I had to remove the black water tank on my 67 tradewind because the
angle iron the held it in place was rusted through underneath the gate
valve. Now I need to fix or replace the Thetford valve. The valve has
a metal back, and I was able to get a conversion kit to make it a
plastic back. The plastic back has a better gasket design that forms a
tight seal against the slide plate. The problem is that it is thicker
and the studs permanently mounted in the tank side of the valve mount
don't protrude through the converted valve. I can't put a nut on the
studs.
Using the gaskets from the kit and the original metal back doesn't
result in a tight seal. I have not been able to find a metal backed
replacement valve. At this point I am left with only one solution that
I can see. Glue the converted valve onto the studs. This will work,
but the solution is forever. If the valve ever needs to be worked on in
the future, the tank will have to be replaced. This seems like a long
term risk.
Before I start mixing epoxy, has anyone found a better solution to this
problem?
Best Regards,
Jim