puzzled about leaky toob

BogMonster · 15 April 2006, 21:13

I seem to have sprung a leak....

Thought the RIB was a bit floppy on one side yesterday so I pumped it up "slightly harder than the other side" and today it is "somewhat softer than the other side" so I guess I have a slow leak, it has been OK since I got it.

Thing is, the whole tube on that side is the same - both compartments have gone down by the same amount. I'm not sure where the divider is, but it must be somewhere between the 2 valves I assume....

Are the compartments in a RIB tube supposed to be completely isolated? I wouldn't have thought there was much point in having separate compartments if not ... but wondered if there was some sort of slow "equalisation valve" between the two, seems unlikely though.

But I pumped both up yesterday to "fairly firm" and this morning both were "equally floppy"

seems to be not much chance of having two holes in the thing at the same time, and I haven't hit anything, it has been OK up until yesterday when I noticed it was a bit flobbery in choppy conditions.

AFAIK the Destroyer is supposed to have 5 compartments: 2 on each side and one in the bow and I assume they are supposed to be completely separate - can anybody confirm this please?

bit

at the moment.... gonna go back and pump it up again and see if it is flat again tomorrow.

Do they make "Tyreweld" for RIBs?!

ta

Stephen

The Garfish · 15 April 2006, 21:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by BogMonster

I seem to have sprung a leak....

dem arjies av probuly shott itt wiv a boe an arrer.

weel sennd a tassk fawce.

gaRf

BogMonster · 15 April 2006, 23:00

Nah mate - not that likely.

They were not a very good shot and usually hit their own anyway, at least when they were shooting at planes

Poly · 15 April 2006, 23:09

I don't claim to know anything about toobs - but I have seen several people here talk about slow leaks between chambers (either intentional design or defects).

e.g. http://www.rib.net/forum/showthread....t=tube+chamber

Tim M · 16 April 2006, 01:04

Edit: sorry replied to the wrong thread!

jyasaki · 16 April 2006, 05:52

Also have to take into account that the baffle has a bit of "flop" built into it. Pumping up both sides and allowing one to deflate slightly may show up as a loss of pressure in both sections, as the baffle compensates.

Or, as stated, you may have a leak in one section, and a leak in the baffle.

Pump it up, and use a spray bottle with soapy water. Should be able to locate it pretty quick. Maybe.

jky

BogMonster · 16 April 2006, 11:13

I fiddled a bit yesterday and established where the baffles are - let one bit right down so I could see where it went floppy (ooer). There are indeed 5 chambers a small bow chamber and a join about halfway along each side. I pumped the two suspect ones up really hard and put my ear to the tube but I couldn't hear any hissing nor were there any bubbles coming up from below the waterline (which I would assume is where a hole would be...)

Have pumped them all up evenly and will go back for a look this morning.... be a nuisance if they are flat again as I wasn't planning on taking it back out of the water yet and the previous owner helpfully left me a strip of orange Hypalon for repair work but no glue to stick it on with....

Soapy water in a plant sprayer, now there is an idea

thanks

fast fred · 16 April 2006, 13:06

some tips for you,
Hypalon, sand off the surfaces the glue is to be applyed(or it won't stick),
use a two part glue,you won't get a good fix with any pressure in the tube.

the trick, apply your glue, to the surfaces (the patch, and the boat)
and wait about 15-25mins, coat it again, wait the same 15-25mins
stick them together, rub them together to get any pockets out,
put a sand bag on it if you can, should be set next day.

you can put a patch the same shape on the other side of the boat
so it matches and looks nice.

Rogue Wave · 16 April 2006, 13:25

Bostic 2401 is the 2partstuffto use. ifyou can#t get then Hanshaws might beable tosupply someforyou. or inflateable boat supplies

Mark · 16 April 2006, 15:44

Steve,

I have also got a slight leak in one of my tubes but fortunatley for me I know where it is.
I was discussing this with a fellow Ribber the other week and he suggested putting talcum powder in the tube to seal the leak.
I have'nt tried this yet but I suppose it would only work for small holes.

