I had to remove that collar, along with the O-ring on the Richdel bonnet.

 

It just screws off if I recall correctly. Pair of needle nose pliers will do it. The new solenoids will work, but you do need to remove the white "capture" ring in order for it to work on the older irritrol and richdel valves.

 

Thanks all.

I didn't want to mess any of them up with my "bull in a china shop" disassembly procedures.

John

 

I just pull out the retainer with my pocket knife. It's press fit.

 

Must be a press fit Sprinkus. After several hours turning, I just have not been successful.

John

 

Of course its a press fit - there are no threads for the white piece to engage.

 

Of course its a press fit - there are no threads for the white piece to engage.

Needle nose pliers has always done it for me. Pointy end of one jaw pushed up gently against the plunger... so one jaw is in, the other out. Grab and pull straight out.

 

Must be a press fit Sprinkus. After several hours turning, I just have not been successful.

John

You didn't seriously spend a couple of hours trying to get that thing off? I stock both types of irritrol solenoids, so I just use the appropriate one for the job. I've only been in the position once where I had to use one of the newer types on an old bonnet. Guess my memory is failing me.

 

If you use an irritrol solenoid on a hardie hr-1 you need to remove the white color. I've never had a valve that failed to work because the collar was removed but I've had them fail to work because of the collar. My rule of thumb is if I'm replacing a solenoid without a collar then remove the collar. If the replaced solenoid has a collar then leave it in. On some older buckners it's best to avoid the irritrol solenoid all together and get an Arco or the Buckner solenoid.

 

And no I did not spend "hours". Maybe a minute and a half at the outside.

Some peoples' kids!

 

there are never internal threads in a solenoid, period

 

And no I did not spend "hours".

After several hours turning, I just have not been successful.

They are reverse threads, you're turning them the wrong way.

 

He was reading the Buckner-Moody brass head thread, so it only seemed like hours.

 

Got a refresher course in it today. Replaced a Hydro Rain (original, not the new company of the same name) 1" valve old style "horseshoe" shaped solenoid with the newer one. Piece of cake.

 

I save my "horseshoe" shaped solenoids" because they work better than the new replacements.

 

Got a refresher course in it today. Replaced a Hydro Rain (original, not the new company of the same name) 1" valve old style "horseshoe" shaped solenoid with the newer one. Piece of cake.

I also had to replace the top to an HR-1 today. I just happened to have one in the truck, from when I bought the stocked van a few years ago. So glad I had it. It was a double decker manifold, with copper in and out of the valves. Galvanized bushings on both sides too, that were corroded. Would have been a biatch to replace the valve. I know I have an old photo of the manifold somewhere. Probably posted on here somewhere.

EDIT: Found it.

 

Now that's a valve manifold, old school. Just hope they don't have major landscape or home additions.

 

I save my "horseshoe" shaped solenoids because they work better than the new replacements.

Not so sure about that.

I was replacing the diaphragm assembly because the valve "Ohmed out" OK and yet wasn't coming on. Very badly worn seat disc. Also the diaphragm had cracks, and the hole where the metering rod pokes though looked out of round.

Then the valve chattered a bit when it came on. Short leads on the old solenoid stressed the splices, and I figured I ought to clean the ports and check the plunger to see if the spring was rusty or otherwise hanging up. Easy to replace and I gained longer lead wires too.

 

the valve chattered a bit when it came on

Yea, very common. I have not had much luck using the 811 replacement solenoid. The old horseshoes work best.