Yet another RM69 thread!

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Chuckle54

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My GK29 is fitted with a RM69 heads. Apparently it was fitted under 2 years ago and along with the rest of the yacht sat neglected for over 14 months. My problem is it wont wet flush. I've wasted hours reading every article and forum post on the net and have tried everything to no avail. I've opened and closed the seacock repeatedly to ensure it operates correctly. I've disconnected the intake hose and used the dinghy pump to clear any blockages. I've reconnected the intake pipe and used the dinghy pump and witnessed a steady stream of air bubbles coming up from the thru hull fitting. I've disconnected the short white pipe from the pump to the bowl to ensure that's not blocked and again have used the dinghy pump to make sure the bowl is notblocked. I've removed the pump, cleaned the bore and all the mating surfaces which I've smeared with vaseline (yes, I know I should have used synthetic teflon grease). I've replaced all the gaskets and have rebuilt the pump TWICE!
The result? NOTHING. There is no pressure on the pump handle so a vacumn is not being formed to draw in sea water. It does flush with half a bucket of sea water dumped into the bowl.
I am coming very close to ripping the whole thing out and starting again. Any ideas. I'm about to take it all apart to check I havent done anything stupid.
 
Chuckle54 said:
My GK29 is fitted with a RM69 heads. Apparently it was fitted under 2 years ago and along with the rest of the yacht sat neglected for over 14 months. My problem is it wont wet flush. I've wasted hours reading every article and forum post on the net and have tried everything to no avail. I've opened and closed the seacock repeatedly to ensure it operates correctly. I've disconnected the intake hose and used the dinghy pump to clear any blockages. I've reconnected the intake pipe and used the dinghy pump and witnessed a steady stream of air bubbles coming up from the thru hull fitting. I've disconnected the short white pipe from the pump to the bowl to ensure that's not blocked and again have used the dinghy pump to make sure the bowl is notblocked. I've removed the pump, cleaned the bore and all the mating surfaces which I've smeared with vaseline (yes, I know I should have used synthetic teflon grease). I've replaced all the gaskets and have rebuilt the pump TWICE!
The result? NOTHING. There is no pressure on the pump handle so a vacumn is not being formed to draw in sea water. It does flush with half a bucket of sea water dumped into the bowl.
I am coming very close to ripping the whole thing out and starting again. Any ideas. I'm about to take it all apart to check I havent done anything stupid.
Click to expand...

Just a thought.

It has not been installed with an antisyphon loop and vent valve in the pipe between the seacock and the pump has it? If so it will suck in air not water!
Any such loop and valve should replace the short hose you mention between pump and the toilet.

There are some good "how to fix" videos on the Jabsco site , but difficult to find. Ill try to locate and post a link later........... they might help to understand how this type of toilet works.
 
Last edited:
There's no anti syphon valve in the loop - I was actually thinking of adding one! Would appreciate a link to the videos. I'm beginning to think the pump body is warped.
I've watched just about every video on youtube
 
VicS said:
Just a thought.

It has not been installed with an antisyphon loop and vent valve in the pipe between the seacock and the pump has it? If so it will suck in air not water!
Any such loop and valve should replace the short hose you mention between pump and the toilet.

There are some good "how to fix" videos on the Jabsco site , but difficult to find. Ill try to locate and post a link later........... they might help to understand how this type of toilet works.
Click to expand...

They did not take long to find.

See the "Jabsco How-to Videos" here http://jabscotech.com/
 
Chuckle54 said:
There's no anti syphon valve in the loop - I was actually thinking of adding one! Would appreciate a link to the videos. I'm beginning to think the pump body is warped.
I've watched just about every video on youtube
Click to expand...

The fact that it pumps out Ok suggests nothing major wrong with the pump. I'd direct my attention to the valve assembly that controls the flush water .

Seal on the top of the pump OK ?
 
It will either be a damaged inlet non return valve of the piston and or shaft seal damaged.

Very often rubber seals go hard due to non use and can even stick to the inside of the cylinder and when operated damage the seal.

Strip the top of the pump down and inspect the seals
 
Rogershaw said:
It will either be a damaged inlet non return valve of the piston and or shaft seal damaged.

Very often rubber seals go hard due to non use and can even stick to the inside of the cylinder and when operated damage the seal.

Strip the top of the pump down and inspect the seals
Click to expand...

Almost certainly the in/out flap which has a brass type seal on it has been installed upside down/wrong way round. I know - I've done it.
 
