1978 sea ray sundancer 240 da toilet question

[hucksterfool]

i was wondering if anybody knows how toilet system works in older sea rays. i havent begun to fool with it yet. should there be a switch that turns water on to toilet or somthing? also is there typically a macerator and where would it be? how can i test it to see if it works? thanks a million guys. i love my classic sea ray any good links on net to help?

 

[Sharkie]

I have a 1982 260DA, and the head has a top section that seperates from the holding tank. Once removed, you can fill this top section with fresh water for flushing. Mine does not have an automatic water fill, but that's not to say it wasn't an option back then. I've just never heard of it.

Good luck!
Sharkie

 

[Lazy Daze]

Huck, can you be more specific with what type of system you have? Otherwise we're just shootin' in the dark, you know?

Try to describe it the best you can. What material is the potti made out of? Are there any water lines going to it? Are there any other lines hooked up to it? Where are those lines hooked up? Anything else you can think of.

 

[hucksterfool]

i was fooling with it i filled the water tank up and the toilet has a small hand pump on back of bowl that fills the toilet then u press the lever to flush. Is the holding tank for the boat under the toilet and theres noting electrical about it? theres not motors or sucking when i flush it just drops into toilet.... it would make sence to me that the holding tank for the sewer sink and toilet is low in boat undr toilet but have no idea...

 

[Lazy Daze]

Still need a bit more info - where's the water tank? Is the potti basically square in overall shape? Is it bolted/bracketed to the floor?

How 'bout a manufacturer name and/or model #? Did you try a google search with that info?

I *think* what you have is a port-potti. There is a top half and a bottom half. Water in the top, effluent goes in the bottom. Separate the two halves, carry the bottom half to a regular toilet to dispose.

 

[stevea661]

I've got an 86 268 da. The toilet looks like a portapotty, top seperates from the bottom etc. The holding tank is the bottom There are two flex tubes that come out of the bottom tank. Ones a vent and one goes to the 3 way valve under the bathroom sink. depending on the position of the 3 way valve you can either pump the tank over board through the macerator or have it pumped out on the starboard gunnal of the boat. My macerator pump is located under the bathroom sink and you turn it on with a key switch next to the toilet. Hope this helps

 

[helms1200]

Found my macerator switch one day while the boat was sitting in the yard. Yep made a mess..

 

[brains06]

Huck,

you dont have a porta-potty, you have a built in head. I have the same system and you add water directly into the toilet along with your deodorant blue stuff. You have a plunger type pump on one side that pulls water from the river/lake and mixes it with blue stuff. On the other side you have a lever that opens the trap and lets the mixture and waste fall into the tank. Its a manual head. No macerator or electronics, just good ole fashioned suction and gravity.

 

[hucksterfool]

Thanks for all the info guys!

 

[BillyT0020]

Huck,

you dont have a porta-potty, you have a built in head. I have the same system and you add water directly into the toilet along with your deodorant blue stuff. You have a plunger type pump on one side that pulls water from the river/lake and mixes it with blue stuff. On the other side you have a lever that opens the trap and lets the mixture and waste fall into the tank. Its a manual head. No macerator or electronics, just good ole fashioned suction and gravity.

Man, Now I'm confused about MY head! It looks like I have the same one as brains with the pump out fitting on the starboard side, but I thought you put the blue stuff and fresh water into where the little pump is (unscrew the pump and fill with clean water and blue stuff) Then you would pump it into the bowl, pee, and flush into a lower tank. I pumped out the head last weekend and nothing was happening when I operated the pump, so I refilled with water and added more blue stuff but still nothing. I was not aware of a system that pulls water from the lake. I may have to try to take it apart this weekend and see exactly whats going on, but now I'm confused!!

 

[Lazy Daze]

Billy, if you have just a small, plastic "accordion" looking pump, then that draws water out of the top section of the porta-potti. If you have more of a handle-looking thing, then that may draw water either from the lake/sea (raw water) or an on-board tank (fresh water). Raw water will lead to more smell because of the bacteria in the water - fresh or salt.

Unless you've got a separate holding tank, the bottom of the porta-potti is used as the holding tank and you flush it simply by pulling out a horizontal handle that is between the two halves of the potti (this handle would be on the front side of the potti). Again, though, you would need some type of handle (not the one between the two tanks) to manually flush it. Unless, the holding tank happens to be plumbed directly underneath the floor.

 

[BillyT0020]

Well I have the same one as brains has pictured in his attachment.

The pump is a straight metal rod with a white knob on the end. I have no holding tank and no separate water tank that I know of. I thought both clean and dirty tanks were in the head. I will have to take it apart this weekend and see whats going on for sure.

No model number is present on the sticker.

It may need new pump or bellows or something, but it would be pretty cool if it pulled water from the lake and mixed it with the blue stuff, but I have seen no thru hull fittings on my hull so I highly doubt it.

 

[Lazy Daze]

but it would be pretty cool if it pulled water from the lake and mixed it with the blue stuff,

NO, It wouldn't be - read what I wrote above.

Are there any lines coming off the back side? Lines could be for:

1) Water inlet
2) Pump-out/discharge and vent (2 lines used for this operation)

 

[BillyT0020]

NO, It wouldn't be - read what I wrote above.

I think it would be fine if it was automatically mixed with the tank deodorant. My In-Laws have a 1977 34' Chris Craft with this setup and their head never smells bad, of course all of us adhere to a strict "no pooping on the boat policy" on all boats. And I highly doubt the water at my dock is of the highest quality, possibly could come from the lake and I have never noticed anything before.

Anyway no water hoses coming in or out of the back of the toilet. The pump out hose goes to a fitting on the right side of the top of the toilet. The hand pump is on the top of the left side of the toilet.

Im pretty sure its a self contained porti potti, maybe there has to be a certain amount of water in the lower portion to create the suction needed for the hand pump to pull clean water?? I think the lower is pretty much bone dry after the pump out.

 

[NOFATCHICKS]

haha thats pretty funny billy... i havent really loked to hard at the ole head room but im a plumber .. ill get to my boat tom. after work an see how mine works maybe it will help