Trouble dumping the black tank

[bobpie]

In an attempt to dump my tanks today I found that the black valve had not closed properly. What a mess. No Pun intended. The valve would not close. Even after I managed to get the tank drained, while flushing it the water kept comming out even the valve handle was closed. I stopped by camping world and purchased a new valve. Now to change it. How in the world do you even get to the thing? Its way up behind the panel in the service bay. Do you have to remove the panel? Do you just work under the panel? My dealership went out of business a couple of years ago. I don't know if the valve is bad or it is the cable attatched to the valve, as it has aways been harder to dump the black tank than the grey tank. It looks like a job that I can handle but I need some direction, Please. Not much info on a search of this.

[RJay]

I suggest if your going to change one valve that you change both at the same time. I had to do this on my 2000 suncruiser. To start, you have to remove the front water panel. The water lines have to be removed from the back of the panel. Then the screws that hold the panel in place have to be removed. I would suggest that you make sure the tanks are empty then tilt the motorhome so any remaining contents flow to the back of the tank while you are changing the valves. The cable to the valves are quite long on the Suncruiser so plan where they go carefully otherwise they will bind. Mount the cable support clamp as close to the valve as possible so the wire within the shield doesn't flex or bend. When you connect the wire to the valve be sure it won't come loose or slide making the vale inoperable. Last but not least, lubricate the cable liberally so it operates smoothly within the shielding. You don't need special tools and the hole job should take about 3 to 4 hours depending on how much difficulty you have reaching behind the panel.

[KIX]

On my coach removing the side panel of the compartment in front of the wet bay gives access to the valves. Not enough access to change a valve but to be able to remove the whole manifold and then change the valve seals.

[AFChap]

On many, you can get a little better access by removing the compartment wall immediately in front of the sewer bay, then remove styrofoam insulation to get to the valves. (Put the styrofoam back when finished). Even then, I replaced just the seals rather than the entire valves (so I did not mess with the cables, etc).

I also have had to re-do the outside end of the cables because that end came loose on both. I secured them with two small clamps tied together with wire ties.

[bobpie]

It appears to be that the cable has gone bad. I disassembled the 3" drain valve and the cable accuator. The old slide valve was a bit more harder to operate than the new valve so I changed it out. I had to cut off about an inch off the outter winding of the cable and then cut off the same length of the solid inner wire. Reinstalled it and it didn't opperate, I removed it and tryed again. This time success. Re routed the cable handle and bolted it fast. I did all this just reaching under the steel panel of the storage box. Not to easy but doable. I added water through the flush system and drained, opened, and closed the valve. It works smoothly. I also sprayed white lithium grease on the cable etc. The old valve was still good but I changed it anyway. U need metric and standard wrenches and allen wrenches to do the job. I don't have any side panels or other access to this area from the rear electric cabinet so I reached up and in from the same cabinet. I called camping world first to C if they had the cable etc. they did not. Oh yea, I had to use worm clamps and 1 of the bolts from the new valve to secure the outter casing jacket of the cable to the solid steel end of the handle to keep it from just pushing away as U closed the valve handle as this is the part that broke. the better half said let go camping.

[bobpie]

Thanks for the report.