FYI............

[Jim Martin]

ALWAYS..keep a spare &%^$#! float assembly for your water box in your truck.........

 

[hogjowl]

I flooded mine today too.

 

[Jim Martin]

I had Niagara falls coming out of the truck by the time I noticed it....

right after I had set up and put pre-spray down on my first job...I went out to the truck and everything in the back was floating....what a mess...


I shut every thing down and looked at it...from what I can tell all the water movement from driving weakened the support on the valve where the stem pivots up and down...and it finally snapped........all I needed was a small wire and I could of rigged it to get me threw the job...I looked every where in the truck trying to find a piece of wire to hold it and could not find one any where...

so I took my ink pen apart and removed the spring and stretched it out.....threaded it threw the pivot point and hooked it to the valve.. it held pretty good..... until the job was almost done and then it broke and water went every where again.....so I just shut off the water and ran the tank almost dry and then filled it back up and shut the water back off and just worked it that way until I was done.....
called Tia and had her find me one in town...she ran down and picked it up...meet me at my next job and while she was pre vacuuming..I stood out there and replaced the float assembly.......

tomorrow I will be up in the area and I plan on swinging in and picking up a spare float assembly and have it on the truck...I know this will happen again...

 

[Dolly Llama]

I plan on swinging in and picking up a spare float assembly and have it on the truck...I know this will happen again...

not as long as you have the extra float on the truck...Murphy's law


..L.T.A.

 

[Jim Martin]

I plan on swinging in and picking up a spare float assembly and have it on the truck...I know this will happen again...

not as long as you have the extra float on the truck...Murphy's law


..L.T.A.

..isen't that the truth....I am sure I still have a few Vortex/UD parts that I got for back up that have not been farmed out yet.......

 

[Desk Jockey]

We were good today, yesterday was a pain. Had three trucks down, a Butler with a short that makes the door locks and brakes lights go off and on everytime you stepped on the brakes. Another that had Carb problems and had trouble running, we sent another truck and when they went to start the unit the battery was dead. Someone left the key on, no big deal just jump it but neither truck had cables. The crew leader went to NAPA, jumped it got back to cleaning and no water pressure. The fitting at the water vessel broke and flooded the truck, but he connected direct and finished the job.

Got one truck back but still have a Butler at the auto electric shop and one at the distributor. Anyone making any money?

 

[Jim Martin]

We were good today, yesterday was a pain. Had three trucks down, a Butler with a short that makes the door locks and brakes lights go off and on everytime you stepped on the brakes. Another that had Carb problems and had trouble running, we sent another truck and when they went to start the unit the battery was dead. Someone left the key on, no big deal just jump it but neither truck had cables. The crew leader went to NAPA, jumped it got back to cleaning and no water pressure. The fitting at the water vessel broke and flooded the truck, but he connected direct and finished the job.

Got one truck back but still have a Butler at the auto electric shop and one at the distributor. Anyone making any money?

made money still....after the flood was over and it was repaired...all I lost was about $40 bucks on the part.... a half hour of time and a few layers of skin on my right hand...I learned real quick how hot that water in the water box gets...little bit of advice....never open the lid and just stick your hand in there... :shock:

 

[Larry Cobb]

Jim;

After testing many . . .

this is the one we use on our TM's :

Installed, arm is straight out from valve.

It has a nylon float and durable seal.

Larry

 

[Jim Martin]

Jim;

After testing many . . .

this is the one we use on our TM's :

Installed, arm is straight out from valve.

It has a nylon float and durable seal.

Larry

you can see where it broke on the pivot point...when driving around the float is moving all over the place and you can see the shiny copper spot where it was rubbing..till is just finally broke...

yours looks like it may do the same thing...need to find away to help stabilize the floats better....

 

[Desk Jockey]

Could you use rubber gromets on each side of the bolt to absorb some of the side to side play?

 

[Jim Martin]

don't know...but that is a great idea to check out..

 

[steve g]

http://interlinksupply.com/index.html?i ... P15-808110[/url] its expensive as hell but it will never break and the rebuild part is cheap, $6.20 to be exact. this same valve has also lasted 10 years on my water tank with water beating and sloshing into it when the tank is partially full, on that one the float arm can drop too low and get stuck. I put some zip ties on it to limit travel to about 6" up and down and never have and issue with it. so far in all the pochems I have ran that has this type of valve never needed to replace any of them.

