88001 Repair Kit for Brasscraft Stops

repaired faucet on RV

Small Bib-washer came with visible cracks and dry-rot. Don't know how long these things are sitting in inventory, but it cracked as soon as I handled it.

These repair kits are just the thing to fix your BrassCraft multiturn stop valves. After taking the old valve apart, I had to dig out the shutoff washer that had disintegrated, preventing the valve from shutting off the water. I cleaned up the valves, installed the parts from the kit on 2 of these valves that I previously replaced with ball valves, and now I have 2 spare shutoff valves in case of an emergency. The replacement washers seem to be of better quality than the originals, so perhaps the rebuilt valves will work and last longer, although I much prefer ball valves to the multiturn type.

liked them alright, but haven't used them so . . .

If you buy replacement white plastic stems for the Brass Craft shutoff multiturn valves, I've found that with the plastic stem, they never provide all the replacement washers you might need. So it's a good idea to have some of these washers on hand, even if you do not intend to reuse the original stem.

The washer broke both times I tried to use them. I had to buy a washer locally complete the repair.

It's actually easier to unscrew the valve and put these parts in, than it is to replace the entire valve. My office has 14 of these valves, and at 25 years they are all either frozen open or starting to drip. I keep a few of these kits ready.

For the specific kit I received, the only good things I can report are that it was inexpensive, and it did stop the leak at the shaft of a Brasscraft shutoff valve. Unfortunately, after a few hours the valve started leaking at the threads of the "Bonnet Nut" (a Plumbing term, possibly British) because the Packing Washer was unable to withstand the force needed to provide a good seal and crumbled at the edge, as shown in the pictures. Fortunately I had not planned to replace the Bibb Washer, because it also failed, splitting when I tried installing it on another shaft assembly. But even though the two main items in the kit didn't work I'll only rate it down to the 2-star level, since the problem appears to be batch related. Older reviews are mostly positive, and the only other one mentioning problems with the washers is also from 2024. The material for the Packing Washer has to be soft enough to be squeezed against the shaft by the Friction Ring when the valve is fully open, but also must withstand the force needed to seal against the thin edge of the valve body. I may have applied too much force, but no more than had been used with the old washer, which showed only slight deformation and still sealed well at the outside edge. For the record, I was able to correct the shaft leakage using the old washer, by adding a small 'O' ring on the shaft between the Friction Ring and the Packing Washer. Instructions are included in English and Spanish, if somewhat hidden, folded in the card labeling the kit, but they fail to mention the small plastic shoulder washer. This is used to fill the space between the shaft and oversized hole in the washer, allowing reasonably free rotation while providing a good seal. The instructions are otherwise adequate. While at this time I can't recommend the kit, I may order another one in a year or so, hopefully after the bad parts out of the "pipeline" from Danco. This should be a useful item, and the price is quite reasonable.