Shaft seal in a Jabsco manual pump head

[Aussie_Sequoia]

I am in Bora Bora with very limited access to boat parts and no more time to ship something in. The spring on the shaft seal in the threaded 'cap' on the pump housing on our manual Jabsco head has rusted out and now a little squirt of water shoots up through the hole in the 'cap' on each up-stroke.

The upstroke should be only seawater... but needless to say, my wife doesn't like getting squirted by any part of the head.

It looks like a typical oil seal, but it seams to be glued in place. I'd hate to destroy it completely trying to get it out only to find out that it is a specialty seal that I can not replace (then there would be a gush not a squirt).

Has anyone successfully replaced this little seal?

I have no photo of my own, but it is the black rubber shaft seal glued into the underside of this (not the black washer also in the picture):
Jabsco "Twist 'n' Lock" Toilet Seal Housing Assembly (1998-2007) - Toilet Parts & Kits - Toilets - Plumbing & Sanitation - Downwind Marine

[Jim Cate]

Aussie, yes, I have done just that, and it is a very standard seal. If I were at the boat I could give you the part number, but I am not...

So, what I did was to pry out the old one, and even though it was badly distorted in the process the seal shop was able to work out the replacement, and installation is simply tapping it back into the recess in the plastic bit.

Buy a couple of extras while you are there... they are less than two bucks each IIRC.

Easy peasy, mate, so good luck and no squirts!

Cheers,

Jim

[Aussie_Sequoia]

Cheers for that. Unfortunately I just asked at the yacht club and it seems doubtful that there's a single oilseal / shaftseal on Bora Bora.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Aussie_Sequoia

Cheers for that. Unfortunately I just asked at the yacht club and it seems doubtful that there's a single oilseal / shaftseal on Bora Bora.

Oops! I didn't notice your location, mate! Sorry about that.

However, there may yet be hope: try prying out the remains of the little spring and replacing with a similar size o-ring. I do this on all lip seals that are to be used in a salt water application from the get go, but see no reason that one could not retrofit the o-ring. And surely someone in the cruising fleet has an approximately right-sized o-ring...

Again, Good Luck!

Cheers,

Jim

[CPseudonym]

A quick and dirty fix would be to remove the o-ring and twist Teflon tape against itself into a rope like packing. Twist the now rope like packing several snug turns around the fitting into the o-ring location/groove till it takes about the same room as the o-ring and re-install.

It may not be completely sealed but should not squirt either. This may hold you till you get to a vendor. Like I said, quick and dirty not prim and proper.

Good luck

Edit: smear a bit of Vaseline style grease against the temporary packing to help seal. You can try this idea without removing the old o-ring first. Just do not wrap the tape on the threads.

[agk]

So... could anybody, please, provide the part # for a regular oil seal to replace the Jabsco shaft seal? I need one for a pre-1998 toilet model. I am tired of buying these Jabsco kits.
Thank you!

[trattles]

Can anyone provide me with the reference number for a standard replacement pump shaft lip seal on the jabsco twist n lock toilet, rather than having to buy the whole assembly from a Jabsco dealer.

[mrm]

There are several models, have a look here:
Spare Parts / Xylem JabscoShop - Jabsco & Rule Pumps and more - from the experts
and here:
http://www.jabscoshop.com/spare-parts/toilet/