Noisy Crown Head II

[kipwrite]

I have a Crown Head II on my boat, and about two months ago the motor began to make quite a grinding noise upon flushing. The unit still works well, but the noise is pretty jarring. I've run some head lube down the chute, and this quiets things just slightly for a time - but it is still much, much louder than before.

Thinking someone might have dropped a small screw into the macerator, I attempted to remove the cover plate at the front of the unit, held fast by six small screws. When these screws were removed, the cover plate remained held fast - mysteriously - by something strong. I was reluctant to use a chisel or other form of brute force, lest I turn a noisy head into a complete mess. Perhaps the plate is corroded on, but I'm hesitant to just whack at it.

Now - the wife has asked again about this, and I'm stumped.

Any suggestions will be most appreciated.

[pjbsailing]

here is the link to the exploded view of the II
http://www.raritaneng.com/pdf_files/...eadIIv0702.pdf

Looks like the cover should come right off with a little force.