oldpaint
Active Member
For those of you who like a challenge and really have nothing better to do with your time you can restore the automatic bailer function to a metal bailer. You will need some 4200 or boat life caulk, the ball and its rubber seat from a plastic bailer and a rubber garden hose washer. The basic idea is to fit the hose washer into the groove in the shaft of the metal bailer and then insert the rubber seat from the plastic bailer in the hose washer. The hose washer will need to be modified for this to work.
1) Cut the outside diameter of a rubber hose washer so it will fit in the grove in the metal bailer shaft. Its about 15/16 (inch). The groove is below the inner threads.
2) Test fit. I found the washer was too thick so I sanded it down with 220 until it fit. It should be a loose fit to avoid any warping Making it watertight will be taken care of later in step 6.
3) Take the washer out and make its inner diameter larger so the rubber seat will fit in it. I used a dremel with the tiny drum sander. Also you need to chamfer one side to match the angle on the outside barrel of the rubber seat. There was a lot of test fitting of the rubber seat to washer fit at this point. The fit should be loose enough to be able to rotate the seat in the washer to ensure the seat is not deformed. Once again step 6 will fix this.
4) Assemble. Put the ball in the bailer. Put the washer back in the bailer, chamfer facing up and then put the rubber seat in the washer with its chamfer for the ball facing down.
5) Try it out in some water. The ball should move into the seat reasonably quickly. There will be leakage around the groove that the washer sits in.
6) Caulk the top of the washer to the shaft of the bailer to fix the leaks. Boat life or 4200 would be good. The caulk should be applied with a toothpick or dental pick to avoid getting it all over the place. After that, but before the caulk sets, Jam the ball in the rubber seat so it stays there (it keeps the seat from deforming as you work the caulk in) and move the seat with the ball and washer around a bit to make sure the caulk sealed up every potential water leak spot, including the seat to washer. Test the seal (after unjamming the ball) by submersing the bailer up to the top rim. After the ball moves to the seat the water level should not rise. It might take a few tries to get this right. It took me three.
7) Install in your sunfish. Don't forget to use vaseline on the bailer threads when you go out in salt water.
1) Cut the outside diameter of a rubber hose washer so it will fit in the grove in the metal bailer shaft. Its about 15/16 (inch). The groove is below the inner threads.
2) Test fit. I found the washer was too thick so I sanded it down with 220 until it fit. It should be a loose fit to avoid any warping Making it watertight will be taken care of later in step 6.
3) Take the washer out and make its inner diameter larger so the rubber seat will fit in it. I used a dremel with the tiny drum sander. Also you need to chamfer one side to match the angle on the outside barrel of the rubber seat. There was a lot of test fitting of the rubber seat to washer fit at this point. The fit should be loose enough to be able to rotate the seat in the washer to ensure the seat is not deformed. Once again step 6 will fix this.
4) Assemble. Put the ball in the bailer. Put the washer back in the bailer, chamfer facing up and then put the rubber seat in the washer with its chamfer for the ball facing down.
5) Try it out in some water. The ball should move into the seat reasonably quickly. There will be leakage around the groove that the washer sits in.
6) Caulk the top of the washer to the shaft of the bailer to fix the leaks. Boat life or 4200 would be good. The caulk should be applied with a toothpick or dental pick to avoid getting it all over the place. After that, but before the caulk sets, Jam the ball in the rubber seat so it stays there (it keeps the seat from deforming as you work the caulk in) and move the seat with the ball and washer around a bit to make sure the caulk sealed up every potential water leak spot, including the seat to washer. Test the seal (after unjamming the ball) by submersing the bailer up to the top rim. After the ball moves to the seat the water level should not rise. It might take a few tries to get this right. It took me three.
7) Install in your sunfish. Don't forget to use vaseline on the bailer threads when you go out in salt water.