Master head won't drain

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Robert, remind me never to fly with you!!!!

I’m pre-disastered. Forgot to mention the fire truck that escorted us as far as it could on takeoff from an island off Nicaragua. It was an ancient 727 freighter with a few seats in the tail end. Never figured why the crash truck followed us. Wild times.

[Westfield 11]

I remember hearing about the evac tests of the MD-11 when I was in Flight Testing there: previously (DC9 MD80) they used to fill the planes with college kids from Long Beach State until the FAA told them to make the test subjects reflect the flying population. For the MD-11 they recruited from the local nursing homes a few older people, while there had historically been enough injuries that they kept ambulances standing by, on this occasion there was a death during the test. As usual it was on the slide at the bottom where everyone plies up in a heap, there were also the usual broken arms and ribs. It’s just a good thing the FAS didn’t make them run the test with toddlers and children.

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

I remember hearing about the evac tests of the MD-11 when I was in Flight Testing there: previously (DC9 MD80) they used to fill the planes with college kids from Long Beach State until the FAA told them to make the test subjects reflect the flying population. For the MD-11 they recruited from the local nursing homes a few older people, while there had historically been enough injuries that they kept ambulances standing by, on this occasion there was a death during the test. As usual it was on the slide at the bottom where everyone plies up in a heap, there were also the usual broken arms and ribs. It’s just a good thing the FAS didn’t make them run the test with toddlers and children.

I relate. On my MD80 ride, I stayed to help the flight attendants with a guy who came aboard in a wheel chair. The guys at the bottom that are supposed to grab you were hauling that guy off when I think I passed them. Got scraped up a bit on the concrete. At the time, I had a branch office in Raleigh. I put on a little dog ‘n pony show next morning at the American counter. I flew first class from Columbia to Raleigh henceforth but coach on the return. Good fun.

[oscarvan]

Wow.... 32 years in the cockpit and all I have to show is two failed generators.....

Here's a cool video on the A380 cert.....870 something people out in under 90 seconds....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIaovi1JWyY

(Apologies to the OP for the thread drain, eh drift).

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Yes, sorry to hijack. But since we are there and going down memory lane... Scarlett might be right. I have a boarding pass somewhere for Pan Am 103 dated three days prior to Lockerbie. My BA flight was fogged-in, so I stood in line for hours to get us (4) any flight back to the east coast from Heathrow. When I saw the crash pictures, I could see it was also the same plane. So I know the terrorists had the bomb in-hand and actively trying to plant it at their first opportunity on MY plane. I think Scarlett is wrong. I've been pretty lucky.

[Avenger]

Robert reminds me of that scene in The World According to Garp where they're house shopping and a small plane crashes into the house they're looking at. Robin Williams character turns to the realtor and says "We'll take it!" His wife looks at him like he has nine heads and he explains the odds against this ever happening again and says "We'll be safe here."

It's probably incredibly safe to fly with Robert.

[SEVEN]

Unbelievable. Geeeeeze

[Nonchalant1]

Don't know if yours is PVC all the way to the pump coupling or not, but this really is a simple DIY, routine maintenance fix. Disconnect the suction hose from the big end at the pump. If you get free flow from the bowl to the pump, it's not a clog. If it is a clog, as mentioned, use a plunger... In my experience, somebody has usually sent cloth or string down the head and its wrapped around the macerator blade, or the rubber bellows has given up. Remove the 8 or so bolts holding the pump end housing on, you can't pull the housing straight off because of the macerator blade, BUT there are a couple of gaps in the inside housing casting, so when the housing is rotated to allow the gaps to line up with the blade, Shazam, it'll come off. The rotor (with blade attached) will unscrew from its threaded arbor...(I use a long thin screwdriver to lock the armature from spinning) even if it's just junk around the macerator blade, I replace the rubber stator cup anyway. AND don't chew your fingernails or pick your nose during this process...you'll be in a nasty place.

Isn't the macerator with blade attached unscrewed left hand threads? I believe mine were because the direction of rotation tightend them in use. If it sticks, first hit the blade top squarely and evenly with a hammer to break free hardened sludge, then unscrew clockwise?

BTW - If it's only the master head that has this problem, it's probably a clog or the pump. but is all heads going to that blackwater tank do it, the tank pumpout tube may have the dreaded hole in it, causing the tank to be full one flush after a pumpout.

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Isn't the macerator with blade attached unscrewed left hand threads? I believe mine were because the direction of rotation tightend them in use. If it sticks, first hit the blade top squarely and evenly with a hammer to break free hardened sludge, then unscrew clockwise?BTW - If it's only the master head that has this problem, it's probably a clog or the pump. but is all heads going to that blackwater tank do it, the tank pumpout tube may have the dreaded hole in it, causing the tank to be full one flush after a pumpout.

You’ll have to remove a bolt from the motor casing to lock the shaft. Then loosen. You’re probably right if all heads act similarly. You may find this award winning twelve part video series helpful. https://m.youtube.com/results?search...s+holding+tank

[oscarvan]

The tank pumpout tube may have the dreaded hole in it, causing the tank to be full one flush after a pumpout.

Ok, this one's new for me.... How does that happen?