Head Replacement Headache

[dvhartley]

I had replaced my original head with a new standard compact Jabsco head. The bolt holes covered different areas of the deck and were drilled and screwed through by the installer. At first they seemed ok. Now it appears they are attached to nothing, and now the head just sits there basically unattached except by the hoses with the bolts wiggling up and down. Does anyone have any experience or suggestions with this problem. Would a long wood screw work? I contacted Com-Pac, and they said there is a plywood board that may have fallen that should be below the deck, but I cannot find it.

Also as an aside. I cannot completely close off the discharge port on the head where it attaches to the hose. No matter how tight I tighten the hose clamp it still dribbles.

I have been messing with this since March, and can't get it straight.

As a last resort does anyone know of someone in the New Bern, NC area that is a genius at fixing stuff like this?

[spaul]

Hey Dave,
There is room under the head to slip a piece of plywood to screw to. You might need a small neighborhood child to do it. I know it's cramped down there to work like that but it might make the difference in fastening the head down solid. There is another approach you might try. Manufacturers make pop rivets with threads that would work just great in this application. I'd go for stainless and then just screw matching machine screws with large enough washers and you're done. I admit though that I like having some plywood or thickener under the head for strength.
If you're having trouble with dripping around the rear discharge hose you might try some adhesive or rubber tape. Let the adhesive dry before tightening the hose clamp. If there is room try an extra hose clamp there to spread out the pressure over a longer area.
Let us know how this goes.
Steve Paul
cp27/2 "IM PAUL SIVE"