Installed two new black and gray gate valves

[mrkane1952]

Greetings All:

I recently replaced the cores of both Dupree waste valves on my 85 PT.
The gray valve was leaking when closed, and both had been extremely
difficult to operate for the year I've owned the coach. Now either
can be easily opened with just the finger tips.

Examination of the old paddles showed the seals on both to be quite
swollen, and the leak was the result of a chunk missing.

Replacement with either air or electric valves was considered, but
there was no space on my coach. The electric valve in particular
required mounting the handle/coil on top, which was just not possible
in this case.

I chose to replace the valve cores as complete units (from Jeff
Miller, ~$22 each plus shipping.) This should have been a 15 minute
job of removing 4 screws; but, alas, this is a 21 year old Bird.

The gray valve is on the curb side, oriented downward at a 45 degree
angle with no obstructions. It was easy.

The black valve is behind a locked cover on the driver's side, next to
the storage tube for the hose. Only one screw was accessible through
the opening, but at least the head was sufficiently intact to allow
backing it out. The other required removing the access door and door
frame, plus the hose storage tube. Then I discovered the screw head
was so damaged, I could not unscrew it. Eventually, I sawed the
corner off the old cap, and broke enough material away to vise-grip it
out. Next I found the core could not clear the opening, unless I took
the handle off. The new core had a screw retaining the handle to the
shaft, but the old one was pinned. It was horizontal, so punching it
out was impossible--back to the vise-grips. Reassembly was much
quicker. (Next time I'll get new screws with the new cores.)

The moral of the story is to go ahead and replace the manual valve
cores, and plan to pull them to re-lubricate the seals from
time-to-time. Dumping requires kneeling to connect the hose anyway,
so I'm satisfied with the renewed manual valves.

--M.R.Kane
'85 PT40
currently Isle du Bois Unit, Lake Ray Roberts SP, Texas