1995 Top gun "head" problem...
 

Hey guys, need some help regarding the head in my TG. I have read through most of the posts on head/toilet issues but still have a couple questions...

So here's the situation. I have opened the valves under stbd seat with boat in water (I have the enclosed head w/holding tank setup) and pushed the button to test it out...notihng happens, pump doesn't run at all. A couple people have said check the fuse...so that's the first question,

1) where is the fuse located?

Then next question, because I have checked the fuse panel under the steering wheel and the breakers above the seat on the port side and can't find anything.

2) Where should I start to troubleshoot this?

I have read that the pump and holding tank is under the storage compartment in the head, so if I take out that storage compartment will I be able to see the pump? Then just test with a multi-meter? From what I have been told the bathroom has NEVER been used, EVER...think I should just say F*ck it and buy a new pump?

Thanks for any sugesstions and help offered. Need to get this thing working for the females on the boat...can't go 10' without one them having to pee :lolhit:

If you take out the storage unit in the head, you will see the pump and the maceator. You could check the voltage at the pump to see it fire. Make sure you have checked the fuse panel and it is getting juice. Also do a search in the cigarette forum, it has been discussed numerous times. Often problems with the holding tank and other things, however the pump should fire and make noise. Good luck, the pump/maceator is a stock item and can be bought relativly cheap at west marine for a boat part.

Good luck

Hey cigrocket thanks for the reply.

I have searched and read most of the posts, I know that once I get the pump issue resolved I'll probably have issues with the holding tank or other stuff too :lolhit:

Do you know which fuse it is in the panel? And is it in the panel under the steering wheel? I checked those and nothing seemed to correspond to the head, if I remember correctly.

My fuse panel was redone, it has breakers and they are under the steering wheel on my boat. They could be tripped, but if I had to guess, I would say it is probably toast from not being used. Especailly in salty air. What I did with mine is replaced the pump and I was good to go. Alot of hassle since my wife uses it maybe twice a year. When its warm enough she gets in the water. Of course we boat in freshwater clean lakes.

Good luck

Mine has an inline fuse right by the back of the toilet near the floor.

Don't use your toilet. It's stinks really bad in the summer, at least in Texas. Your entire cabin will stink so bad that everyone will smell Sh*t and Piss, like a Johnny on the spot. I took mine out, toilet and all, and sealed it up. I had a company cut me a piece of plastic to fill the toilet hole. It actually looks nice. You can't get the holding tank out. I used that foamy stuff that you spray and it expands. I sealed the holding tanks inlet and outlet. I purchased a porta potty. My boat is a 1994 Top Gun, and it smells brand new. That's my 2 cents. Also, I think I gained about 0.5 mph by taking out the extra weight.:bsflag:

Yeah I've checked the fuses under the steering wheel and can't see any that seem to go to/for the macerator pump.

Oldschool thanks for the tip about the inline fuse.

I have to just take out the storage compartment and see what I see down there. I just thought I would try to get some insight before I dove in...

Thanks again for the help guys!

Urban it will definitely be limited usuage, no sh*itting in it for sure! But have to satisfy my girl, we can't go anywhere without her having to pee :lolhit: if it were up to me it would stay exactly as it is right now, non-operational :) a lot less work for me and less hassle...I know once I get the pump working the holding tank will probably be leaking :lolhit:

I had the same issue with my wife. I never could get the water to flow or drain very well when we tried to flush it. After it started to smell really bad in 95+ degree weather, she agreed to rip it out and get a porta potty. Needless to say, we have not even used to porta potty. I got her to pee in a cup with a towel underneith just in case she misses. :evilb: Give it time, you may be able to convert her as well. :drink: I would get a porta potty, that way you can take it out of your boat when the day is complete.

Wish I could help Jason but the guy before me nor I ever used that thing!

No worries Tank...

