Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Mission Accomplished...98% success rate.



  So, the valve is made by Merrill and back in the day they epoxied the heads onto galvi tubes.

When I contacted them they were very helpful and sent along some information.



I let the epoxy sit for 24 hours and just to be safe I drilled and tapped a couple 10-24 SS pan heads through the cast iron and tube ( circled in red).

When I turned the well back on there was no more leak around the pull shaft and the packing nut BUT sadly there's a slight leak on the backside through the epoxy joint. I mudded both the head and the tube and spun it back and forth. No idea how it didn't take.

Oh well, I'll get some more JB weld and add some thick rubber and a hose clamp.

This thing is around 30 years old. Sooner or later it will be replaced.



14 comments:

  1. Dude, you should have just went and bought a new one. I must admit, I have done basically the same thing in the past and cussed the entire time. LOL

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  2. The mantra of a true mechanic: Somebody made it. I can fix it.

    Leigh
    Whitehall, NY

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mantra of a true Engineer:
      I can unscrew anything somebody screwed (up).

      Another way of putting it is: Somebody engineered it, I know how to un-engineer it...

      Delete
  3. Probably cracked the epoxy when you put in the screws!!

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  4. A buddy of mine glued one back on with Marine Tex, he already had some on hand after some boat repairs. 24 hour cure time, he had a stop and waste valve just before the hydrant. Worked fine.
    I would think the long cure JB would work just as well?

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  5. Merrill makes a threaded head and stand pipe. A little teflon tape and you're good to go. Unfortunately upgrading the hydrant in your case means expensive backhoe work. They are 8 feet down in cold areas.

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  6. Huh...
    Well leaks never fix themselves or get better on their own.
    As a last resort, try some pipe dope.
    I would just replace the entire thing.
    Might be a bitch, but it's better than the constant water torture routine.

    -rightwingterrorist

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  7. I'm with rightwingterrorist. Just replace the whole damned thing.

    You said, "This thing is around 30 years old. Sooner or later it will be replaced." Now ask yourself when you're going to feel like doing that. You won't get any closer to the job or remember what it looks like up close and personal than right now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good afternoon Sig the problem is that spigot is in the barn and it’s buried 7 feet deep so we’re talking some serious excavation in the barn. I’m gonna stick with my plan of attack right now :-)

      Delete
  8. "So, the valve is made by Merrill and back in the day they epoxied the heads onto galvi tubes."

    THAT, right there, is sufficient reason to replace the whole shootin' works.
    JMHO. Now is the time to hunker down and Git 'er Done.

    Oh, and while you're at it, get a shutoff in the circuit as well...

    ReplyDelete

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