Following on from our recent thread re getting the toilet flush to work again I can report back that I have got it working again BUT THIS TIME IT WAS MORE DIFFICULT AND TOOK FAR LONGER...............................

I think part of the issue was my hands being a bit fatter and more arthritic - despite me wearing thin rubber gloves that I lubricated slightly!!!! I got everything undone easy enough but struggled getting the pump in a suitable position to be able to use a small screwdriver to free up the motor. On the first afternoon I gave up after about an hour of fiddling in the small space and went for a lie down.

The next day I tried again. This time instead of kneeling on the bathroom floor I sat on the toilet seat and this gave me a different angle of attack and after about 15 minutes I got the pump in a suitable position. It took no time to free up the pump and, after quickly changing the blown fuse, it purred like a satisfied kitten.

However I didn't realise that in moving the pump I ha dislodged the flush outlet itself. This took about another 15 minutes of fiddling before I got it back in the right position to put water into the bowl. However the water then came out like from a fireman's hose, which led to some more fiddling with it - the immediate solution is to make sure that the toilet lid is down before you flush.

What I have learnt from the experience is probably that I won't attempt it again and will get the service engineer to replace the pump with a new one. Not only were the backs of my hands very sore but I have new hips and they throbbed like mad for the next two days with all the kneeling down on the bathroom floor.

However if you are a relative youngster with tiny hands and sound hips I would say for you to go ahead and give it a go

MikeT

I’ve had the joys of cramped knees and scraped hands twice now on our van and once on a friend’s. Last time I really struggled and eventually went for a different approach and pulled out the flush pipe. It made getting the pump out really easy, just ease out the flush hose and hey presto. The awkward bit is getting the flush back in but being firm and jiggling seems to work! Next time I’m going for the flush first and I reckon a short screwdriver down the spout might make the refitting easier…

hi Martin
Great minds and all that...................

First I tied some thin thread around the end of the flush pipe and passed it back through the flush hole and gently pulled the thread. This almost succeeded but the thread was too thick to pass through the flush hole when attached. I then pushed a narrow screwdriver through the flush hole and pushed it into the pipe. I then managed to use this as a guide to push the pipe end into the flush hole. It took a bit of fiddling but I got it in - only to find I'd inserted it upside down, so that the water came out through the top not the bottom. A few more minutes fiddling and I got it out and back in right way up!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think you are right in that removing the flush pipe made it easier to get to the pump motor - I pulled mine off by accident but this was a fortunate one.

MikeT