Fix for jabsco heads - hard to pump

[gregcope]

Hi

Our heads where getting very hard to pump. Jabsco lock plunger model. Plus when in empty mode (black handle pushed to the left), it sometimes hammered back at you.

I removed plunger and cleaned (had browny gunk on it) and then lubricated plunger and shaft (both inside and outside) with silicone grease.

Works better than when new! I had worried that using bleach and toilet duck had damaged the rubber, but just needed a clean and grease.

One of my best (only) 5 minute fixes. By some miracle it does not leak either...

The hammer issue was resolved by disassembly of the top part and cleaning the black/copper gasket.

Hope that helps someone in the future.

 

[pvb]

Jabsco toilets do benefit from a little TLC now and again.

 

[Poignard]

I pump a little cooking oil or olive oil through ours whenever it gets stiff. Which happens about every ten days when cruising. It's a cheap and easy fix.

 

[gregcope]

Ah. Good idea.

 

[Richard10002]

After messing about with refurbishing kits, opening up, and rebuilding... and continued leaking and sticking, I bought new pump parts for about £50 if things started to go wrong... it didnt happen often.

 

[Carmel2]

Bleach a no no.

 

[QBhoy]

Plenty of cod lover oil in your diet helps.....sorry...couldn't resist !

 

[gregcope]

After messing about with refurbishing kits, opening up, and rebuilding... and continued leaking and sticking, I bought new pump parts for about £50 if things started to go wrong... it didnt happen often.

Agreed. I brought a whole new head bit in the past as the cost was only a few £££ more than a service kit and it only takes a few minutes to swap.

 

[Carmel2]

After messing about with refurbishing kits, opening up, and rebuilding... and continued leaking and sticking, I bought new pump parts for about £50 if things started to go wrong... it didnt happen often.

At around £50, Can in ask were you buying them from?

 

[LittleSister]

New whole pump assembly for a Jabsco is about £67 + postage.

 

[johnalison]

I have used cooking oil etc in a Jabsco, but for some unknown reason my current one never seems to need it. It gets a little stiffer when used in fresh water, as in the Netherlands, but a pump-through with seawater gets it back to normal. Maybe the plankton helps to lubricate it.

 

[macd]

I pump a little cooking oil or olive oil through ours whenever it gets stiff. Which happens about every ten days when cruising. It's a cheap and easy fix.

With the 'twist & lock' version, it's literally a two-minute job to whip out the piston assembly and smear silicone grease on the O-ring. Lasts a lot longer than two weeks.

 

[Carmel2]

New whole pump assembly for a Jabsco is about £67 + postage.

Localy (Crete) they want €119 for them, and having them sent from the UK with p&p comes in at about the same.

Anyone doing better?

 

[Richard10002]

I was buying the pump or service kit in 2007. The service kit was about £30 + postage then.... and still is. The whole pump has increased in price, so £65-£70. Based on personal experience, in the Med, I'd do the same today.

 

[TQA]

There is a good chance that your outlet hose from the toilet to the holding tank or outlet is partially blocked often with scale.

Either buy new hose or remove hose and find a quiet spot with a wall and whack the hose against the wall to dislodge the scale.

 

[Mistroma]

With the 'twist & lock' version, it's literally a two-minute job to whip out the piston assembly and smear silicone grease on the O-ring. Lasts a lot longer than two weeks.

+1

I have 2 of them and only 6 screws to pop the top off & lube. with silicone grease. Pump clean, then pump dry and pull handle to very top before starting. This minimises water loss at top when removing the piston.

I only need to do this every 6-8 weeks with heads in daily use. I lube. at first sign of squeak or increased resistance so interval could be extended. I've heard other people say they use olive oil, cooking oil etc. but they seem to need it very frequently.