Dropping Toilet Bolt into Blacktank

rockintom · 09-01-2009, 01:56 PM

A very good friend accidently dropped a toilet attaching bolt down into the black tank. He lifted the trailer up in front and tried flushing the black to no avail. Here's what I told him, Anyone got any better ideas? We need to team up to help. We are powerful together! Here's what I sent him.

After thought, I think I'd take it in a logical fashion, easiest first, then make the next move. Here's the approach I'd do.

1. Jack up the front of the rig. Fill the black tank with water with the flusher and get it reasonably full. Then drain the black. Hopefully by having the tank full you'll get a fast flow and move the bolt out. May have to coarsely screen the black water, with maybe chicken wire, or something to see if you got that damn old bolt. Are you with me???

2. Wonder if you could have a very strong magnet on a handle of some sort and attempt to go thru the valve access panel area and run along the bottom of the tank and get it to the drain outlet area. May be difficult to get this between the insulation and the tank, but worth a shot. Then do another full fill flush as indicated in item 1.

3. If all above fails, remove the black valve (which would include the sewer manifold), and go up inside with a strong magnet and handle like above. (I would have a fresh set of blade seals on hand, as when tampering with these valves.....I found that they leak some internally after disturbing the valves.)

4. If that doesn't work.......leave the bolt in there......if you can't get it out by ways listed above, chance are, it ain't going no where. I would however be cautious on quick closing of the black valve when dumping, just in case it gets in the way. That may damage the plastic blade and cause an internal leak and would have to be replaced if not closed carefully.

Let me know how this comes down. Wished I was there to help.

May not be a bad idea to call PI and talk with Jack or Ralph and see what they say. Only the cost that of a phone call.

Tom

RustyJC · 09-01-2009, 02:10 PM

Has he already tried holding the toilet flush valve open and going down into the black tank through the toilet with a magnet? I wouldn't think the bolt would have moved too far from where it fell (OK, I'm an optimist - with my luck, the bolt would be brass).

Rusty

rockintom · 09-01-2009, 02:16 PM

Rusty,
Thanks. I thought of that first, however, he said the drain has a pretty big bend in it and it would be difficult to get a magnet down that way into the tank. rockin'

BookIIRoadtrash · 09-01-2009, 02:17 PM

I would not worry about any thing that drops into the black tank unless it was a piece of jewelry…I had one of those toilet bowl fresheners that hang on the side of the bowl and that fell in one day, low and behold six weeks latter I found it in my sewer hose…I have dropped the caps for the chemical several time….I just don’t think the odds of that bolt stopping at the gate of the valve and preventing the valve to completely close is very slim..if the bolt comes out it will be in the bottom of the sewer hose…

Flagelpater · 09-01-2009, 02:21 PM

I like option #4. Could be stainless also. After a bumpy drive with some water in the tank it should migrate to the lowest point, the valve area.

rockintom · 09-01-2009, 02:21 PM

Thanks for your input B2. I'm thinking the down the same lines. rockin'

GaryKD · 09-01-2009, 02:22 PM

This is another vote for leave it in the tank. Go to your favorite hardware store and get another bolt. Worry not, like all things in life, the bolt will pass.

rockintom · 09-01-2009, 02:30 PM

Thanks all.....just got a email back and he says the bolt is brass and not magnetic. So much for that idea. rockin'

Any others have ideas or comments?

Rsteabag · 09-01-2009, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockintom

Thanks all.....just got a email back and he says the bolt is brass and not magnetic. So much for that idea. rockin'

Any others have ideas or comments?

Rockin I think I told you that I had done the same thing and what I ended up doing was flush the tank real good then I took my shop vac( 5hp) and hooked a 1 1/2 vac hose to it using a reducer and duck tape and then went through the 3 inch ( disconnected the easy drop) backwards into the black tank and just kept pushing and moving the small hose around ( in-out and twisting) and after awhile I heard it get sucked into the hose but took time.

Dick Smith

Still Working "NOT" · 09-01-2009, 08:59 PM

Rockin, Send your friend one of your eighteen tiny gorillas. Have it go into the black water tank look for the bolt and retrieve it. When the tiny gorilla comes out, place it directly into the show to clean it up.

See how simple that was.

rockintom · 09-01-2009, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Still Working "NOT"

Rockin, Send your friend one of your eighteen tiny gorillas. Have it go into the black water tank look for the bolt and retrieve it. When the tiny gorilla comes out, place it directly into the show to clean it up.

See how simple that was.

Still, Are you into the wine again???? I thought so.

TXiceman · 09-02-2009, 06:16 AM

This definately falls into the ...Whoops I should not have done that ...category.

I hope that this is one of those ...it toowill pass in time.

When pulling the toilet, this is always one of my big concerns. I keep a big wad of rags ready to stuff in the pipe as soon as I get the toilet clear.

Ken

MakinSmoke · 09-02-2009, 07:24 AM

RockheadTommie,
Short version of what is going thru my head...this is a $0.75 bolt at best. I don't understand why anyone go to all this trouble to retrieve it from a BLACK water holding tank? Where's the logic?

**Route 66** · 09-02-2009, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by "John Galt"

RockheadTommie,
Short version of what is going thru my head...this is a $0.75 bolt at best. I don't understand why anyone go to all this trouble to retrieve it from a BLACK water holding tank? Where's the logic?

Murphy's Law.

Most of us would end up having the bolt move and get caught in the black water drain valve and damaging it.