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Old 07-14-2009, 04:32 AM   #1
epask
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Okeechobee
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M.O.C. #9460
Bad seal on black tank gate valve

We are new to the forum. 2008 3400RL. For the past several months the black tank will not seal at the gate valve allowing black water in the drain pipe. I purchased a add on valve for the unit that at least allows me to hook up the sewer hose without an unpleasant suprise. After doing some reading I understand that because of the design of the valve and cable this is a common problem. Any suggestions on how to get the valve to close properly?
 
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Old 07-14-2009, 09:55 AM   #2
richfaa
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Sounds like you may still be under warranty. If you are near your dealer take it back and let them correct it. You would have to rop the belly panel on that side to see what is going on under there. We have never had that problem so I have no suggestions.
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Old 07-14-2009, 10:18 AM   #3
KTManiac
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Depending on what kind of toilet paper you use, it could be that there is some of it hung up in the sealing rings.

Try this:

Hook up to sewer.
Fill black tank with water.
Open add on valve.
Repeatedly open and close bad valve while tank drains under the force of a full tank of clean water.
Repeat several times.

If that doesn't fix it, at least the black tank and plumbing will be fairly clean when you go in to fix or replace the valve.

If it is a Valterra valve, I know that they have replacement sealing rings to repair the valve if the seals themselves are bad. If you look at your add on valve, you can see where the blade could pack stuff in between the sealing rings and cause it to leak. If that is the problem, you can use a pick of some sort to clean out the groove. The big problem here is that the valve is a pain to get at for repair.

Good luck!

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Old 07-14-2009, 10:29 AM   #4
Art-n-Marge
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epask - like everything else on an new RV, things can go bad just by using them. It's possible that with repeated use the black water valve seals might be compromised or maybe you aren't closing the valve correctly or hard enough (and shouldn't have to). This is considered a defect and should be handled as such.

The best bet is what Rich recommends. Check to see if your rig is still under warranty and get it to your dealer ASAP. While it might be inconvenient and messy, a leaky black tank valve is a safety (sanitation) issue and can cause a fine in some counties.

If you must "do-it-yourself", it will be a lot of labor. Make sure you clean and drain the black tank THOROUGHLY. Then you'll need to get underneath it and remove the bazillion screws for the undercarriage coverings. You should be able to see the valve and check its operation. Warning - the valves are glued on and fitted with little to no slop. This repair is not for the slight of heart or mind. Most of us leave this to the experts.

Please keep us posted on what you find. This will be helpful to the members of the MOC.
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Old 07-15-2009, 02:34 AM   #5
epask
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M.O.C. #9460
Thanks so much for the suggestions.
I'll let you know how it turns out.

We are taking it out this weekend so I'll fill and flush the tank at the park. I want to get this fixed prior to us leaving for our first long term adventure in September.
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Old 07-15-2009, 07:04 AM   #6
bikefever
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M.O.C. #9158
I have a similar problem with my 2009 3455. The black water valve will not push in all the way. When pushed in (closed) all the way there is about 1 inch of the rod exposed. The grey water closes all the way and is flush with the housing. This happened during the first draining of the black water. I would assume some manufacturing debris jammed in the valve. Will bring it in for service after the summer.
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Old 07-16-2009, 07:50 AM   #7
sreigle
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I like KTManiac's suggestion and think there's a good chance he's correct about the problem, especially if this problem has not existed since new. If since new, then there's a chance the seal was incorrectly installed. Good luck with it. Like Rich said, I suspect this might be covered by warranty but I'm not sure whether that's a warranty item if it didn't do it when new.

We also have the extra gate valve on the end of the dump pipe. For one, it provides ability for the two gray tanks to share capacity when not connected to sewer. The other is that a lot of Montanas, including ours, appear to have a low spot in the dump pipe from the galley tank. Some water settles in the low spot when dumping. Then when you bounce down the road it makes its way to the dump cap at the end of the pipe. When you open the cap you get a cup or two of gray water. The extra dump pipe eliminates the mess until connected to sewer and the extra valve is opened.
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