1969 Westfalia Water Pump Leaks

sped372 · Post by **sped372** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 9:01 am

I would assume as much. I just bought and installed an attic fan in our house. Looked at three different "brands" in three different stores that were all clearly the same identical fan repackaged. I get disgusted by how misleading all these companies can be - and that they're ok with it.

Hey, my posts match my name!

hambone · Post by **hambone** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 9:09 am

I don't mind paying a little extra for better quality.
I have done extensive internet searching, there is very little info out there on the specs of these pumps to compare. One is possibly metal bodied but still undetermined.

sped372 · Post by **sped372** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 9:15 am

hambone wrote:I don't mind paying a little extra for better quality.

I'm with you there. I just get tired of seeing all the packaging and advertising claiming "we make the best quality X" when the company doesn't, in fact, make anything. They just have some corporate office somewhere that buys and resells stuff.

I'm not talking about places like BusDepot, Autozone, etc. Those companies are obviously resellers. I'm talking about places that make themselves appear to be manufacturers. It's misleading.

hambone · Post by **hambone** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 9:17 am

Guess what?

Bob,
Yes, this is the same hand pump.
Thanks,
Jodi Anderson
Customer Service Representative
Diversified Woodcrafts, Inc. & Shain Solutions Brand

Even though Amazon shows the weight as 2x!

This one has a repair kit. Looks like the one I have installed now.
http://www.pacificrvparts.com/ProductDe ... goryID=377

The Rocket also has a repair kit. Better than throwing it away. The only drawback is that it doesn't fit as well as the original.
http://www.shoprvparts.com/product.do?no=11285F

Amazing how little buyer feedback is available out there on these pumps, even on Samba. I guess for $30 they are considered semi-disposible.

sped372 · Post by **sped372** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 9:31 am

If you want to have some real fun ask how long it would take to get it. Many of these places don't even keep stuff in stock until you order it. They'll just wait until you order it, then they'll order it from their source. Sickening.

hambone · Post by **hambone** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 10:45 am

Hi Robert,

The hand pump does look like our RP800. The RP800 is manufactured in our factory in Mexico.
The RP802, white, is discontinued. We do not make it any more.

Belinda Garcia
Customer Service
Valterra Products

hambone · Post by **hambone** » Wed Apr 14, 2010 7:13 am

Got a nice call from Bus Depot last nite. They are taking home a pump to see if it can be repaired.

Edit:

From: Bus Depot Customer Service [mailto:rick@busdepot.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2010 12:32 PM
Subject: Bus sink pump

Robert,

I took one of the #ZVW223101 sink water pumps home last night and took it apart to see how it was assembled. The ones we currently have are made in USA by Zebra RV Accessories. There are 6 screws in the base that can be removed and then you can remove the bottom exposing the piston inside. Be careful not to lose the marble. Look where the piston is attached to the pivot, (move the handle until you see the screw on the handle end of the pivot). Look carefully how the piston is attached to the pivot to make sure you put it back the same way, make a mark if you need to. When you remove that screw, the handle/pivot will slide out the side. Then you will see an O ring on the handle side of the pivot. Inspect the O ring to make sure it is not nicked or pinched. If it is, replace it. Check your local hardware/plumbing supply store. When it is time to re-assemble the pump, you will need some FOOD GRADE silicone. This can be found at any appliance repair business that repairs ice makers. You will need to apply the silicone to the O ring after it is on the handle/ pivot, then slide the pivot partly back into the housing, it wouldn’t hurt to put a little extra silicone into the hole the pivot goes in. Once it is partly in, the pivot shaft slides back into the base of the piston. Find the screw hole and put the screw back in. Then, if you want, add a little extra silicone to the inside of the pivot near the O-ring. Then add some more to the rubber ring on the piston. Slide the bottom back on. DON’T FORGET THE MARBLE!!!! That works as a check valve. Make sure the gasket is aligned correctly with the screw holes. Put the screws back in, be careful not to over tighten.

This will work only for the pumps that the bottom can be removed. I have seen some pumps made of plastic that the bottom cannot be re-moved. If the pump leaks at the top where the spigot is, you can try a little silicone there from the inside, I don’t know of an easy fix there as they are pressed together.

Hope this helps!

Rick
The Bus Depot Inc.
215-234-VWVW
www.busdepot.com

Very nice. I wonder if petroleum jelly would work just as well?

hambone · Post by **hambone** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 11:00 am

Took the pump apart. Yuck. Drinking water?
Well there is a rod attached to the pump handle that goes thru the chrome housing body and thru a integral cast bracket inside. The pump housing (and the bracket) is cast from soft pot metal chromed all shiny and useless. The bracket hole has been ovaled out from 5 years of pumping action, causing water to flow freely from the housing due to the angle of the worn assembly. I am thinking some sort of bushing may fix it short term, but it will probably oval out again and leak. Is anything well built any more?

Any suggestions? Pump still pumps water fine but leaks enough to be useless. I am thinking this is a symptom of our crappy age and will go thru pumps like water.

And then another $40 out the window.
http://www.busdepot.com/details.jsp?par ... =ZVW223101

sped372 · Post by **sped372** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 1:47 pm

hambone wrote:Any suggestions?

Collect your water from the spigot on the bottom of the bus... gravity feed!

hambone · Post by **hambone** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 2:07 pm

Yeah the ice box and sink drain from the same spot. Plus dirt.
The sink is very useful. A shame the pump is the weak link.
Was this an issue in 1969?

midatlanticys · Post by **midatlanticys** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 3:39 pm

Not sure how the mountings would match up, but how about either of these.
http://www.whalepumps.com/caravan_RV/pr ... ist/21/92/
http://www.whalepumps.com/caravan_RV/pr ... ist/21/93/
Parent company Munster Simms is in Ireland and Whale/Henderson pumps have a decent name, in the marine industry at least and they have a service kit for most of their products.

hambone · Post by **hambone** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 3:56 pm

Looks very nice, but unfortunately too long below the base:

This one may work however:

not sure about the treaded retainer though on a Westy icebox.

Thank you for the help! Never heard of 'em.

vdubyah73 · Post by **vdubyah73** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 4:16 pm

Most marine manufacturers also sell the same items at RV/camper stores. Same items, lower price. As soon as it says marine on the packaging the price goes up, Bought many things for my boat at rv stores, over the years I owned it.

Elwood · Post by **Elwood** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 5:15 pm

Hambone , as you know by old post you linked to on Samba , been there -done that with the pump. Never looked back at putting it back together. Have bought/bartered another cabinet with stainless sink that El never had! His was a very brittle plastic one and water tanks the same, that could not be repaired. So as Jim discovered (wolfsburg) when putting in a abs panel behind passenger seat, floor was rusted thru from water at seam on floor--yicks ---more to do.

Nothing will be the same , as your window replacement on driver side was changed ----why not go to bottled water for safty and less stress???

I agree with Bill about marine hardware and price, at the time I bought Elwood, I also owned a sail boat on a mooring that had the same pump in the sink of the galley. REally bad product !!!

hambone · Post by **hambone** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 5:37 pm

Bottled water is good but the sink is useful for washing dishes. I've got a routine down now. Home away from home.
That Whale pump is about 80 bucks. It would fit, but would need the outlet changed from 3/8 to 1/2, maybe a hose splice of some sort? That's a lot of granola...
It sure is nice to have water on tap out in the boonies! Lo teck too.

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Itinerant Air-Cooled

1969 Westfalia Water Pump Leaks