Holding Tank Upper and Lowers
We used a hacksaw blade to remove the upper - and an extended phillips to remove the lower. The upper had it's screws painted over and buried in junk - and the screws became stripped - so we cut it (this was before I mastered the fine art of stripped screw removal).
The lower is (on my boat) held with three phillips screws - very easy to remove with a extended (long shaft) phillips screw driver. It's just a board - held into place with the three screws - nothing else.
Hang onto both of those boards - the lower one especially. That lower board is what will recenter your tank into it's correct position when you go to reinstall. Pulling it out is fun - throwing it in the dump is even more fun!
Also - when you reinstall the new tank, make sure that the 1.5" lines are side-by-side - not one on top of the other - where they make the turn into the tank compartment - otherwise the tank won't sit right.
And - make sure that you get the replacement tank from Ronco *without the wing* -Model B192, I think- that the original tank had. That added wing only gives you about an extra gallon of capacity, and (once you reinstall you'll see why) the design was/is flawed - and subject to cracking at the "L" joint (the pressure from the hoses creates a pressure point on the joint (of the old design). Ask Scott at Ronco - he'll tell you all about it.
Finally - do yourself a favor - and get the 6" inspection port mounted by Ronco when you order the tank. You'll avoid lots of problems, and it'll give you a way to keep the tank clean and clear every year - so it'll never smell!
I need to update that projects section with the new photos and text. Today I'm reinstalling the teak molding, putting the plugs back in, varnishing, and then -in-goes-the-toilet!! Within a week or two the sanitation portion of the head overhaul will be history on O Barquinho!
Have fun!
//sse
[Edited by Sean Engle on 04-18-2001 at 11:08 AM]