Are pool noodles safe to have in the engine bay?

[LMnsr]

Hello,

I read a lot of posts saying to stuff pool noodles everywhere you can.
I'm looking for some extra flotation since my tray is filling up with water. I was thinking about redoing my tray/turf to replace the foam if it has any in it. But i just got my engine running well and dont really want to take a break from riding at the moment.
Saw this on instagram and was wondering if i should do it. I was thinking if it can catch on fire? I'm in feAr of sinking my ski since it almost happened when i flipped it once. The rear half of the ski was underwater so im pretty sure it doesnt have any foam in there. I payed a lot for the ski and would hate to sink it

 

[Harbor]

Yes people use it in the engine bay. Haven't heard of any issues with it. Does your tray gave versa plug drains to let the water out? You can add some versa plugs simply from the outside to drain the tray as you ride. I'll see if I have a pic

Here are mine, @JetManiac has these on his master parts
lists

http://www.x-h2o.com/index.php?thre...-seals-billet-outlets-hose-mounts-etc.120942/

 

[Freakrider]

Have stuffed up to 7 swim noodles. 4 fit in front of the tank.

 

[Quinc]

Do a search for the retriever. Might Also look into insurance.

 

[LMnsr]

Yes people use it in the engine bay. Haven't heard of any issues with it. Does your tray gave versa plug drains to let the water out? You can add some versa plugs simply from the outside to drain the tray as you ride. I'll see if I have a pic

Here are mine, @JetManiac has these on his master parts
lists

http://www.x-h2o.com/index.php?thre...-seals-billet-outlets-hose-mounts-etc.120942/

I don't think I can fit those on my hull. I have no space under my scupper/exhaust. there is about .5" or less under it.

 

[LMnsr]

Have stuffed up to 7 swim noodles. 4 fit in front of the tank.View attachment 261167

thanks, I was just wondering if it's safe for them to be touching the engine and exhaust

 

[BruceSki]

Only thing I don't like about the whole noodle idea is that I think they will absorb gasoline if you ever spill any inside the hull. Let one catch on fire after that and you have napalm. Can't put it out with water either.

Unless I'm wrong about the noodles absorbing gasoline?

 

[LMnsr]

I don't think I can fit those on my hull. I have no space under my scupper/exhaust. there is about .5" or less under it.

Maybe it could fit vertically next to the scupper if i take that ski clinic metal ring off

 

[Freakrider]

thanks, I was just wondering if it's safe for them to be touching the engine and exhaust

Only thing I don't like about the whole noodle idea is that I think they will absorb gasoline if you ever spill any inside the hull. Let one catch on fire after that and you have napalm. Can't put it out with water either.

Unless I'm wrong about the noodles absorbing gasoline?

Been running them for two years now without issues, have spilled small amounts of gas before and had oem fuel lines develope leaks on boss twice; noodles didn't seem to absorb it. Anyways Bruce I will watch out for this more now thanks for the input.

 

[Harbor]

View attachment 261205 Maybe it could fit vertically next to the scupper if i take that ski clinic metal ring off

Your scupper looks like its needs to be replaced as well, mine has a metal plate bolted to the rubber flap, your looks like it's missing. Flaps fail then you get a 2 inch hole into your engine bay..

The new Rickter XFS has a versa plugs mounted vertically like your thinking if my memory is correct. At any rate others mount them vertically also,

Service/replace the scupper flap and maybe just trim the ring a liitle to clear versa plugs

i get water in my tray too via the base of the bulk head, the drains keep it clear.

The pluming in the tray can sometimes develope leaks and leak also into the tray. You can pressure test your lines to verify integrity.

Do you know or have you checked how water is getting in the tray?

 

[849tigerbotkv1]

Have stuffed up to 7 swim noodles. 4 fit in front of the tank.View attachment 261167

Has this been tested that it will keep that ski upfloat?

