Author: Mike

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How to Replace a Toilet Float Valve.

How to Replace a Toilet Float Valve.

If your toilet is filling slowly or overfilling, it may be time for a new float valve. If you have one that still has a ball on the end of a long arm, it is defiantly time to upgrade.

Begin by shutting off the water supply. Hopefully there is a valve on the floor by the toilet. If not, you may have to cut off the water supply to the whole house. In the worst case, you may have to cut off the supply at the meter, but be aware that most utility companies don’t like you messing with their equipment.

Remove the lid form the tank and set it aside in a safe place. Open the flapper valve and drain out as much water as possible. Use a towel or two to soak up the rest of the water. Note that any water you leave in the tank will run out on the floor when you remove the old fill valve.

Unscrew the supply tube from the fill valve. An adjustable wrench or small pipe wrench should work for this task. You can usually leave the tube connected to the valve at the floor.

Unscrew the lock nut from the valve assembly. Older ones will have an actual nut while newer ones will have a plastic ring. It is OK to break the plastic if necessary to get it off. If it is stubborn and will not unscrew, use a hammer and screwdriver to tap it a few turns.

Lift the old float assembly out of the tank. Clean the area around the hole in the bottom of the tank. Make sure there is a sealing gasket or ring on the new float assembly. Slip it in the hole in the bottom of the tank and line up the rubber tube so that it can connect to the center overflow tube.

Put the hold down nut in pale and tighten it so that the valve will not move around. Reattach the water supply tube. Some new float valves have a mechanical reset to keep then from cycling excessively. If your new n has such a device, attach the chain clip to the flusher lever so that the mechanism trips when the handle is flipped.

Turn on the water and check for leaks. The tank will begin to fill. If not, check the trip on the mechanical reset device. Check the water level when the valve closes to make sure it is at the correct height marked on the back of the tank. Adjust the float if necessary.

Once the level is set, give the toilet a test flush. The tank should start to refill as soon as the water starts to drain. The little tube should direct a stream of water to the overflow to help sweep the bowl.

If the water does not flow, the reset may not be triggering properly. Adjust the chain as necessary. Once the tank refills, check for leaks again. Tighten the pipe fittings as need to correct the leaks.

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How to Replace a Bathroom Sink Faucet

How to Replace a Bathroom Sink Faucet DIY

Years ago, if you had a leaking faucet, you went to the hard ware store and got some rubber washers and maybe a new faucet seat. You disassembled the knobs and installed a new seat and washer. Now days, I just replace the whole unit.

Normally you will be working inside a cabinet. Do yourself a favor and make sure every thing is removed form the cabinet so you can move around and get the wrenches in the proper position. Lying on the corner of the cabinet bottom can be very uncomfortable so use some towels to pad the edge or use a work mat.

To remove the old faucet, begin by shutting off the water. Hopefully, there are valves under the counter that shut off the water to just that fixture. If not, you may have to cut off water to the whole house. In the worst case, you may have to shut off the water at the meter. Just be aware that most utility companies don’t like you messing with their equipment. Some are pickier than others about it.

With the water off, open both knobs to let off the residual pressure. The fitting at the faucet is normally ½“ pipe. If there is room, you can use an adjustable wrench to unscrew the feeder tube from the faucet. In most cases, you can leave it attached to the valve at the bottom.

Next remove the hold down washers. These are normally plastic and thread on the valve body stems. Sometimes you can use a large pair of pliers to catch the tabs and turn them off. If they are stuck, like most seem to be, use a hammer and a screwdriver to tap on one of the tabs until it turns. Don’t worry about breaking it if you are replacing the unit. The new one will have new washers.

If this is a bathroom faucet, there will likely be a drain lift. Loosen the clamp screw and lift the plunger out of the fixture. Then lift the old fixture out of the sink.

Clean the area where the old fixture was. Then set the new fixture in place using the new gasket if included.

Put the new hold down washers in place and tighten them until the fixture will not move around in the sink. Slip the drain plunger down the hole and connect it to the drain operating lever. Tighten the screw.

Inspect the water supply tubes and the gaskets that the top. Replace if necessary. Tighten the supply lines on the fixture firmly but not so tight as to damage the plastic threads on the fixture.

Slowly open the water valves and check for leaks. If any are found shut off the water and check the tightness of the connections. If they are tight and still leak, replace the washers or the entire tube assembly. Normally the bottom is 3.8 compression fitting and the top is ½” pipe.

Once you are satisfied there are no leaks, open the faucet knobs slowly to let the air out. The pipes may bounce around as the air purges so check for leaks again after the water runs smooth and clear.

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Electrical Safety Tip

Confusing House wiring and Automotive wiring can get you killed.

My favorite hobby is working with cars and Jeeps. I have no trouble repairing or trouble shooting automotive electronic systems. I am also a licensed electrician working with residential and commercial wiring.

