old avon valve - difficulty unscrewing

bikedaft

bikedaft

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hi

old avon dinghy with A7 valves;

http://www.rib-shop.com/a7-b7-valve-service-kit/

2 of the three (one on seat too) fell apart, managed to fix one by unscrewing big plastic nut, turning valve around, putting on new "mushroom head" etc (as per instructions at bottom of link) ie without cutting dinghy fabric open

however i cannot unscrew the last big plastic nut/on tight. i have a big shifter, not (ab)using) moles etc.

i think there is a special tool that i can put through the (broken) valve to lock it/lever against?

does anyone have one or a pic so that i can make one up?

or is there something easy i am missing? etc

many thanks
 
leave dinghy out overnight in cold temperatures

pour boiling water over valve assembly, especially big plastic nut

apply elbow grease

:-)

that's been bothering me all winter :-)
 
Hi bikedaft, I came across this thread while trying to solve a similar problem. I have an old Avon with a seat that will not hold air. The A7 valve leaks. The dinghy came with a spare B7 or C7 valve.

Like you, I cannot get the nut lose and will try the hot water after cold night trick. But once the nut is off, have you any idea of how to get the old valve out of the hole or get the new one in?
 
The plastic spindle snaps, and the mushroom part of the valve dropped inside in all three of the old valves. I never managed to recover them, they are inside for good now. Unscrew the big nut on the outside, the valve body is then loose. Insert new spindle from outside. Turn body through 180 deg, screw new mushroom onto new spindle. This is the tricky bit, bronze insert in mushroom onto polyethylene stem, v easy to crossthread. Finger tight as tight as you can, reverse valve body, screw on big external nut.

When you get the nut off, and start turning the valve around, it seems impossible, but it is not that bad, just takes time. Better than cutting a big hole in a good dinghy...
 
Thanks Bikedaft, I have seen how to do this on youtube videos but I have a different problem. I really want to remove the whole valve and replace it with new one. I realise that this is not wht you were doing but hope that someone reading this has done the job and can share the method.
 
Sorted it today. I got the big nut off and reversed the valve and saw that the mushroom looked a bit squint. On trying to unscrew it, the stem broke so I removed the mushroom and reversed the valve to remove the stem. So I thought that all I need now is the repair kit.

Then the penny dropped. I took the spare C7 valve and removed the mushroom from the stem then removed the stem. Voila! the basis of a repair kit. Fitted it to the A7 valve in the seat and re-assembled. Blew up the seat and it is still firm.
 
Bodach na mara said:
Sorted it today. I got the big nut off and reversed the valve and saw that the mushroom looked a bit squint. On trying to unscrew it, the stem broke so I removed the mushroom and reversed the valve to remove the stem. So I thought that all I need now is the repair kit.

Then the penny dropped. I took the spare C7 valve and removed the mushroom from the stem then removed the stem. Voila! the basis of a repair kit. Fitted it to the A7 valve in the seat and re-assembled. Blew up the seat and it is still firm.
Click to expand...

magic :-) happy rowing/sitting on your fixed seat...
 
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