Black Tank Cable Pull

[Nankipoo]

My black tank flush valve has a cable that runs from one side of the 5'er over to the other side where it attaches to the valve. It's never worked right and has always been hard to pull open and push shut. Cable won't close the valve all the way off. I have to manually lay under the valve and push it shut by hand. Last weekend the cable was almost impossible to pull open. Took forever and shutting it was the same way. I've read post about squirting lube in the ends and it would work it's way through it. Don't see how that would work as long as these are. Is there anyway to simply replace the whole cable assembly without changing the valve. I would install a manual pull valve by the hose hook up but the way my plumbing is over there I don't see any place to install one. It's getting very annoying.

[chuckster57]

Unfortunately you have to replace the entire assembly. You just need to know if it’s a Valterra, Valterra BladeX or Bristol.

You can use the BladeX for the regular Valterra, but you have to change a Bristol with a Bristol.

[Nankipoo]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

Unfortunately you have to replace the entire assembly. You just need to know if it’s a Valterra, Valterra BladeX or Bristol.

You can use the BladeX for the regular Valterra, but you have to change a Bristol with a Bristol.

That’s a bummer. The valve feels easy to move. The cable sucks. Maybe I will give the lube a shot first.

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by Nankipoo

That’s a bummer. The valve feels easy to move. The cable sucks. Maybe I will give the lube a shot first.

I would. With continued use and application it may free it up.

[travelin texans]

Check the routing of the cable. Seems they have 1 length cable so it may have a couple figure 8 bends in it to get to the valve. My last 5er I loosened the nut holding the pull handle in place & twisted it a few rounds to smooth out the routing, with some lubrication & this helped considerably.

[Nankipoo]

Went out there this afternoon with PB Blaster in hand and was going to check routing of cable and some other things with the cable. Grabbed it like I did this weekend planning to give it all I had to pull it out. Nearly did a back flip. The thing pulled like it had been Vaselined from one end to the other. Was as smooth as silk. Hasn't done that since I owned the RV. Ran in and out several times and it was flawless. Tomorrow will be a different story I'm sure. Go figure.

[Diver]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hKtdDHg7v4

[bsmith0404]

You can actually replace the cable without replacing the valve. I just got done doing one for someone who bent the handle. I bought a cable (it’s actually a metal wire not a cable) from Amazon for about $25. It was 6”, I only needed 3’ so I cut it to the length I needed. At the valve, there are a few screws that need to be removed, on that holds the entire assembly to the valve and then a set screw that holds the metal wire into a small block. There is also a set screw that holds the outside sheet hung into the block. Takes about 15-20 mins. Sounds like you’ve got yours fixed for now, but keep this in mind if your cables gives you more problems in the future. Which I had taken pics when I did it. BTW, when cutting the cable to length, first cut to total length, then pull the wire back through from the handle end a few inches and then cut the sheathing to length (about an inch shorter than the wire) then push the wire back through. I was trying to strip the sheathing off, I felt like an idiot once I realized I could pull the wire back and cut it off.

[wrvond]

I've got a cable lubrication tool left over from my motorcycle days that I'm going to try to use before my cables get hard to use:

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by bsmith0404

You can actually replace the cable without replacing the valve. I just got done doing one for someone who bent the handle. I bought a cable (it’s actually a metal wire not a cable) from Amazon for about $25. It was 6”, I only needed 3’ so I cut it to the length I needed. At the valve, there are a few screws that need to be removed, on that holds the entire assembly to the valve and then a set screw that holds the metal wire into a small block. There is also a set screw that holds the outside sheet hung into the block. Takes about 15-20 mins. Sounds like you’ve got yours fixed for now, but keep this in mind if your cables gives you more problems in the future. Which I had taken pics when I did it. BTW, when cutting the cable to length, first cut to total length, then pull the wire back through from the handle end a few inches and then cut the sheathing to length (about an inch shorter than the wire) then push the wire back through. I was trying to strip the sheathing off, I felt like an idiot once I realized I could pull the wire back and cut it off.

From my experience that's the issue with most tank cables. The standard cable is 6' long & rather than cut them to fit & pull the valve straight the factory guys just weave them in however they go & connect them, they may be trying to pull at 90 degrees to the valve.

[bsmith0404]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

From my experience that's the issue with most tank cables. The standard cable is 6' long & rather than cut them to fit & pull the valve straight the factory guys just weave them in however they go & connect them, they may be trying to pull at 90 degrees to the valve.

I was thinking the same thing. A person could do a lot of improvements to many things if you dropped the underbelly and started looking. Mine pull hard as well. I keep saying I’m gonna drop the belly and fix them, but haven’t yet. I have it in the driveway by the garage right now doing wheel bearings and adding LP quick connects. Guess I could cut the color plast and see what I have. The tape to do color past repairs is only 90 cents per foot. A lot easier than dropping it from around all the plumbing drains.