Replacing Spider Gasket ?? Is this the correct size?

[Gran]

We starting noticing sand in the pool. My reading informed me it was probably a broken lateral. I removed the sand (boy was that a job) and discovered one cracked lateral. I also took the top off the valve and found the spider gasket was in bad shape. I ordered the parts. The lateral was correct but the spider gasket appears to be too large and will not lay flat in the bottom of the valve. The diameter of the gasket is 5 9/16 inches and the inside of the valve measures 5 5/16 inches. I called the sales representative and he told me how to ease the gasket into the valve. I am able to get the outer ring of the gasket to fit into the valve and the ring in the center to fit on the post using his advice but when I do the spokes of the gasket are wavy and obviously too long. The salesman said that it was supposed to be that way and it would fit into place when I glue it; it would just take a lot of work. He said if it took less than 2-3 hours to replace it I was doing it wrong!?!
I have attached two pictures. The first shows how I first placed the gasket. The second shows how I placed the gasket following his advice.
1. Does this appear to be the correct size gasket or is it too large?
2. Any suggestions on how to remove the old gasket? It is glued VERY well.
3. Any advice on putting the new sand back in the filter? (I know I need to put water in before beginning to add sand to protect the laterals.)
Thanks for any input!

 

[jtaves85mcss]

That looks too big to me. (It looks like you have the new one positioned over the old one?)

Any chance you can take the valve top housing and the new gasket to the shop where you got it?

 

[Gran]

Thanks for your input!

I think it is too big also but this is my first time to try this. If I glue it in I know they will not refund my money. Yes, I laid it over the old gasket to check for size. We had not removed the old gasket when I took the picture.

I ordered online from a company in Arizona so I cannot go there. The local pool store said they would have to order it and it would take over a week. I got this one in two days.

 

[jtaves85mcss]

This is one of those instances where I would have the local company order it and maybe even rebuild the top end of that unit. There a quite a few things in there that are probably within a year or two of end of life. Pulling it apart without replacing the spring, nylon washer, shaft seal o-rings and body o-ring seal may leave you revisiting this at another inopportune time. Reassembling an entire rebuild yourself will be a chore unless you are fairly handy.

Not sure how you are chlorinating your pool now, but you will need to be able to dose it with shock/bleach and brush it daily if you take the pump off line for a week.

Perhaps you can have the local shop order whatever parts you choose and take it off line the day before delivery and get convince them to do the repairs in two days.

Good luck with this.

 

[Gran]

After my husband removed the old spider gasket this afternoon (he is very handy ) he decided the new gasket might work. It fit in the valve better and the spokes were straight for the most part. He glued it in and we put the filter back together. Now I have a very small stream of water coming out of the waste pipe at all settings whether the pump is running or not. Is this a problem with the gasket or something else? I read your last reply after we came in from completing this. Possibly some of the things you mentioned are already a problem OR we did something wrong .

I deep cleaned the filter in April folllowing the thread posted by TFP Expert Smykowski. (Excellent instructions!) When I put it back together after this it worked fine so I know the correct procedure on that part. However, we also replaced a cracked lateral today so replacing the sand was a new adventure. The lateral was probably cracked last year because we started noticing some sand in the pool at the end of the season. It was worse this year when we opened the pool so we removed the sand and found the problem.

I am chlorinating my pool with bleach and using the Pool Math calculator. I have been adding bleach and mixing by brushing since last Thursday.

I really appreciate your help!
Gran

 

[jtaves85mcss]

I suspect you still have a gasket issue or a small potential for a weak spring. As I recall, when installing the gasket there is a particular sequence of steps that are recommended in terms of setting the handle spur out of a slot (on top of the ring) tightening the bolts, then leaving it to dry after dropping the handle. Do a quick youtube search and see if Inyo pools has some demonstrations that may clue you to what could have been missed.