In AC wiring the standard is to use the white wire for the neutral which is commonly connected to ground. The green or bare wire is the ground. You can typically touch either of these safely. The black wire is the “Hot” wire having the supply voltage above ground. You defiantly don’t want to touch that one.

In car wiring, the battery voltage is normally the red wire. Often the ignition switched “hot” wire will be blue or purple. While 12 volts will not hurt to touch it, you want to make sure it does not touch ground or you will pop a fuse or maybe burn a wire.

The ground wire in an automotive circuit is coded black. Notice that this is the exact opposite of home or commercial AC wiring. If you are an automotive mechanic making repairs to your home wiring, you need to be aware of this critical difference. The black wire is the “HOT” wire in AC.

Also with home wiring, it is never safe to assume that the white wire is always grounded. In most lighting circuits, the hot is transmitted to and from the switch using a single piece of romex. This will have both a black and white wire in it. The white wire should have a black stripe or tag at the junction but it is very often missing.

Also, if the path to ground in the white wire is interrupted, the wire can be energized through the load. Never assume the white wire is safe. And always assume the black wire is hot.

Use extra caution when switching back and forth between automotive and house wiring so that you do not confuse the two very different color coding systems.

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Learning to make brake lines

Learning to make brake lines

I am getting a chance to learn a new auto repair skill with my current project. The Jeep I am working on is being converted from ABS to standard brakes. The front brake lines are very different in shape while the rear line just has a different fitting on the end.

I began by removing all the brake lines from the Jeep. The line to the drives side wheel was stuck in the connector to the rubber line. The nut rounded off inside my line breaking wrench. I removed the rubber line from the caliper and soaked the joint in PB blaster for a while. I then put the line in the vise and used a pair of vise grips to get it out. The nut was destroyed, but the rubber line was saved.

At the rear the hard line was also stuck at the joint to the rubber line. I used a torch to heat the joint. This allowed the flare nut to unscrew but the rubber line was damaged in the process. I bought a new one to replace it.

I bought a flaring tool at O Reilly’s and a roll of tubing and a pack of fittings from Autozone. I made a few practice flares on some scrap used line and on some of the new line before proceeding to the real lines. I should have just ordered from Advance Auto and got it all in one place.

The hard line to the rear was the right shape but had the wrong fitting at the end where it will attach to the master cylinder. The line to the ABS has a joint and coupling at the point where the non abs goes into the proportioning valve. I removed the joint and then put the correct fitting on the end of the line.

To put on the correct fitting, I first cut off the flare from the tube. I finally found out what the groove in my tubing cutter is for. It was able to cut right up against the flare and not lose much line. I then slipped on the correct fitting that I removed from a donor Jeep. I then used the flare tool to make the proper double flare for the line.

Next I began fabricating a new line for the driver’s side wheel. The line from the donor jeep was broken but gave me an idea of the correct shape. I cut a length of line and flared one end. I then slipped on two new fittings and flared the other end. I then used the bending tool to make a couple of bends. I will make the final shape once the master cylinder is bolted in place.

The last remaining line is the long crooked one that goes across the firewall to the passenger side. I have two choices on this one. The line to the ABS is longer and has the right shape most of the way. I may be able to cut it and reshape it. Then, I can install the correct fitting on the end. The other option is to make a whole new line from the coil of tubing I bought.

Update: Jennifer finished up the last line this evening. She elected to modify the original ABS line by re bending it and cutting it to the correct length. Put the fitting from the donor Jeep on the end to finish it off. Our Pro Tools flaring tool is working great.

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Power Steering pump pulley removal and installation

Power Steering pump pulley removal and installation

When replacing a power steering pump on a Jeep Cherokee, you will have to remove and replace the pulley. If you buy a new or rebuilt pump, it will not come with a pulley nad you will have to reuse the original. Also, there are three bolts on the bracket that are very hard to remove with the pulley in place.

Begin by securing the pump in a vise. You will need a special tool to remove the pulley. The pulley has a removal flange made into the pulley and you will need a tool that hooks into this flange. If you get the new pump at advance auto, they will loan you the tool or you can buy your own so you always have it handy.

The tool had two clamshell halves that fit over the pulling adapter and the flange on the pulley. Slip the sleeve over the two halves to hold them in place. Put the pin in the center of the puller bolt. Turn the bolt to extract the pulley from the shaft.

The new pump will likely come with a bolt to press the pulley back on but the one from the pulley tool kit works much better. Choose the right threaded adapter and screw it into the center of the pulley shaft. Sit the bearing on top of the pulley. Thread the center screw onto the adapter through the bearing. Thread the press adapter onto the center bolt and tighten it to press the pulley into place. Once the pulley is on, remove the threaded adapter from the center of the shaft.