I thought I could get away without EVER getting it working...but that wasn't the case, her complaining everytime we're out is enough to get me working on trying to fix it, lol, she's even gotten to the point of starting to ask people how to fix it :lolhit:

Give her a porta potty and tell her to shut up. :angry-smiley-038:Do you think that will work? Just joking. That would not be a good idea. You will regret using the head, it's a big mistake. It's going to stink up your boat. A porta potty is the way to go. Talk some since into her. Anyway, I'm out! Have a good weekend.

No one has ever taken a dump in ours....but it gets pissed in all of the time. I'm really not in to pissing in the water that I swim in!:drink::eureka::drool::drink:

....and they make this deodorizing stuff that makes it not stink. Kinda like douche for toilets!! :D

Jason - assuming your setup is similar to mine which it should be since they are the new style cabin.

When my macerator pump went bad it would blow the fuse automatically. You would never even hear it run.

The fuse is below the steering wheel. It is one of the inline fuses, and on the cafe it is real close to the middle. You can search my posts for the proper replacement pump as I went back and updated after I purchased it.

Does EITHER one of the pumps work (either the one that macerates or the one that pumps it overboard)?

Seafordguy I only have one button and I believe it does both, macerates and then pumps...there are two valves under the seat, but only one button. I opened the inlet valve and pushed the button...nothing at all, no noise, no nothing so I figure the pump is gone or the fuse is blown. I didn't know that there were two pumps, I thought there was only one that did both...

I guess I'll know more tomorrow once I open it up and have a look around. I will check for the fuse like you mention and start there...

Just thought of something though, won't even be able to test it because it will be out of the water...any ways around that?

Don't go getting into a huge project! We need that thing in tip top shape when we're there on wed! By the way, you take the day off?

Now, if you get it all fixed I'm gonna drop a big ol deuce in that faulker!!!! Hahaha!

On the serious though. None of that stuff has ever been used in 15 years...I'm guessing it's gonna need new pumps/plumbing/etc. Just start over!

Haha! Why do you think I'm doing all this Tank? Don't want to have to stop every 10 mins for your girly azz to go pee pee :lolhit:

Yeah took Weds, thurs AND fri off...still hoping to get to KW one way or anthr

I know, I know...I'll probably end up dropping a grand to fix this f*cker so my girl can pee...go freakin figure, lol

Man up! drive down and crash at our place. two bedrooms with a pull out. We have three teenage girls with us but there's always room ! oh, did I forget to tell you, I hope you have room for the girls on the boat?! It'll be you me your girl and this crew...Good thing you're getting the toilet fixed. freakin' chicks!:rolleyes::drink:

I'll tell you how my setup works and hopefully it can help you out.

I have two valves as well. I have two buttons.

One button says "Flush" and when you push it the pump has two stages and simultaneously pulls in fresh water through the smaller diameter valve under the front coushin, while mascerating the waste. This pumps all the raw water, piss and biodegradeable marine grade Toilet Paper into a holding tank.

There is then a second button and a second pump that pumps from the holding tank OVER board through the larger of the two valves under the seat.



I would surmise that possibly yours might have done away with either the holding tank, or the pump OVERBOARD feature at some point. It might only have the one pump and go into a holding tank and then have to be vacuumed out at a marina, or it could possibly be rigged up to just pump straight overboard.

Under the driver's seat there is an access hatch - you need to pull it back and figure out what the hell is going on down there.....

Also - you may want to read this as it pertains to later TG's as opposed to my 90 Cafe which might be different, essentially nullifying everything I typed above - http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/c...ing-tanks.html

Also - post 18 shows the diagram - http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/c...lp-needed.html

OH - and here is a link to the Part Number I used - you can buy for surprising little money the entire setup with everything from the toilet bowl, wiring, pumps, etc.... http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/g...ette-head.html


THIS WAS KIND OF RAMBLING - Sorry, but that is what you get at 10PM on a Friday night!!

