water inside tubes- how to get out

bbar · 07 July 2024, 18:46

hello, During my last run, my tube got a small tear in it on the side at the very back where the tube encounters the wake and the surface of the water. When I got home with it, I realized that there is now water in the tube (a decent amount). My tubes have no drains. You can hear it when you bang on the tube.Since the tear is on the side, it will not just run out the tear. If I inflate the tube and bang on the tube to move the water, it will spit a few drops out of the tear. At this rate, it will be about 6 months(and 2 new hands) before i get all the water out. Is there any other way to get the water out. Thanks.

Fenlander · 07 July 2024, 19:02

Could you not rig up a pump with a small hose that would go through the split and tilt the boat so the water gathers at that point? Or perhaps take out the inflation valve to insert a hose through if easier?

Peter_C · 07 July 2024, 19:16

You may be able to get some of the water by just sucking the tube down with a wet dry vac, but if it were me I would remove the valve (May take a special wrench) drop the inside part down into the tube and use a wet/dry vac setup with a skinny tubing to suck the water out. Or just leave it it in the sun for whatever time it takes to evaporate which may be weeks depending on how much water is in there. Getting the inside part of the valve back into place can be a little bit of a pain but there is always a way to get it back into place.

User name · 07 July 2024, 23:05

I had exactly this problem with a boat I'm currently fixing up. I just removed the valve and let the basket fall into the tube, then stick a wet/dry vacuum into the hole and suck the water out. You can tilt the tube to gather the water in a spot that's easiest to reach.

Depending on which type of valves you have, you might even be able to push a towel in the valve hole and mop it around with a broom handle. Thats especially useful if you want to do an internal patch. The moisture inside can affect the glue, so you want it as dry as possible.

bbar · 03 August 2024, 20:09

Have been waiting but water still in tubes. Want to remove a valve and suck water out with thin tube but have never removed a valve. Here is pic of my valve; I believe it is Halkey-Roberts. Have 8 sided wrench tool that fits in the valve.Tried turning one out, but had alot of force on wrench and no go so I stopped before breaking something. If this is correct tool, how much force is normal to get one out? Once loose, it just screws out and back in? thanks.

User name · 03 August 2024, 20:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbar

Have been waiting but water still in tubes. Want to remove a valve and suck water out with thin tube but have never removed a valve. Here is pic of my valve; I believe it is Halkey-Roberts. Have 8 sided wrench tool that fits in the valve.Tried turning one out, but had alot of force on wrench and no go so I stopped before breaking something. If this is correct tool, how much force is normal to get one out? Once loose, it just screws out and back in? thanks.

If it hasn't been out in a long time then it can take a fair amount of force. I find it's easier with the tube fully inflated. When you do get it out, apply a little silicone or other plastic-friendly grease to the threads and mating faces. It'll be much easier to get out next time.

bbar · 09 August 2024, 16:32

So I made some progress but had to stop again cause I guess I still don't understand how these valves go together. Got entire valve assembly shown in my picture turning out, but it feels like once it separates, the piece with the female threads on the inside of the tube is going to fall away into the tube and then I can't get it out. Is that correct? Is that whats called the basket falling in on the previous post?if so, how do I stop it from falling in, how do I get it out if it does fall in, and how do I ever get it back together if both sides want to spin? Thanks.

User name · 09 August 2024, 16:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbar

So I made some progress but had to stop again cause I guess I still don't understand how these valves go together. Got entire valve assembly shown in my picture turning out, but it feels like once it separates, the piece with the female threads on the inside of the tube is going to fall away into the tube and then I can't get it out. Is that correct? Is that whats called the basket falling in on the previous post?if so, how do I stop it from falling in, how do I get it out if it does fall in, and how do I ever get it back together if both sides want to spin? Thanks.

I wouldn't even worry about it falling in. With no air in the tube you can just flatten it down to manipulate the inner basket into the right orientation through the valve hole.

bbar · 09 August 2024, 17:30

So it is supposed to separate and possibly fall in?
I need to worry about it cause with my luck, it will fall in and somehow bounce several feet away and I will not be able to get it back to the hole. That's just how my luck works sometimes. I need to find out how to stop them from falling in.

bbar · 09 August 2024, 17:38

OR, Is it chambered below the valve so that the part that falls in can't go very far and then you flatten the tube to line it up like you said. I'm still learning so these may seem like dumb questions but I just don't understand tubes yet.

Brinormeg · 09 August 2024, 18:13

Not a big deal if the back does drop in as it usually can be manipulated back to the correct place later as the guys said….but I did have a bit of a hassle one time.
But if you slacken the valve…..let out all the air….press the valve and back part against the opposite side of the flattened actual tube, then the back part will be trapped. Unscrew the remainder of the outer valve while still pushing against, then get hold of all the bits and either remove if possible, or grip it with something tied to a piece of string…clothes peg, tarp clamp etc

Once dried out…..reverse the operation but add silicon spray/grease to the threads as suggested.

