 11, 2007
RO Number
26241
Messages
6
OK, I feel like an idiot. My Jabsco head leaks from the bottom of the pump unit when the water pump is on and the bowl will not fill with water when pumped... although I can empty water from the bowl when pumping in the "dry bowl" position. The raw water seacock is open, but water fills the floor not the bowl.

I have a repair kit but don't fully understand the instructions and don't want to start pulling apart the unit as I'm not mechanically inclined and I'm sure I'll never get it back together properly. For example, the instructions say "Remove the 2 screws that secure the discharge flange that holds the discharge elbow and hose to the pump cylinder." How's that in English? Even with the picture identifying the parts, I don't trust myself enough to get it right. And such a cramped space is not ideal for working.

Does anyone fix marine heads? I'd rather pay to have it done right then mess it up further myself. People tell me it's easy, but those are the people who haven't seen me fix things before.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
Several thoughts as I just recently repaired my Jabsco electric toilet with a repair kit (gaskets, impeller etc.):
1. It sounds like you may be trying to do the repair with the toilet in place. It would be much easier to remove the toilet and do the repair on a workbench rather than in a crowded space down on the floor. If it's like mine ther are about 8 screws that attach it to the floor.
2. I know what you mean about the instructions not being very clear. But if you take your time and compare the written instructions to the exploded view it may make it clearer. Some of the parts in my repair kit were "improved" over the parts I removed which made it a little tricky.
Good luck.
 
Sounds like you've got a manual Jabsco head. How old is it? If it's more than 5 years old, it wouldn't really pay to try and hire someone to fix it - you can buy a new one for $129.00 if you catch a sale. Most marine plumbers charge in the neighborhood of $100/hr., plus parts, plus travel time. Some charge an even higher hourly rate. The manual Jabsco head is very popular with boat builders because it's not very expensive. However it isn't all that durable, and usually needs to be rebuilt every other year or so. Some people love 'em - I'm not one of those people...

In English, the discharge elbow is at the rear of the toilet's pump, where the large discharge hose connects. This is the larger of the two hoses connected to the head - the one that takes the toilet bowl's contents off to the holding tank. There is a flange with 2 bolts that secure this elbow to the rear of the pump. If you can't figure that much out, PLEASE don't try to fix it yourself - either hire someone to do it for you, or get a whole new head.
 
Do like I did and take the toilet apart and fix it. You will learn more about how it is put together so that next time it won't be so scary. My toilet was screwed to the deck and I replaced the badly corroded screws with ss through bolts. Not easy but felt that the toilet was more secure. Was fun reaching under the deck and putting washers and nuts on in the blind. Go for it and if you mess it up then call for help.
 
Thanks, Vic. Appreciate the plain English. I heard Jabsco's are not the most reliable. It's probably as old as the boat -- 17 years.

Silverton -- you provided a key bit of info that I was afraid of -- the bolts are attached underneath the deck. That alone gives me pause. I'm thinking I will just buy a new head... there is a sale on now for $129... and try to see if the new one lines up with the old one as far as the bolts go. If so, maybe I'll try and replace the unit unit myself.

Thanks.
 
Good luck with it and let us know how you make out. If you run into problems, give us a yell.

Have a great weekend!
 
Well, I did it! Bought a new head on sale at WM. Much easier to replace than to repair! The bolts aligned perfectly with the old one and did not attach with wingnuts under the deck, so no problem there. Took a bit longer than I anticipated because I had to detach the flange and turn the discharge elbow upside down to connect it to the discharge hose and stretch both hoses a bit to reattach them, but it works! Thanks for all the encouragement! Needless to say, the Admiral is now a happy camper.

Thanks again to all.
 
Good job; hope you're able to salvage the weekend! You should be good for a few years now!
 
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