# Bucket Gamma Lid System LEAKING!! HELP



## 6FEETandRISING (Feb 15, 2012)

So I have used a gamma lid with bucket system for a groover in the past with both devastating and good results. We have had the o-ring come off as it had stretched and thus the sh*t leaked out. I recently found an awesome 6 gallon bucket, perfect height for grooving, and bought a new gamma lid. Put it together and filled it up with some water flipped it over and sure enough, water came streaming out. Tried this same test with another entirely different setup and same result -- failure. So, I am reaching out here to see if anybody has had the same problem and if they have found a cure. Maybe super glue on the inside of the lid rim or silicone???? It says a watertight seal but it obviously isn't.


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## cataraftgirl (Jun 5, 2009)

Is it leaking at the threaded screw on lid, or where the outer ring snaps onto the bucket? I have found a few buckets that didn't mate well with the Gamma Lid. Does the GL look warped at all? I bought some lids recently and had to look through the stack of lids carefully because some of them looked warped.


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## TriBri1 (Nov 15, 2011)

cataraftgirl said:


> Is it leaking at the threaded screw on lid, or where the outer ring snaps onto the bucket? I have found a few buckets that didn't mate well with the Gamma Lid. Does the GL look warped at all? I bought some lids recently and had to look through the stack of lids carefully because some of them looked warped.


I dub you the queen of the gamma seal...

If the leak is at the bucket to lid connection than first try hammering it lid on evenly with a mallet. Don't whack down one side then the other, just tap all the way around until is seats. If that does not work then you may be able to get away with a bead of window caulking in the gamma than hammer it on evenly with a rubber mallet.


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## Ture (Apr 12, 2004)

I don't think I'd ever try to make a groover with those things. I use one of those buckets to keep snacks and misc junk handy... I clip the bucket to the gear pile behind me in the captain's seat. After a few days of big water the bucket is not dry. 

If I tighten the lid good enough to get a good seal then it takes a real muscle man to open it again. You can't get enough torque on a gamma lid to open it when it is closed tight. I think my wrists get trashed more from opening that damn bucket than they do from moving my oars.

It doesn't leak that much but it leaks way too much to use as a toilet. And I'd never trust that lid to stay on with 40 pounds of poo in it. Those buckets flex and change size in the heat.

I can just see one getting squished like a tube of toothpaste and shooting a week's worth of crap all over your gear pile. You and your crew would start vomiting all over your raft and nobody would pull over to help you.

Why not use rocket box ammo cans as groovers? Everybody I know uses them and they work great.


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## cataraftgirl (Jun 5, 2009)

TriBri1 said:


> I dub you the queen of the gamma seal...
> 
> If the leak is at the bucket to lid connection than first try hammering it lid on evenly with a mallet. Don't whack down one side then the other, just tap all the way around until is seats. If that does not work then you may be able to get away with a bead of window caulking in the gamma than hammer it on evenly with a rubber mallet.


Not sure if that's a royal title to be proud of or what


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## cataraftgirl (Jun 5, 2009)

Ture said:


> Why not use rocket box ammo cans as groovers? Everybody I know uses them and they work great.


Because I hate rocket boxes. Gamma lid & bucket is the only groover system I've used for 8 years with no poo disasters. No leaking, breaking, warping, or poo explosions. Maybe we've just been lucky, but it works great for us. Gamma lids should never be over tightened. It stretches the o-ring. If you crank down on them to the point that they're hard to open then it's too tight. Hand tight is all that you need for the o-ring to work.
If the Gamma is leaking significantly from the start, then it's probably not seated right on the bucket. I have run across a few buckets that have a rim design that doesn't accept the gamma lid very well.


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## Avatard (Apr 29, 2011)

Try filling it with crap and see if it leaks


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

Anyone ever try silicone lubricant on their o-rings?


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## The Mogur (Mar 1, 2010)

MT4Runner said:


> Anyone ever try silicone lubricant on their o-rings?


That is the answer. Use silicone grease, not the spray lubricant. A very thin application will solve the problem.


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## dport (May 10, 2006)

Expensive but, River Bank!!!


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