Thetford C260 blade wont open

[barryd]

Well this has ruined my evening.

Went to the loo and pulled the lever back and it wouldn't open. I noticed though that the lever only goes half way back also. I somehow got the cassette out (it didn't want to come out). Emptied it and tried to put it back in. It goes in but the blade is still shut and wont open inside the van. In the end all I could do was take the cassette out, remove the cover to the cassette, refit it and then manually slide the lever back inside the loo with my hands. So now the empty cassette is in and the blade is open but permanently. Obviously this is not ideal as even with the toilet lid down its going to smell but at least we can use it. Its pitch black so that will have to do until the morning but I'm hoping someone will have some pointers as to what we need to do to fix it.

There is definitely something wrong with the lever though as it only goes half way back and forward.

 

[Lenny HB]

One if two things:

The quadrant with gear teeth on it that locates on the orange knob has moved out of position. Held in with one screw just need to unscrew it and relocate it correctly. Happened to me last week & my van is only 4 months old.

The other thing that may have happened is on the cassette mechanism the pillars that the screws go into that hold the blade mechanism in place, one or more may have sheared off, can be glued back on with Epoxy like araldite.

 

[barryd]

One if two things:

The quadrant with gear teeth on it that locates on the orange knob has moved out of position. Held in with one screw just need to unscrew it and relocate it correctly. Happened to me last week & my van is only 4 months old.

The other thing that may have happened is on the cassette mechanism the pillars that the screws go into that hold the blade mechanism in place, one or more may have sheared off, can be glued back on with Epoxy like araldite.

Hopefully its the former. I found this video which concurs with what you suggest and lots of people in the comments say it solved the issue for them.

Will have a delve tomorrow (Urggh! )

 

[Revolvor]

We had a problem last trip. The internal handle moved, but the disc didn't move. It turned out that the spigot on the back of the circular disc had sheared off. I moved it out of the way and we dropped a disposable coffee cup into the pan to prevent smells. I replaced the whole mechanism when we got home.

Thetford C250 C260 Blade Waste Tank Mechanism

Thetford C250 & C260 Toilet Waste Tank Mechanism Replacement waste cassette tank mechanism. SKU:50727-06

www.leisuredepot.co.uk

 

[barryd]

I think it might be the cassette thats knackered maybe similar to Revolver above. I did find the cog in the video and it wasnt lined up correctly so I undid that and straightened it and tightened it up. However I stupidly thought there was a blade that opens and shuts in the loo unit itself on this one but of course thats not the case. The blade is in the actual Cassette toilet that you remove. I assume this large orange knob turns it open or shut. Anyway its loose. It just spins around so presumably the blade I moved with my fingers last night is disconnected and inside the cassette? I also found a broken bit of plastic but have no idea where that came from.

Would I be correct in deducing I need a new cassette or is it worth trying to remove the whole circular lid and attempting that repair? My gut feeling is not to dick about and just get a new C260. Assuming it is that.

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[Riverbankannie]

You can buy spare parts at various places. Here is one

Thetford C260 Toilet Spares

Genuine Thetford C260 spare parts, with exploded diagrams and installation instructions. Perfect for maintaining cassette toilets. Fast UK delivery!

www.jacksonsleisure.com

 

[barryd]

The local Motorhome accessory place has a new cassette in stock (assuming it is that). £155 or £65 just for the big circular bit. I can get one from Amazon for £132 but it might be worth just popping into the dealer, show him my knackered one to confirm its correct and getting one off him. I could go down on the bike this morning and get one I guess. If it fits on the pillion.

 

[Revolvor]

The local Motorhome accessory place has a new cassette in stock (assuming it is that). £155 or £65 just for the big circular bit. I can get one from Amazon for £132 but it might be worth just popping into the dealer, show him my knackered one to confirm its correct and getting one off him. I could go down on the bike this morning and get one I guess. If it fits on the pillion.

The"big circular bit" that I referenced in me previous post is easy to remove. If you look closely on it, you will see it has a small arrow, lining up with one on the main unit. If you rotate it about 10 degrees anti clockwise, it will line up with another arrow. It then just lifts off.

 

[barryd]

The"big circular bit" that I referenced in me previous post is easy to remove. If you look closely on it, you will see it has a small arrow, lining up with one on the main unit. If you rotate it about 10 degrees anti clockwise, it will line up with another arrow. It then just lifts off.

Thanks. I watched a video and they can be tricky to remove apparently. They shouldnt be but on one video a guy had literally bolted a piece of wood to his for leverage to turn it to get it out.

What I maybe should have explained (although its probably obvious) is I am not the best with a set of tools. Im keen to have a go but my worry is that right now I have a working toilet albeit with the blade open. If I try and repair it while away and mess it up I might be in big trouble.

 

[Revolvor]

Thanks. I watched a video and they can be tricky to remove apparently. They shouldnt be but on one video a guy had literally bolted a piece of wood to his for leverage to turn it to get it out.

What I maybe should have explained (although its probably obvious) is I am not the best with a set of tools. Im keen to have a go but my worry is that right now I have a working toilet albeit with the blade open. If I try and repair it while away and mess it up I might be in big trouble.

Yes it was a bit tight. I managed it just by hand, by slightly sliding the cover in its runner, to give a bit more leverage, but I was careful not to apply too much force, before it moved.

Using a disposable coffee cup to block the pan internally was a good excuse to buy more coffees!

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[Lenny HB]

Once you get the mechanism out smear the seals with silicon grease makes it easier to remove in future. You need to take it out at least once a year to clean it anyway.

As said you can by all the spares to repair it.

 

[peterc10]

We have had the same problem twice, once in our previous Adria and once in our present Hymer. Both times it occurred when I tried to operate the sliding blade when I was sitting on the bog.

I have learnt my lesson, until I forget again.

 

[barryd]

Yes it was a bit tight. I managed it just by hand, by slightly sliding the cover in its runner, to give a bit more leverage, but I was careful not to apply too much force, before it moved.

Using a disposable coffee cup to block the pan internally was a good excuse to buy more coffees!

Fixed.

Mrs D is yet to see the repair though. Where to put the Coffee cup when in use is her department though as its internals. She looks after the internals unless its electrical so strictly speaking this has nothing to do with me the other side of the cassette.