# help! sealing gasket too thick for eheim 2028???



## dahilton8 (Jul 26, 2012)

my eheim pri II 2028 has been leaking and i JUST discovered the sealing gasket that attaches to the underneath section of the head is missing. i ordered a new ring (#7343150 - eheim sealing ring) - which arrived, BUT when i put it on and tried to clamp the lid back on, i noticed it felt too thick? tried to force the clamps and broke two of them. i'm thinking the ring must be too thick and i've ordered the wrong one???

can someone please advise?

thanks!!!

dave


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

That is the correct part number for the sealing ring so no problems there.

The sealing ring needs to be tucked into the groove in the pump head. I use a popsicle stick or other non pointy object to avoid damaging the new seal. I also like to apply a thin film of regular vaseline or plumbers o-ring grease to the seal before installing it.

Hopefully you didn't damage the seal. Did the clamps actually break or just come unclipped from the canister body?


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## dahilton8 (Jul 26, 2012)

No, they snapped in two in the middle - plastic broke. i didn't see that the seal can really fit that far into the groove of the head - the groove is very narrow and the seal is way thick - with a very narrow rise that runs along the middle - so the rise of course fits into the groove, but the seal is still very fat. it had me wondering if it was the wrong part, but i confirmed with my manual. i'm just afraid now i'll have to spend 40 bucks on four new ez clips, and hope THEY don't break. i'm guessing the old ones are just brittle with age? i put a lot of pressure on the head - pushing down- when trying to close the clips but it didn't even look close. i guess i have no choice but to try brand new clips. ugg.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

I bet you still have the old seal in the groove but it is so compressed that you really can't see it. I have used a long metal pick or even a large safety pin to remove the old gasket.

See if that is what the problem is in getting the new seal to fit.

Sorry about the broken clips. I know it's too late now but you should never have that much trouble assembling a canister filter.


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## dahilton8 (Jul 26, 2012)

Hi Deeda - what percentage of the gasket should be in the groove when all is said and done? 10%? it shouldn't be this hard - hahaha.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

The entire seal must be in the groove. The seal is sort of square shaped so when you put it in the groove, the seal should sit flat and contact the bottom of the groove.

Did you find the old seal in the groove?


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## dahilton8 (Jul 26, 2012)

no - the old seal had been removed by someone else during the last cleaning - hence the leak. ok, i had just slipped the new seal on so that it pressed against the bottom of the lid - i had not actually worked it inside the groove. jeez.


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## dahilton8 (Jul 26, 2012)

Please help! I thought my main seal was bad - turns out it is fine. here is what is happening - the leak appears to be happening near the plug coming out of the filter head where there is also a small reservoir in the plastic casing. i do not understand what could be the cause of this leak. if anyone has had any experience with the 2028 and know what this could be PLEASE help! greatly appreciated!


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Yep, been there and done that with the Eheim 2028.

There are a few potential leak points that will give you the leak at the cord.

One is a hairline crack in the clear flow meter or the o-rings that seal it properly.

The other leak point may be the primer pump o-ring, if your model has the push-to-prime button on top of the pump head. The o-ring isn't available from Eheim or shown in the exploded view of the filter but can be purchase online for a couple dollars. Here is a link to an article that explains how to replace the o-ring yourself. Easy to do if you are comfortable with the project.

Another possible leak point would be the quick connect adapter. They occasionally develop a hairline crack also.


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## dahilton8 (Jul 26, 2012)

Deeda -

Can you please assist me once more? I am STILL experiencing major leaking in the head-reservoir where the plug comes out of my eheim 2028 filter. let me tell you what all i have replaced so far: the main filter head gasket/seal, the 2 small o-rings for the inflow/outflow nozzles, and the primer button o-ring. i am about ready to give up. do you have any thoughts or suggestions?

thanks,
David


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Hi Dave, sorry you are still having problems with the 2028. You have pretty much covered the majority of the seals that may contribute to the leak you are experiencing.

How easy did you find it to replace the primer button o-ring? Did you lube it well when reassembling it? Any chance it may have gotten pinched when you put it back together again?

That said, the only possible leak point left is the flow indicator window. There is at least one o-ring for it or there is the possibility the plastic has a hairline crack. Here is a pic of the part, you will need to click on the enlarge pic for a better view once the page opens. It appears to be a rather pricey item so I would first see if you can actually see if there was any damage to the part.


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## dahilton8 (Jul 26, 2012)

thanks Dee,

i'll look at it i guess, but don't remember seeing any cracks when eyeballing it before. the primer push button gasket wasn't that bad - i'd printed out a 7page instruction sheet, i did lube the gasket and it went on smoothly, no kinks or pinches. i'm honestly just thinking now about looking for another filter. i've pulled my hair out over this one and already spent so much on parts. i'd really hoped the push button gasket would've done the trick.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

I completely understand what you're saying about the expense. I would definitely not trash the filter if you are done with it. I would put it up for sale, state that you've replaced parts but that there is a leak. Try and recoup at least most of your expenses in parts and possibly 1/3 the cost of a new 2028, depending on its age. I'm sure there is always someone looking for a used filter that might be willing to deal with it.

You can sell via the Trading Post on this forum, craigslist, garage sale or at your local fish club if you have one. You could also part out the filter if someone wasn't interested in the entire unit. See if anyone on the forum is located near you if you want to avoid shipping it.


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