Sounds like the pump, possibly the flap valve stuck in the open position. Dismantle, clean and reassemble the pump.
 
Caladh said:
Almost certainly the in/out flap which has a brass type seal on it has been installed upside down/wrong way round. I know - I've done it.
Click to expand...

Hope you're right. Wouldn't be the first time I've done something DUMB! Back to the yacht this afternoon and I'll dismantle the pump again.
 
Chuckle54 said:
My GK29 is fitted with a RM69 heads.



I am coming very close to ripping the whole thing out and starting again. Any ideas.
Click to expand...


If you do, replace it with a Lavac, it was probably what Westerly fitted in the firs tplace.

Correctly installed you can wave goo dbye to toilet troubles with minimal maintenance only required to the pump.

s7679-heads.jpg
 
Was the pipework also replaced? If so, is the loop in the inlet higher than it used to be?

I had exactly this problem. Lowered the loop by about an inch and hey presto it started working again.

Don't think you can get very much welly out of these pump so doesn't seem to take much for them to stop working. No idea if Jabsco pumps have any more ooomph than RM69?
 
Vic...the short white hose Chuckle refers to is I think the flush pipe that sends pumped in water to the rim of the bowl so I'm not sure you can put a valve in there anyway. My RM69 on my old boat had loops and vents and worked fine.

OP-it also used to throw a wobbly every couple of years. IIRC I used to have to "prime" the pipes with water, and also the old trick of pouring olive oil in worked well too.

Have you tried disconnecting the in and out pipes and putting your hand over the end to see whether it's not sucking or not blowing as such?

On funny observation with working on heads. At the beginning I tend to find I'm there, wearing latex gloves, picking carefully over parts of the loo with impeccable hygiene and precision, looking like I'm some kind of brain surgeon or forensic scientist. Two hours later, all that will be out the window, the ripped tatters of the gloves will be hanging around my wrists, there will be several open cuts from that jubilee clip I didn't see, and clearly the best way to check for leaks will be to put that hose in my mouth and blow hard, which of course means I'll have to put my sandwich down for.

Is it just me?
 
Iain C said:
Vic...the short white hose Chuckle refers to is I think the flush pipe that sends pumped in water to the rim of the bowl so I'm not sure you can put a valve in there anyway. My RM69 on my old boat had loops and vents and worked fine.
Click to expand...

I am assuming you would do the same with the RM toilet as you do with a Jabsco. Namely replace that short connection with a longer one to form the antisyphon loop with the vent valve fitted at the highest point.
 
Sailed on a boat with a lavac never had any attention except cleaning and pipe replacement it just worked for the 12 years I sailed on it.Did a delivery on a club boat for a week jabsco worked fine,six weeks later had the boat first job was to sort out the toilet not too difficult if chandler stocks full set of spares but could have been worse in more remote parts of Scotland.It may make sense to buy a replacement pump assembly at circa £90 every couple of years than fiddle with replacement valves.If replacing valves take pictures as you dismantle much quicker to reassemble.On my new old boat their is a good new jabsco but will get rid if it ceases to behave.
 
VicS said:
I am assuming you would do the same with the RM toilet as you do with a Jabsco. Namely replace that short connection with a longer one to form the antisyphon loop with the vent valve fitted at the highest point.
Click to expand...

So Vic, are you saying it should have a loop on that pipe, the out pipe, but not the in pipe?
 
VicS said:
If you do, replace it with a Lavac, it was probably what Westerly fitted in the firs tplace.

Correctly installed you can wave goo dbye to toilet troubles with minimal maintenance only required to the pump.

s7679-heads.jpg
Click to expand...

I fitted a Lavac in my Stella and it worked without a problem until I sold the boat 17 years later.
Current boat had a Lavac when I bought it 18 years ago, still not had a moments problem despite complete neglect and abuse.
Think of all the fun I have missed repairing other makes!
 
Iain C said:
So Vic, are you saying it should have a loop on that pipe, the out pipe, but not the in pipe?
Click to expand...

If the toilet is below the heeled water line both flush water inlet and waste outlet should have vented anti-syphon loops.

The flush water inlet vented loop should replace the short connection between the pump and the bowl which is normally fitted to the toilet when supplied

If the vented loop is between the inlet sea-cock and the pump air will be sucked in when you attempt to flush.

If the toilet is always above the waterline vented loops are not required.
 
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