Re: [VAL] tetford stool leak

["kodiak66joe" <kodiak66joe@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Paul & Pam,

Are you sure the leak is from the sliding flush valve and not the brass
water valve that is mounted to the steel plate above it?

We just got back from our first trip in our '66 Overlander.  Before we took
that first trip, the brass water valve leaked a ton all over everything
every time the toilet was flushed.  I had to replace the brass water with a
plastic valve from a newer Thetford Toilet (forget which one, but can look
it up if necessary) because no parts specific to the the old Thetford
Slide-O-Matic toilets used on 1964 to 1966 Airstreams seem to be reproduced.
It took a bit a modification, but I got it working.  I can give you more
details of what I did if you want to do the same.

Other cautions I heard when trying to figure out what to do are:

1.  Because the Slide-O-Matic toilet is mounted under the fiberglass
surround in the bathroom, there is no replacement toilet that will fit
without modification to the surround (i.e. cutting holes and or recontouring
the fiberglass).  The best idea is to try to keep the original toilet
working.

2.  The "pot metal" riser that the flush valve (and toilet bowl) sits on is
very fraglie and likley to break apart if you try to disassemble the toilet.
Replacements are not available (except from trailers that are being "parted
out".

Our toilet also leaks a drop of two out the shaft of the slide valve when
the toilet is flushed (and maybe when there's water in the bowl).  I chose
to live with it and put a sponge in a pan below it to catch the drips when
we're parked.  It's not bad enough to risk breaking the toilet riser or
other parts.

I hope this helps a bit.  I am new to all of this and certainly not an
expert, but I am willing to share my experiences.  Good Luck,

Joe (& Lorrie)
'66 Overlander