Just try and make sure there are no small threads that get trapped in the mechanism or you might get a bit of a leak at the valve later.

bbar · 09 August 2024, 20:24

That makes sense and will probably work on 99.9% of all the tubes in the world; but unfortunately not mine. The valves on mine are on the side (inboard) and with the rub rails on the outboard side, and the glue points, there is no way ,even with tube fully deflated, to get the 2 sides together enough to keep the valve piece in the neighborhood. I also realized that if the piece does fall in, I'm not getting it back. I guess these tubes are well supported so even deflated, they are round and there is no real way to squish them flat. So unless the area below the valve is chambered so the piece can't go far (which I can't tell and don't know how to find out ) I can't take a chance of unscrewing the valve. Nothing on this boat is easy.

Peter_C · 10 August 2024, 03:09

The manufacturer got the valves in. My AB got 5 new valves with two over pressure valves. All were dropped into the tubes and recovered upon valve installation. Some are a little harder but doable. Worse case get a second set of hands, which I did have.

User name · 10 August 2024, 19:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbar

That makes sense and will probably work on 99.9% of all the tubes in the world; but unfortunately not mine. The valves on mine are on the side (inboard) and with the rub rails on the outboard side, and the glue points, there is no way ,even with tube fully deflated, to get the 2 sides together enough to keep the valve piece in the neighborhood. I also realized that if the piece does fall in, I'm not getting it back. I guess these tubes are well supported so even deflated, they are round and there is no real way to squish them flat. So unless the area below the valve is chambered so the piece can't go far (which I can't tell and don't know how to find out ) I can't take a chance of unscrewing the valve. Nothing on this boat is easy.

How big is your boat? The valves are obviously confined to a single tube so they can't go any further than the baffle/end of that tube.

I've done this loads and I don't put any care or attention into trying to hold onto the inner basket. I just let it fall where it falls and it can't go very far. Obviously there will be no air in the tube at that point so you can just flatten it down and feel around inside to grab the basket, or reach through with some sort of grabby tool/hook.

bbar · 13 August 2024, 22:52

I've added a couple more pictures. I have the tube deflated and have tried every which way to get the tube to flatten onto itself but it won't. Hopefully you can see from the pics that there is alot of the tube below the deck so if I'm trying to bring the area towards the bottom of the tube up to flatten against the upper end, the deck impedes it. Also,the area below the rub rail is like a big pouch when its deflated, and is very difficult to bring up. I am leery right now to drop the valve in because I seriously don't think I can get it back up where it belongs. These valves have never been out. This tube is about 5 ft long.

My last pic shows the rear of my boat. At the ends of the tubes there are round pieces of fiberglas that the tubes attach to. What if I drilled a hole in the lowest point of those end fiberglas pieces? I think that would drain the water??? Then I would tap the holes and put threaded plugs in???

User name · 14 August 2024, 11:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbar

I've added a couple more pictures. I have the tube deflated and have tried every which way to get the tube to flatten onto itself but it won't. Hopefully you can see from the pics that there is alot of the tube below the deck so if I'm trying to bring the area towards the bottom of the tube up to flatten against the upper end, the deck impedes it. Also,the area below the rub rail is like a big pouch when its deflated, and is very difficult to bring up. I am leery right now to drop the valve in because I seriously don't think I can get it back up where it belongs. These valves have never been out. This tube is about 5 ft long.

My last pic shows the rear of my boat. At the ends of the tubes there are round pieces of fiberglas that the tubes attach to. What if I drilled a hole in the lowest point of those end fiberglas pieces? I think that would drain the water??? Then I would tap the holes and put threaded plugs in???

Don't drill it. You'll actually cause more problems for water getting in. There's likely a baffle behind that too, so you'll be giving yourself a bigger headache.

From your pics it looks like the valve won't have very far to fall inside. I think you're overthinking it. If I can't reach them I just bang on the underside of the tube until it moves into the more accessible spot. You could also use one of those flexible grab hook/pickup tool things to grab it.

Nasher · 14 August 2024, 14:34

It's been a number of years since I did it, but when I needed to replace the rubber mushrooms in a couple of valves I did what was recommended on here at the time.

Tie a length of sewing thread to the inner part so you can retrieve it easily when you need to.
It needs to be thin so it can fit around any tool that's being used, but the thickest, strongest you can get hold of is best.

bbar · 17 August 2024, 15:25

Thank you all for the input. I will be ready to try the ideas but first I want to call a shop that does inflatable tube replacement, offer to pay them for a few minutes of their time on the phone or email, and run it all by them (there is no shop anywheres near me to take it to here in central NJ). If anyone knows of a place, please list it here. Thank you.