New bailer ball for my Sunfish

Hello people, today I've finally received the new balls for my Sunfish. But how do I get the bailer ball in the housing? En what's the purpose of the black rubber ring?
 

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The ball (one) is dropped inside the bailer from inside the cockpit. The black ring is a seal for the ball, which follows, and is a tight pinching fit on the plastic housing.

There should be two small pins underneath tlo keep the ball from falling out. (Although the pins themselves can fall out).
 
Thanks! So, I don't have to take off the whole housing? Do I need to open something from the inside the cockpit? Or can I just let the ball drop in?
 
Hmmm. Not sure. :(

By removing the bailer and working on a benchtop would make adding the black seal easier.

It's been a long time, but I have the same kit. Especially handy when owning five (or six) Sunfish! :confused:
 
You will need to remove the bailer. Easier with a helper holding the bailer in place, a screw driver or a small pry bar worked for me.
Once removed it’s pretty obvious where the o-ring goes. Install the new ring and drop in the ball, screw back together.
This is for the older style but may give you idea what to expect
 
The bailer nut/cap needs to be unscrewed. Old rubber o ring inside the bailer removed, new ball dropped in, new O ring worked into place, bailer nut/cap reinstalled.
 
Hello people, today I've finally received the new balls for my Sunfish. But how do I get the bailer ball in the housing? En what's the purpose of the black rubber ring?
Note that some of the responses here are referring to the original De Persia metal bailer and some of the replies are referring to the newer plastic bailer (which has the pins). Looking at the pictures from your other post “maybe this will be my sunfish “I can see that you have the plastic bailer.
 
That's correct Weston, I have a platic bailer. So, do I still need to take the bailer off the boat if want to replace the ball?
 
I like the metal De Persia bailer. :)

'Looks like it would be easier than working inside the cramped cockpit. :confused:

It's plastic.

What can go wrong? :rolleyes:
 
That's correct Weston, I have a platic bailer. So, do I still need to take the bailer off the boat if want to replace the ball?
I do not think you need to remove the bailer in order to install a new ball and rubber seal for the ball. After you unscrew the stopper from the inside of the cubby, you can pull out the black rubber grommet at the bottom of the inside of the bailer, then drop in the new ball and replace the rubber grommet with the new one. When the boat is in the water, the ball will float up and press against that rubber grommet, thus preventing water from coming into the boat if the top of the bailer is unplugged.
 
Thank you Weston, that's very clear. I'll do it exactly as you've described.
please report back after you try, because I have a plastic bailer and if that’s the case there is something wrong with my boat.
 
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Here I found this, this video show how to remove the plastic bailer. As you can see in the video, the stopper is the only thing holding the bailer to the bottom of the boat.
Hope this clears up any confusion. Either way it’s not very difficult.
 
Here I found this, this video show how to remove the plastic bailer. As you can see in the video, the stopper is the only thing holding the bailer to the bottom of the boat.
Hope this clears up any confusion. Either way it’s not very difficult.
I stand corrected... By unscrewing the stopper, you can remove the entire bailer. This is different from the older metal bailer that requires you to remove both the metal stopper and a separate locking nut if you want to get inside the bailer.

The rubber grommet that I referred to replacing in my earlier post is visible inside the bailer with the plastic float ball pressed up against it at 0:37 sec in the above video. Unfortunately, the video does not show how to remove and replace that rubber grommet. Maybe I should make one myself. ... but not today :)
 
I hope that your installation went well. I would like to see if anyone has any experience sailing a Sunfish without the black rubber gasket that helps seal the plastic ball. I've taken some of the bailers apart and I found that some of our sailing center Sunfish boats were missing the gaskets. It could be that: 1. Those boats leaked badly. 2. that the or that the removable cap on top of the bailer (on the inside of the cockpit) did a good-enough job of keeping the lake water out of the cockpit. or 3. The plastic ball seals well enough without the gasket.
 
I hope that your installation went well. I would like to see if anyone has any experience sailing a Sunfish without the black rubber gasket that helps seal the plastic ball. I've taken some of the bailers apart and I found that some of our sailing center Sunfish boats were missing the gaskets. It could be that: 1. Those boats leaked badly. 2. that the or that the removable cap on top of the bailer (on the inside of the cockpit) did a good-enough job of keeping the lake water out of the cockpit. or 3. The plastic ball seals well enough without the gasket.
I owned & sailed an '84 Sunfish for many years without the rubber grommet & surprisingly, it sealed very well without it.
I also felt like any water in the Cockpit might evacuate faster since the drainage hole is larger without the grommet
 
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I test-sailed three of our club’s Sunfish boats today and none of the bailers leaked when the plug was inserted. Previously, some of our boat’s bailers would leak even with the plugs inserted.

Two of the boats tested today had the little black rubber gaskets that are supposed to seal the floating ball in the bailer. One boat had the floating ball but no gasket. They all seemed to leak water into the cockpit at an equal rate (slowly) when I pulled out the cockpit plug when the boat was not moving.

Thanks to all that have offered comment in this forum.

Roger
 
Hi all, I already know how to replace the bailer ball unit and replace the ball. I'd like to find a metal unit to purchase as one club I sail from launches from a wooden dock. I've cracked a few plastic units during the launch. Thanks
 

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