BLACK/GRAY TANK VALVES

[Larry-P]

On both the black & gray tanks the lever is hard to open and close to dump the tanks. They have been this way since day one.

Would it be okay to give a shot of WD-40 on the valve stems to loosen them up & slide easeir or would it make it worse over time ??

Larry P

[kdeiss]

Larry, no harm lubing the pull rod I am thinking it is the valve. Their is a plastic disc that moves between two rubber seals when you pull the the handle.
Thetford sells a valve lube that you put in the tank this will also coat the tank and help stop debris from sticking to the tank walls this is a good product I have used for years.
I am thinking a vegtable type cooking oil would work also
Ken

[Tom S.]

I would not use WD-40. That is designed for metal on metal and dries out after a while. Try some silicone spray lube instead.

[WeBeFulltime]

It's possible the cables are too long. I had a black tank valve replaced under warranty and the technician also shortened the cable. Works VERY easy now. Only wish he had shortened the one to the gray tank too.

[1retired06]

IF yours is like mine, you cannot lube the cables themselves and lubing the slide valves will not fix corroded cable runs. Cable runs in a tube, for several feet from the pull handle to the valve and there is no way to grease. I just replaced the black and one of the gray, and the kits which included new valves were $80 each. Underbelly needed to come off which was not hard. About all you can do is insure no kinks, keep the runs short as possible, use tywraps so cable remains stationary, and according to the parts store where I got the kits, routinely open and close the valves to exercise. Apparently after time, corrosion and other buildup is the primary cause of problems.