Zodiac futura repairs

craig_c · 22 April 2013, 12:36

I've got a 1990 odd zodiac futura gt.

It's got leaky valves and the speed tubes and keel all deflate quickly.

What glue do I need for these jobs and is there anything I can do with the valves

Peter_C · 22 April 2013, 17:06

That boat is probably well past its lifetime, assuming it is PVC. How is the glue holding up? Have you used a soapy water solution to check for leaks yet? JKY's suggestion of a garden sprayer is a good one for quantity of liquid. The valves all will leak a little with the caps off. The caps are what seal them. Are the cap o-rings/seals leaking? Are the o-rings from the boat to the outside valve leaking for the speed tubes and the keel? The valves all unscrew and no glue is needed for replacement.

The glue needed is a two part glue. Stabond is one brand and Clifton is another. Any patch material will need to be the same as the boat. IE: Hypalon, or PVC.

FWIW I have the same boat but a 1993 and it has needed everything reglued. More work than most people would be willing to undertake. My point is stop and think before putting any time or money into the boat. That doesn't mean it can't be fixed, just make sure it is the right thing for "you" to do.

danny275 · 30 May 2020, 02:26

i have a leaky boat too ☹️ its a futura mk1 and it leaks badly somewhere under the aluminum floor. not sure how to go about fixing either

Peter_C · 31 May 2020, 01:58

Are you talking an air leak or a water leak?

For both issues. Deflate the boat enough to remove the floor. Motor off so you can flip it over.

For air pump it up to full pressure. Get a garden sprayer and put some dishwashing liquid in it. Spray the boat completely and keep watching for ANY bubbles. If in doubt add more liquid spray. Flip the boat over and repeat. If you find a leak mark it and keep going over the entire boat...every inch.

Water leaks in the floor are probably harder, but I was able to find mine by putting it into a local lake with the floorboards removed.

danny275 · 31 May 2020, 20:55

thank you. its both water and air. i since found where the water was getting in and aoplied the 2 part JB waterweld . havent tested yet but i think i got it. its also leaking air on a main tube along a seam. also applied waterweld and just now waiting for it to cure. ill test it tomorrow on the water and let you know. thanks very much for the great advise.

Peter_C · 01 June 2020, 07:08

This forum has a wealth of knowledge and your questions will get answered by experienced folks. Please ask them before performing repairs if you are not sure how to do them.

Is your boat a hypalon version or PVC? What year is it?

I looked up the JB Water Weld glue you used. It appears to be an epoxy, which becomes hardened. That would not be the correct glue to use for multiple reasons, least of which is the glue must be flexible. Fabrics use contact adhesives. The JB Water Weld will need to be removed, and replaced with a glue appropriate for either hypalon or PVC. You say it is leaking on a seam, and the repair could require removing part of the seam. I would recommend posting a couple pictures to show others so the forum can recommend a long lasting repair. Patches may be the easiest option.

danny275 · 01 June 2020, 12:57

Thank you, Peter. It's PVC Strongan fabric. 1991 is the manufacture date. I will gather some pictures today and post.

Peter_C · 01 June 2020, 23:40

Okay that is pretty much the same Zodiac I had, but mine was a 1992, which is my image. The tubes at the seams are thermo-welded and rarely fail. The bottom of the boat, around the transom, and all the fittings are glued on and failure is imminent. Give it a good tug by where it was failing at the floor and see if it comes undone. Are there other pieces peeling off? Chances are it will pull apart fairly easily. Last thing you want is the transom falling off on the water as the transom takes a beating.

To give you an idea of the scope of the job, it took me 40 hours to repair the floor and make a bunch of improvements, but one could cut the labor down. Temperature must be around 70f to properly work with a glue like Stabond. Clifton has a glue that works for PVC too. Acetone cleans the old glue off and cleaning will be 50% of the time spent doing the job. MEK is the prep prior to gluing.

Tools for the repairs are fairly minor. A heat gun is the primary tool needed.

danny275 · 02 June 2020, 00:40

Thank you, Peter...oh boy that sounds like a lot of work :-(

Will acetone get the JB weld off / I'm thinking not ---another fun job awaits

Peter_C · 02 June 2020, 02:48

It is a lot of work and you need fresh air when working with nasty chemicals. A respirator rated for Acetone is important as are thick gloves that won't melt as easily. I went through two pairs of gloves. My fingers hurt from pulling hard, burning them, and scrubbing for days on end. Some sand the glue off, I didn't want to remove hardly any material. I did find that the open cell grey scuffy pad dipped in Acetone worked very well for removing the glue.

To be clear the floor is removed, then the transom and all accompanying pieces get removed. Installation is reversed. Take lots of pictures and keep all pieces labeled and together. You will be left with the tubes. The glue up humidity and temp are very important. It will take about 2 quarts of Stabond. More than 1 quart for sure. Maybe $200 in supplies.

The JB Water Weld can probably be easily removed by bending the deflated fabric over the epoxy. The fabric should release the hard epoxy fairly easily. If I am wrong let me know...JB Weld is awesome stuff, so the Water Weld might be good for other types of repairs.

Are there any other previous repairs?