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Marine Head

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3477 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/16/2008 : 08:27:30

Any suggestions on model and company of head to replace my original?

Would you rebuild the pump or just buy a new one?

Ray in Atlanta, Ga.
"Lee Key" '84 Catalina 25
Standard Rig / Fin Keel

Edited by - on

farrison
Navigator

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USA
166 Posts

Response Posted - 05/16/2008 : 10:09:31

My 82 came with a Wilcox-Critenden. I rebuilt it two years ago and it still works great. The rebuild kit is $65-$75, i think. The only real problem mine had was that water leaked out of the seal arround the pump handle shaft. I actually fixed that with some teflon packing twine I bought at Home Depot for a couple of bucks.
I have a friend with an 79 27'fk that replaced his with a Jabsco unit last year. It also seems to be a good unit.

Paul

Edited by - on

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 05/16/2008 : 12:17:47

Mine came with a Jabsco from the factory. I was hit by a not-to-observant speed boater a few years ago and the force of the blow cracked the base of the head. I replaced it with a similar Jabsco and it has worked fine. If all it needs is a rebuild kit it may be owrthwhile to save your bucks for something special. On the other hand, I think my Jabsco only cost around $150 to $200. At the price of a kit - $60 to $70, a new unit may be best.

Edited by - aeckhart on 05/16/2008 12:25:46

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3477 Posts

Response Posted - 05/17/2008 : 08:08:23

I Think I'll try a new head today. The install looks pretty easy and I'll try it without changing the hoses. The head holding tank would fill up and I think water was coming in from the deck through the vent line so I added a whale backflow check valve and a new clear line form the tank to the deck. Now it does hold water above the valve so it seems rain water was coming in from the deck.

I'd like to move that vent outlet.

regards.ray

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 05/17/2008 : 08:22:20

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redeye
 I'd like to move that vent outlet.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Does the vent face fore or aft?

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3477 Posts

Response Posted - 05/17/2008 : 09:33:27

The vent was turned facing aft with a screen in it and the screen was almost corroded so I was suprised it would take in water, but the deck would hold 1/16 of an inch of water after it rained. I removed the screen.

I had the holding tank pumped but i did not check it. It is a black tank and damn hard to check. The tank was full soon after and it had been raining hard. I'm not sure the pumped ti dry or what, but it was fairly easy to add a new clear line. I like clear lines so you can see what is going on ( until they turn black)

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3477 Posts

Response Posted - 05/19/2008 : 09:51:12

Put in the new head (jabsco), replacing the CW from 1984. Not an easy job. Had to replace the incoming line and the line to the holding tank. The line to the tank was cracked and had a small leak from the line itself. Unscrewed the fitting into the tank and getting that line off and the new on on was difficult. The old line has wire in it and was difficult to cut. The old style through hull is pretty scary, can't wait to replace it.

regards.ray

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John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 05/19/2008 : 10:14:04

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redeye
 I Think I'll try a new head today. The install looks pretty easy and I'll try it without changing the hoses. ...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">I would imagine that changing the hoses would be best done at when you change out the head. (Says a guy that has never done either!) My experiences have shown that taking a "shortcut" when doing a major repair/improvement often comes around to bite one where one would rather not be bitten. I think this could be particlularly true with the head. For a relatively small amount of $$ and time, you won't have to worry abut hoses for a while.

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3477 Posts

Response Posted - 05/19/2008 : 11:01:54

The old black hoses were hard stiff and cracked. I just did not have the umph to change the pump out hose so I'm looking at that job soon so if anyone can advise please speak up. I did not even look at it.

I love working on boats but the head work is tuff...

Thanks

Edited by - on

knightwind
Navigator

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Canada
114 Posts

Response Posted - 05/21/2008 : 11:33:34

The wife tried the marine head for the first time too.
What do you do to get them ready to go? I was just gonna add a gallon or so of water to one of these blue marinehead bottlesofstuff and dump it into the intake port.

Also. Do you guys trust your water hoses are clean enough inside to drink from the boat faucets? My hoses look...ok...but not...pristine.
I though I might try flushing them with a vinegar solution first.

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3477 Posts

Response Posted - 05/21/2008 : 11:55:18

For the head, I was told just put some wesson oil on the pump handle and try to get it into the pump to lubricate it, but mine just took forever to pull water and also to pump ot back out. I think the pump valve was also shot.

The lines and fresh water holding tank need maybe 1 teaspoon of bleach. I'm afraid of my water and I would not drink from it until I replaced the lines and bleached and cleaned out the tank, or even put in a new tank. But my tank is 23 years old and I've only had the boat for about 4 years. I've never gotten to working on the onboard water. Other details are higher on the list ( to-hulls - wooden plugs - bottom job ) all the things that make a boat fun.

We bring gallons of water as needed and use the onboard freshwater tank for washing our hands, etc. I did not realize until this weekend that the sink across from the head apparently pulls water from the lake.

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 05/21/2008 : 12:09:16

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by knightwind
 The wife tried the marine head for the first time too.
What do you do to get them ready to go? I was just gonna add a gallon or so of water to one of these blue marinehead bottlesofstuff and dump it into the intake port.

Also. Do you guys trust your water hoses are clean enough inside to drink from the boat faucets? My hoses look...ok...but not...pristine.
I though I might try flushing them with a vinegar solution first.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Peter... I won't try to tell you how to use the head--mine is different... But most of us don't consider the on-board water supply to be for drinking--more for cleaning up. (Although a quarter cup of bleach is good for keeping it clear.) For drinking water on a weekend cruise, we'd freeze plastic jugs of water and use them in place of ice in the cooler. Periodically we'd remove a couple to melt for drinking.

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knightwind
Navigator

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Canada
114 Posts

Response Posted - 05/21/2008 : 14:11:14

Oh. So do you need to pump water from a tank to flush the thing? So I guess I need to fill up the main water tank in order to use the head. We have never used the controls on one of these. I figured you just pushed the handle to dump....but you have to pump it?

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3477 Posts

Response Posted - 05/21/2008 : 14:35:31

Marine Head setup is usually :

open forward seacock. flip lever on head and pump some water into the head ( from the lake/ocean ) pee, add some tank "cleaner/digester", flip the lever, pump the water out of the head, flip the lever, pump some more water in to clean, flip the lever, pump dry.

most work like this.

THEN CLOSE THE SEACOCK...

Edited by - on

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