A five minute job.........yeah right!
Having the van second hand since 2015 we had never changed the cassette seal. Last time we were away, I noticed that a bit of liquid was leaking when carrying it to be emptied it so decided I'd change the seal. A new one was ordered costing £12 from Amazon. This was a pleasant surprise as usually anything to do with motorhomes starts at £500 plus VAT.
The sun was shining so prepared the outside garden table, and laid out the cassette, a cross-headed screw driver, a full silicone lubricant spray, 2 pairs of rubber gloves and a collection of rags, used toothbrushes, and of course, the new seal. I reversed the little plastic sliding cover that the instructions tell you to use as a lever to unscrew the cassette cover to access the workings. That damned cover was screwed in so tight that it was immediately apparent that the little plastic lever wasn't anywhere up to the job. So I got a piece of wood and used that instead. It was a hell's own job to loosen the cover but eventually, it eased and I was able to unscrew the cover from the encrusted (honestly) thread.
It wasn't just poo that covered the workings; it was fossilised excreta, hardened to something they should tip diamond drills with! No question of just wiping it off with a rag or brushing with a little brush. Oh no. This required painstaking chipping away. My neighbour chose this moment to stick her head over the fence and ask what I was up to. I decided lies were preferable so just said "routine maintenance" and carried on.
After taking everything apart and cleaning it by chisel, boiling water, bleach, detergent and a few spells, I was able to put on the new seal and re-assemble. Then came the second most time consuming part; screwing the cover back on. It lined up, the little arrow was on the mark but turn it wouldn't. Like a contortionist, I had one foot pushing the cover down whilst trying to turn the cover (again with the piece of wood) the approximate two inches to the 'closed' mark on the cassette. The damned thing wouldn't budge. I checked the washer, checked it that it was level, nothing under the catching cassette flanges was obstructed. Just at the point when I was about to go and order a £500 replacement cassette from Amazon, the cover moved reluctantly into the locked position. Luckily it all works now and the little plastic cover, that used to be quite loose and rattle now is a snug fit. It moves up and down easily enough as required but the seal is much better.
But what a struggle. I wish, when people say a job is a five minute job, they wouldn't. It's the precursor to a horrible, dirty and demoralising day-long saga. Happy days and good luck. I decided against posting photos of my handiwork on the basis it offends against bad taste.
Having the van second hand since 2015 we had never changed the cassette seal. Last time we were away, I noticed that a bit of liquid was leaking when carrying it to be emptied it so decided I'd change the seal. A new one was ordered costing £12 from Amazon. This was a pleasant surprise as usually anything to do with motorhomes starts at £500 plus VAT.
The sun was shining so prepared the outside garden table, and laid out the cassette, a cross-headed screw driver, a full silicone lubricant spray, 2 pairs of rubber gloves and a collection of rags, used toothbrushes, and of course, the new seal. I reversed the little plastic sliding cover that the instructions tell you to use as a lever to unscrew the cassette cover to access the workings. That damned cover was screwed in so tight that it was immediately apparent that the little plastic lever wasn't anywhere up to the job. So I got a piece of wood and used that instead. It was a hell's own job to loosen the cover but eventually, it eased and I was able to unscrew the cover from the encrusted (honestly) thread.
It wasn't just poo that covered the workings; it was fossilised excreta, hardened to something they should tip diamond drills with! No question of just wiping it off with a rag or brushing with a little brush. Oh no. This required painstaking chipping away. My neighbour chose this moment to stick her head over the fence and ask what I was up to. I decided lies were preferable so just said "routine maintenance" and carried on.
After taking everything apart and cleaning it by chisel, boiling water, bleach, detergent and a few spells, I was able to put on the new seal and re-assemble. Then came the second most time consuming part; screwing the cover back on. It lined up, the little arrow was on the mark but turn it wouldn't. Like a contortionist, I had one foot pushing the cover down whilst trying to turn the cover (again with the piece of wood) the approximate two inches to the 'closed' mark on the cassette. The damned thing wouldn't budge. I checked the washer, checked it that it was level, nothing under the catching cassette flanges was obstructed. Just at the point when I was about to go and order a £500 replacement cassette from Amazon, the cover moved reluctantly into the locked position. Luckily it all works now and the little plastic cover, that used to be quite loose and rattle now is a snug fit. It moves up and down easily enough as required but the seal is much better.
But what a struggle. I wish, when people say a job is a five minute job, they wouldn't. It's the precursor to a horrible, dirty and demoralising day-long saga. Happy days and good luck. I decided against posting photos of my handiwork on the basis it offends against bad taste.