 

[Dolly Llama]

i donno, Steve.
that valve looks like it could break the same place Jim's did


all my TMs have had Roberts float valves.
I've broken exactly 1 ..and that was 19 years ago on my first TM (a TIRED OLD TM when i bought it)


..l.T.A.

 

[Jim Martin]

thing is...you have to have some slop where that bolt holds the pivot or it will not go up and down freely and close/open the valve...tighten it to much it will bind....

and because of that slop..it wears it down with all the water movement while driving...

I think whatshisbutt is on to something with the rubber grommets idea...but I don't think rubber is the answer in a hot water box...I think some teflon washers may be the answer...


stay tuned......

 

[Able 1]

I have the valve Steve posted and I'm not using it, make me an offer if you want it. It was in my fresh water tank, and I never fill up that way..

 

[Studebaker]

Jim is the reel deal!

 

[Desk Jockey]

You need that high heat red rubber grommets.

http://compare.ebay.com/like/1305964130 ... si=y&cbt=y

 

[hogjowl]

I have a new valve for my tank ... now I'm just looking for someone with hands small enough to get in there and replace it.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Yea PC's water boxes are nice and durable but you need a 5-year old to pull the pin and reassemble the valve. :x

 

[Jimbo]

http://www.dultmeier.com/products/search/6340

Might work?

 

[hogjowl]

I always try to wait long enough for a reason to go to TCS before I try and repair it. If you've ever seen Chan, you know his hands are the perfect size to fit in there.

 

[Jim Bethel]

I had Niagara falls coming out of the truck by the time I noticed it....

right after I had set up and put pre-spray down on my first job...I went out to the truck and everything in the back was floating....what a mess...

There is a major manufacturer building a TM with a water box that has NO floats! That will definitely cut down the headaches - no need to keep spare float anymore or worrying about the "Niagra" factor !gotcha!

Nice too see one of the big boys ARE listening 8)

 

[Jim Martin]

[quote="Jim Martin":20nc1zf6]I had Niagara falls coming out of the truck by the time I noticed it....

right after I had set up and put pre-spray down on my first job...I went out to the truck and everything in the back was floating....what a mess...

There is a major manufacturer building a TM with a water box that has NO floats! That will definitely cut down the headaches - no need to keep spare float anymore or worrying about the "Niagra" factor !gotcha!

Nice too see one of the big boys ARE listening 8)[/quote:20nc1zf6]

soooo...can I use that water box on mine....or do I have to build a whole truckmount around it...??

 

[Jim Bethel]

Sapphire has just updated all their units to a pressurised thermal well now. No floats at all in the water box anymore. And rather than the pump having to suck water into it, it is pressurized, so it will force feed water into the pump.

 

[LGSTEAM]

Jim check out sunbelt usa. They have a 3/8 and 1/2 inch float valve it has way less moving parts then the one you have been replacing it with. Its used on Judson truckmounts! have 3 Judsons all 3 have this float thousands of hours no leaks. Couldn't find it on website but its in there catalog

check out link


http://www.sun-beltusa.com/skin/fronten ... html#/144/

 

[Jim Martin]

sweet....thanks......

 

[davendana]

http://interlinksupply.com/index.html?i ... P15-808110[/url] its expensive as hell but it will never break and the rebuild part is cheap, $6.20 to be exact. this same valve has also lasted 10 years on my water tank with water beating and sloshing into it when the tank is partially full, on that one the float arm can drop too low and get stuck. I put some zip ties on it to limit travel to about 6" up and down and never have and issue with it. so far in all the pochems I have ran that has this type of valve never needed to replace any of them.[/quote:joth0jlm]

Mine started sticking and I found the exact same unit at ACE Hardware for 16.00 = tax.

 

[GeneMiller]

Mine broke when it was fairly new and here is how i fixed it. 9000 hrs later no problems.

gene

 

[Dan]

Mine broke when it was fairly new and here is how i fixed it. 9000 hrs later no problems.

gene

Best fix right here.

 

[Connor]

Why not have an overflow pipe as an emergency safety? Ya know like they have in toilet tanks and bathtub overflows?