Andy VH
New Member
It can be done. I have done it three times on the same Rochelle.
Yeah, I know, persistent,...or just dumb? Anywho. The key to making common fill and flush valves work are:
1. The odd oversize hole through the bottom of the Rochelle "tank": By making a thick water resistant spacer that big hole can be sized down to fit the standard 1/2" threaded connection. Did this in 2006, bonded everything in with 100% silicon adhesive, it's firm and leak free to this day
2. The flush valve/overflow tube. Either use a flush valve/tube for a tankless toilet, or bond a standard flush valve/tube into the tank bottom with 100% silicone adhesive. Works just fine, very firm and leak free.
3. Low in tank height of the Rochelle. This used to limit the option for the standard ball cock style fill valve and float arm. The newer height adjustable fill valves from Korky, Fluidmaster, Danco and others makes for a lot more options to retrofit the Rochelle to modern components.
4. The side of the tank flush handle and contorted lift arm. Old style, floppy, no positive feel to it, and never quite lifted the flapper consistently to make every flush work.
5. The rim flush option. This needs a tube from the fill valve to the tank port. The Danco Hydroclean 660 has a "tank bottom cleaning" function that can be adapted with tubing to the rim flush port in the Rochelle.
On my Rochelle I cut down the overall height of a standard threaded mount flush valve/overflow tube to just slightly higher than the water level in the tank. This provides more clearance above the overflow tube for other components. I bonded it into the tank with 100% silicone adhesive, with the overflow tube positioned to the tank center.
Many of the new style fill valves will work, but choose one with the smallest OD float to make sure it fits in the tank and does not contact the back of the tank wall. The Danco Hydroclean 660 fits well, as would the Korky. Models with the large diameter float body may not work in the tight Rochelle tank left hand side.
Get away from the old flapper style flush valve. I struggled/experimented with many of them to get the right lift to get consistent flushes and also to get a consistent seal. I installed the Danco Hydrostop vertical seal right onto the standard style flush valve/overflow tube.
All a lot of work to revive an old modern classic from the 70s. But it can be done and updated to 2020.
Yeah, I know, persistent,...or just dumb? Anywho. The key to making common fill and flush valves work are:
1. The odd oversize hole through the bottom of the Rochelle "tank": By making a thick water resistant spacer that big hole can be sized down to fit the standard 1/2" threaded connection. Did this in 2006, bonded everything in with 100% silicon adhesive, it's firm and leak free to this day
2. The flush valve/overflow tube. Either use a flush valve/tube for a tankless toilet, or bond a standard flush valve/tube into the tank bottom with 100% silicone adhesive. Works just fine, very firm and leak free.
3. Low in tank height of the Rochelle. This used to limit the option for the standard ball cock style fill valve and float arm. The newer height adjustable fill valves from Korky, Fluidmaster, Danco and others makes for a lot more options to retrofit the Rochelle to modern components.
4. The side of the tank flush handle and contorted lift arm. Old style, floppy, no positive feel to it, and never quite lifted the flapper consistently to make every flush work.
5. The rim flush option. This needs a tube from the fill valve to the tank port. The Danco Hydroclean 660 has a "tank bottom cleaning" function that can be adapted with tubing to the rim flush port in the Rochelle.
On my Rochelle I cut down the overall height of a standard threaded mount flush valve/overflow tube to just slightly higher than the water level in the tank. This provides more clearance above the overflow tube for other components. I bonded it into the tank with 100% silicone adhesive, with the overflow tube positioned to the tank center.
Many of the new style fill valves will work, but choose one with the smallest OD float to make sure it fits in the tank and does not contact the back of the tank wall. The Danco Hydroclean 660 fits well, as would the Korky. Models with the large diameter float body may not work in the tight Rochelle tank left hand side.
Get away from the old flapper style flush valve. I struggled/experimented with many of them to get the right lift to get consistent flushes and also to get a consistent seal. I installed the Danco Hydrostop vertical seal right onto the standard style flush valve/overflow tube.
All a lot of work to revive an old modern classic from the 70s. But it can be done and updated to 2020.