Thanks again seafordguy! I got her opened up and this is wht I'm looking at so far

http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/a...nmd2/large.jpg

Can anyone give me some advice as to where to start?

I'm guessing the white pump is the flush and the black is the macerator. Should I just remove the whole white assembly or should I just try to remove the pump from the white junction?

Not sure what the best way tackle this is and dont want to create more problems by disassembling sh*t I don't have to.

Thanks again guys!

$12.99 at the local Rite-Aid, Walgreens,etc....

http://img2.walgreens.com/dbimagecac..._220x220_a.jpg

http://www.walgreens.com/store/catal...sku=sku3752178

U should have bought a cigarette bullet.... No "head" problems with that cabin setup

The white pump should be the combo macerator and freshwater draw pump, that flushes and pulls water in and sends the wast to the holding tank at the same time. The other pump looks like the overboard pump that pulls from the holding tank and pumps overboard. Technically not legal within so many miles of shore or something like that. Plus the holding tank is like 4 gallons top I think, we tried to get my cousin's working correctly and decided a homer bucket from Home Depot was easier to use and clean...

C_deezy your right on the pump setup. I got the flush pump/white assembly out and goig to start there...

I know everyone says it easier to just scrap the whole thing, but I really want it to look and work as it was built...sooo...project continues, lol

Thanks again for all the help

Okay, so it looks like the flush/macerator pump was bad...for those that care :lolhit: replaced it and seems to work. Need to test it but I think that will do that trick...I'll update the part number I replaced it with tomorrow or Monday for those that might search later.

Now another question...what's the deal with the fresh water system? I tried filling the tank and nothing will go in, just keeps backflowing...any ideas/suggestions? I looked under the seat on the port side and saw the tank and the hoses going in, thought maybe there would be a valve or something but didn't see one...

Okay, back to drinking now :drink:

Yep - the black one with the Blue sticker pumps overboard.

The part # I used was in that last link of mine as well I believe.

Fresh Water - it doesn't hold much and I have never used mine. It is only for the sink and the shower thing in the back, and I sure as hell wouldn't drink out of it!!!

Alrighty...so tested everything yesterday and pump works...BUT...hose leaks :lolhit: but I expected that it wouldn't be that easy. Problem now is getting the new hose on the bottom of the toilet bowl. The hose that is leaking is the main flush hose off the bottom of the bowl. The fitting is angled down to begin with and right into the hull as it slopes up...

http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/a...md2/TGhead.jpg

Sooo, who has some pointers for me? Please tell me I don't have to remove the whole toilet bowl...although that is the direction I am leaning towards. I wrestled with it for about an hour yesterday and just can't get the hose onto the fitting...back at it again tonight after work :angry-smiley-044:

I used a softer, more pliable hose that connected to the fitting you are showing there that was abotu 6 inches long - then I plugged it into the more stout waste hose the rest of the way...

I have been down this road before. Spent 30+ hours trying to fix the head. I never could get the dumb thing to work. Rip it out and use a porta potty. Or get that thing above. You will not be able to test your head until you put the boat in the water. I hope you have better luck than me. The electric water pump is behind the storage area that is under the stereo on the port side. To make it work, I think you have to have your batteries turned on, the cabin switch on, and the water pump switch on inside your cabin. My water pump also stopped working.

Well I think I got it! Used a flexible odor sheild hose and had to use a heat gun to make it more flexible to slip onto toilet bowl fitting. What a b*tch that was! Using the heat gun put a little kink in the hose, but I tested it with water and it flushes, I now call it the PPV (poop preventer valve) :lolhit:

Anyways, thanks for all the advice guys, I think this project is over...until one of the other hoses leaks or the other pump burns out or the holding tank rots out... :mad:

Onto the fresh water project now... :angry-smiley-044:

Most every boat has a bucket on board for washing the boat etc.. In my little neighborhood, we have trained our women to use that bucket with a rope tied to the handle to rinse it overboard afterwards......