'73 sunfish plug parts questions

ylojelo

Member
I need repair the bailer and drain plug on my sunfish and I am not certain what parts I need to order from aps.

http://www.apsltd.com/Tree/d90000/e88842.asp

I'd like to keep the bailer housing, I just need the ball, gasket & cap. Will the current replacement parts (plastic, I think) fit the old metal housings? Do I need a cap and a plug and is an o ring the same as a gasket?

Next is the old metal drain plug. The chain is rusted off and I'd just like to get a new one. Again, the aps parts list is not very helpful. I assume its the ' V65015 Metal Drain Plug w/ Chain' but the model years it would fit is not indicated.

Looking at inspection ports, APS lists a 5" Viking inspection port VK1101 for $9 and 5" Viking inspection port V11302 for $17 on the sunfish parts page. Is there a difference?

thanks
 
I’ve looked for parts for those old DePersia metal bailers. I always ended up putting in the new plastic unit because the major metal pieces weren’t to be found. The new ball might work, but I can tell you from experience the other parts don’t fit at all. APS only has new stuff, Torrenson Marine once said they had some of the old parts left. They also say the old parts were being made up until 2007, but I saw a business listing for DePersia that said they went belly up in ’75 so who knows what’s right - call them maybe. Last summer there was a cap for sale on ebay claiming to fit a Sunfish. Trouble is most of today’s plumbing fittings have tapered thread (NPT - \ / ) and the bailer is a straight thread 1-5/16 long, 7/8x14tpi ( | | ) – not a match. Gaskets and o-rings are hardware store items. Gaskets are flat, o-rings are round. If the metal cap is missing you’re SOL, without it all you’ve got is a hole in your boat. I guess you could jam in a rubber stopper.

Drainplugs are available. Yankee Boat Center shows a picture ( http://www.sunfishsailboats.com/hull.php ). There was a thread about replacing the plug only ( 65015 ), but the new plug didn’t match the threads of the old collar. I can’t find that thread. Probably hijacked a different topic so it’s lost in the bilge of mis-labeled posts. Get the plug and the collar together as a unit ( 79024 ) and you should be OK.

The V11302 port probably comes in a $8 protective Sunfish poly-bag and was consecrated by a Sunfish cleric during it’s preparation. Get the $9 port and recite the prayer for Milah L'shem giur when you cut the hole in your boat, you'll be fine.
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$8 protective Sunfish poly-bag and was consecrated by a Sunfish cleric .
:)

Thanks Dan for all the info

Well Torrensen was little help. She couldn't tell me if the bailer cap would fit even if I bought both. So, with the help of windline (http://www.windline.net/BailerR.htm), looks like I'll take your advice and replace it with a plastic one. And looks as though I'll go to plastic with the drain assembly as well, thinking that it will get drained more often if a screwdriver isn't required.

We'll see how well all that goes.
 

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