Successful Head Repair for Blue Water Sailboats

My blue water sailboat is a  1980’s cruiser but her head is less than one year old. Yet, a few minutes after pumping, “stuff” fills back in the bowel.  This repulsive issue could intensify if witnessed by paying customers.  Fortunately, there is a simple answer.  Most cruising sailboats have heads that use a joker valve to prevent back flow.  Joker valves are typically soft rubber valves the size of an espresso cup.  They wear-out annually (most likely by design) and while only $13, Joker valves help keep marine stores in business. 

Jabsco, owned by Xylem, makes the heads found on most American blue water sailboats.  However, the Joker valve is ubiquitous across manufactures.  The following list provides all you need to solve this problem plus some advice from recent experience.

1. Watch this Jabsco video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqYkXa5AWe8  Note: The factory supplied screws are self tapping so when refastening, be sure to patiently spin the screws gently till the original threads catch, otherwise you carve new threads that will fail. 
2. Clean the area.  You’ll likely be positioning your face and hands in some badly forsaken places.   Also pump fresh, clean water through your entire head system.  This provides peace of mind during this otherwise messy task.  
3. Use a portable hand held bilge pump to empty the bowel.  Keep pumping until it stops refilling.  If the water looks dirty revisit line two.
4. The video displays  a brand new head, on a table, bright lighting, and ample work space.  Your blue water sailboat's head is probably wedged tightly between dimly lit bulkheads. This is why man invented the socket wrench. I recommend replacing the factory’s screws with identical brethren, except with socket heads.  Please note: Jabsco doesn’t provide “socket screws” because it’s very easy to over tighten- indicated  by the sound of crunching, cracking, plastic followed by swearing.  Be very gentile and remember you are working with fragile imported plastic. 
5. Lastly head lube keeps the pump working like new.  I’m hopeful it also  delays indefinitely the otherwise inevitable rebuild.

I hope this article helps keep your repair quick, hands clean and a head clear for sailing.