[TheYellowDart]

So I dug up an old Fluval 404 canister filter in my parents' garage. Never used a canister filter before, so I decided to try it out. It seems to work okay, but I found a few problems. Is it worth repairing it? Or should I just sell it for cheap?

Problems I found were a broken impeller shaft (makes it noisy and probably cause damage to the impeller if ignored), cracked impeller cover latch (doesn't seem like an issue), missing intake cage/check valve (can't prime with the priming lever without it), damaged aquastop levers (still seems to work okay), and it seems to have a slow leak (o-ring probably needs replacement).

Might cost $40 or $50 to replace with brand-new parts online. Is that worth it? Can I get parts locally or for cheaper? Or should I get rid of it? Penny for your thoughts?

 

[TheYellowDart]

Thanks for the offer on the 405. Tempting, but I need to think about it some more. I lubed up the 404 and have it running in a spare 20 gallon in my basement right now. It's been a few hours and no leaks so far.

The prevailing (and smart) opinion seems to be to cut my losses (which is zero at the moment), but I just hate the thought of letting this 404 go to waste! I must salvage it some how!

Do any of the local stores carry spare Fluval parts?

 

[TheYellowDart]

I ended up getting about $30 in parts from King Eds. Hopefully I don't end up regretting it! But I like tinkering with things myself, and seeing how things work. Probably why I became an engineer. Even if it ends up biting me in the butt, at least I'm having fun right now.