Replace Black Water Valve with full holding tank

Mine broke also I called the manufacture, mine is electric and the small screwdriver slot to open stripped right away. The people that made valve told me to drill 1/8 th hole into valve paddle (part that closes) then take a small pointed tool like ice pick and then work valve open to drain. don't drill all the way through valve but only outer part to reach actual slide.

Here's the original post that CloudDriver is referencing, and was posted by Dougrainer. I saved a copy in case this ever happened to me.

Dougrainer wrote:
IF you have the standard 3 inch valve with the pull handle. The pull handle has BROKEN loose from the knife valve. NOTHING you do externally will open it. What you have to do is, connect your dump hose and install in sewer drain. On the opposite side of that pull rod on the valve body, you drill a 1/4 inch hole thru the plastic valve body and then insert a 1/4 inch rod (most phillip screwdrivers are 1/4 inch or sl;ifghtly smaller) and shove the internal plastic knife valve open. LEAVE that screwdriver IN or you will get a little sewage out that hole and have the 1/4 rod avaiable immediately after drill that hole to prevent excess waste from coming out that hole. Then replace the complete valve after flushing out the system. Doug

Fred

Sounds like a warranty claim. Contact your dealer for an appointment.

Otherwise determine if the cable has come off the stem. If it has, see if it can simply be re-attached. I think it takes a 4mm Allen wrench. If not that, then the Vice Grip idea is best. You need to do your best to repair the valve while it stays in place. If it is a cable problem, that repair is simple. And clean.

Our cable operated black valve failed several years ago. Valve seized and cable broke when I tried to dump. Dropped the under belly, removed cable from shaft of the valve blade and used a Visegrip to operate the stubborn valve. After thoroughly flushing tank, new valve was installed. Couple hours of work. No mess.

I had to do the job while on the road, returning from Alaska trip. I was lucky enough that the public dump station we found at Smythers BC actually was designed for such emergencies (it would seem). It was a pit that I parked over to remove the old valve and it captured all liquids easily when I loosened the connections. After liquids were drained it was pretty easy to finish removing the old valve and replacing it with a new one. Hardest thing was to then fill the black tank with liquid again and drive the trailer around to mix it up before finishing the dump normally. I had anticipated a HORRIBLE job but it really wasn't that bad WITH the right facilities.
Good luck / Skip

Does the the release handle spin real easy in the compartment?

Sometimes the draw rod on those valves unscrew themselves from the shutter.
Usually they just pull out which makes things harder.

Looks like if you could get up to the valve the rod could be grabbed with narrow nosed pliers and pulled opened maybe.

Cloud driver probably has the best advice...

other posts that maybe could help you
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/22434002.cfm

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/25221278/srt/pa/pging/1/page/2.cfm

Whatever the out come, Please tell us how you solved the problem.

OK, I have not done this, but I recall the following suggestion from a past post.

Drill a small hole in the side of the valve body on the opposite side from the handle. Insert a steel rod or something similar into the hole and push the valve open. If the rod is a close fit in the hole, there should be minimal leakage.

Good luck!

I don't know if I've ever seen a valve 'break'

I could believe that the cable came off of the valve is stuck but I bet that with some assistance you'll be able to get the valve to open)mind you it may leak a little liquid...

Get down there open up the under-belly and see if it's a loose cable of out of adjustment-you'll probably need a small allen-key if it's the cable...

This might not work for you but when my handle and rod came off and valve was still closed, here is what I did to get it empty so I could fix the valve. Got about a foot of broom handle and drilled a hole in one end and glued in a big wood screw. Let it set up overnight and screwed in where rod became disconnected and was able to pull blade back in valve in order to dump. Then replaced valve. Very little mess. Have also heard of people that poke in screw driver and push blade back.
Hopefully someone will come with something better.