Mark

BogMonster · 16 April 2006, 16:04

Thanks

I'm puzzled now.... this morning it is still "up"!

but the previous day it definitely went down quite a lot (not just due to ambient temp changes as I was comparing the tubes side to side and the suspect one was harder one day and a lot softer the next) so I don't know what to think now

Some suitable Hypalon glue is something for the shopping list when I'm over there in a couple of months time... I will write "Bostik 2401" on the list right now, thanks, is it like an Evo-Stik contact adhesive or what?

jyasaki · 16 April 2006, 20:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

Bostic 2401 is the 2partstuffto use. ifyou can#t get then Hanshaws might beable tosupply someforyou. or inflateable boat supplies

I was talking to my boat builder, who uses 2401. He said that the second part of 2401 is actually not an acellerant or hardener (though I don't now recall what he said it was supposed to do.) He supplies a can of repackaged 2401 in his repair kit, which he says is on eof the 2 parts. Seems to work fine.

I have yet to find anyone in the US that carries Bostik's hypalon adhesives.

jky

jyasaki · 16 April 2006, 20:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by BogMonster

Thanks
I'm puzzled now.... this morning it is still "up"!

Is the wife happy about that?

Quote:

but the previous day it definitely went down quite a lot (not just due to ambient temp changes as I was comparing the tubes side to side and the suspect one was harder one day and a lot softer the next) so I don't know what to think now

Could be that a bit of sand or other foreign material managed to get into the sealing parts of the valve. I've had this happen before on the Achilles; thought I was going to have to spend a few hours looking for a leak, only to have the problem go away after purging a bit through the valve.

Anyway; good luck, and I hope the leak doesn't return;

jky

Some suitable Hypalon glue is something for the shopping list when I'm over there in a couple of months time... I will write "Bostik 2401" on the list right now, thanks, is it like an Evo-Stik contact adhesive or what? [/QUOTE]

The Garfish · 16 April 2006, 21:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

Bostic 2401 is the 2partstuffto use.

oy fatt fingirs

itts boztik 2402 orr faylin dat 2990

duf infawmashun agen

dem royul mareen bastuds wil av sum inn de staws butt de stawman wownt giv yew eny. heel saiy fuk orf, staws arr forr stawrin nott givin owt

gArf

Rogue Wave · 17 April 2006, 21:32

oops I was tired

BogMonster · 17 April 2006, 22:18

Damn thing is half flat again today

I give up. It is coming out of the water at about the end of the month anyway.

roycruse · 18 April 2006, 10:41

You are going to have to go over it carefully with soapy (washing up liquid) water.

I have found that wiping a film over the valves with a finger will reveal any unclosed valves (as a large bubble will be blown) - do you have pressure release valves - or just the inflate / deflate valves - jky is right, often foreign body will prevent a perfect seal in the valve - usually just tapping it with your finger causing a short sharp burst of air to be released will clear it out.

If its not valves then you will have to cover the whole thing in soapy water and look for the bubbles being made - they will be fairly obvious.

Alice · 18 April 2006, 10:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by roycruse

You are going to have to go over it carefully with soapy (washing up liquid) water.

If its not valves then you will have to cover the whole thing in soapy water and look for the bubbles being made - they will be fairly obvious.

This method is most effective when carried out by a topless young lady.

BogMonster · 18 April 2006, 12:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by roycruse

You are going to have to go over it carefully with soapy (washing up liquid) water.

I have found that wiping a film over the valves with a finger will reveal any unclosed valves (as a large bubble will be blown) - do you have pressure release valves - or just the inflate / deflate valves - jky is right, often foreign body will prevent a perfect seal in the valve - usually just tapping it with your finger causing a short sharp burst of air to be released will clear it out.

If its not valves then you will have to cover the whole thing in soapy water and look for the bubbles being made - they will be fairly obvious.

The odd thing is it was fine for 24 hours and I haven't touched the valves since, so nothing should have got in to the valves to suddenly make it go down, and I can't see how a hole would be intermittent, it should either be a hole, or not a hole.

Even more strange when I looked closer is that three out of the four main chambers have done it, the fourth one is still hard, just as I left it...

I shall attempt to persuade a nubile young thing to assist me in the task when I get it out of the water but I think it is probably a bit cold for bikini weather now

codprawn · 18 April 2006, 14:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by BogMonster

The odd thing is it was fine for 24 hours and I haven't touched the valves since, so nothing should have got in to the valves to suddenly make it go down, and I can't see how a hole would be intermittent, it should either be a hole, or not a hole.

Even more strange when I looked closer is that three out of the four main chambers have done it, the fourth one is still hard, just as I left it...

I shall attempt to persuade a nubile young thing to assist me in the task when I get it out of the water but I think it is probably a bit cold for bikini weather now

You aren't filling it with warm air at the hottest time of the day are you? Bet it's not that warm anyway but could it be expansion/contraction rather than a leak?