Hi Gary,
Since I've replaced the OEM Thetford gate valve with something more
reasonably priced, I'm compelled to ask you to verify that the lubricant
you used to free the gate was compatible with the rubber seal. To my
knowledge this rubber material is pretty tough, but not to all petroleum
chemicals. It's my thought that a penetrating oil would destroy the seal.
The gate would operate, but not seal under pressure. The pull rod is
subject to corrosion and freezes, the gate sticks to the seal due to lack of
proper lubricant. If you can separate the gate valve, it would be prudent
to replace the seal.
A replacement was necessary in my Safari due to bolts swelled by rust and
impossible to remove from the plastic. My task was to drop the tank for
floor replacement and construction of a new housing and frame repair.
Like you, I'm not yet tested any of my restoration for water integrity. You
can appreciate that I had to remove all the plumbing by cutting and use
unions and rubber couplings to get the thing back together in the very
confined space. I've not yet remounted the tub, commode or the sink
plumbing. Just need a little round-to-it time.
That said, if I were to do this again, I'd use an above floor black water
tank on which would sit the commode (like my '74 Argosy) or other later
models where the tank sits in a corner of the bath and the dump drops
outside the frame rail. The existing black water could be used as a gray
water tank. You might try to look at how the above floor black water tanks
are constructed. The tanks hold about 12 gallons and would seldom be filled
while traveling. I easily lost 100 pounds from the rear of the Safari when
I replaced the OEM charger with a Intelli Power and the OEM water heater
with a modern replacement. The porcelain Thetford sure looked nice, but
replacement seals are near impossible to replace, so I went with a modern
version that shed many pounds.
The replacement Dexter axle still rests on the ground outside the Safari .
. .
Hope this is of some use for your purpose.
Regards, '69 Safari, Joy