 

[Sparkplug]

Someone on here did the math and pool noodles can only float like 4 pounds or something. So 7 noodles wouldn't even be 30lbs. A full tank weighs more than that. Granted anything is better than nothing, but time and hassle are worth something. Just a thought.

 

[BruceSki]

Someone on here did the math and pool noodles can only float like 4 pounds or something. So 7 noodles wouldn't even be 30lbs. A full tank weighs more than that. Granted anything is better than nothing, but time and hassle are worth something. Just a thought.

Hey hate to burst your bubble. Have you ever dropped a five gallon can of gas in the water?

It floats. Gas is lighter than water. So it has buoyancy.

Ever grab an 8 foot pool noodle and lay in the water? It keeps your 160-215 pound body with head above water right?

It does add flotation. Will it float your ski like it is normally....no. But will it float it ride plate bobbing up and down like an oem Superjet.

Probably.

 

[blaster800]

I have been running solid ''no hole in center '' pool noodles for at least 5 years in my b-1 ''with no fuel absorbtion '' they are closed cell polyethelene and chemical resistant , takes @ 7 noodles to make a cubic ft of foam depending on exact diameter of the nood , one cubic ft will float 60 lbs of DEAD WEIGHT ''example a ROCK"" . FYI i have 2 C/FT stuffed in my ski but it has lots of space in the b-1, so just remember one cubic ft of water displacment will float 60 lbs minus the weight of the float material '' cubic ft of wood floats less and an air bladder floats the most !!!! anyways noodles rock ... easy to install /remove and no absorbtion under normal conditions , jump in and correct me if im wrong here!!

 

[Freakrider]

7 noodles plus 3 air compartments under tray in Freak plus air in gas tank, I hope it floats in big surf while 500 yards offshore out at an inlet.

 

[Sparkplug]

Hey hate to burst your bubble. Have you ever dropped w five gallon can of gas in the water?

It floats. Gas if lighter than water. So it has buoyancy.

Ever grab an 8 foot pool noodle and lay in the water? It keeps your 160-215 pound body with head above water right?

It does add flotation. Will it float your ski like it is normally....no. But will it float it ride plate bobbing up and won like an oem Superjet.

Probably.

Your own body will float itself. Without a noodle. Because of buoyancy. Normal pool noodles aren't going to save a ski IMO. Just too little buoyancy. But like I said, anything is helpful.

Why don't people just stuff life jackets in their skis if that's all it takes? Ever strapped something to a life jacket, something that has no bouaycny of its own to help the jacket? They sink pretty easily. 1 won't hold a case of beer out of the river.

 

[naticen]

An OEM ski floats very easily. The reason that AM doesn't is a few inches of foam/air missing from being shortened, the footholds, the foam around the waterbox, and the handlepole. Noodles don't even need to make up for all of that. OEM floats with the tray a foot up, I'd be happy with 3".

I don't believe the 4lb but even 30lbs is a good bit of weight to float. If blaster800 is right about 7 noodles in a sq ft, that would mean 7 noodles weighs 30+ pounds. I would guess it to be closer to 7lbs of flotation per noodle as 7 noodles does seem like a reasonable number for a sq ft of foam.

 

[naticen]

Also curious about a noodle against a b pipe too though. Mine melts my shop vac hose hood breathers. I race though the marshes and get reeds and muck clogging cooling lines every now and then, so although I could cool my pipe some more, it'll still happen. What will a noodle do?

 

[blaster800]

a noodle will melt on a super hot pipe , but so will POLYSTYRENE ''oem foam '' when laid up against a very hot pipe ! so i still see no reason for not using noodles ,.. Use air bladders as in white water canoes , use ping pong balls, use 2 liter pop bottles , maters not what you use when the chips are down and the waves are big, ask all the guys who have donated to Davey Jones locker and ill bet they all wish they had more flotation IMO . but as always 1 cu/ft floats @ 60 lbs dead weight , noodles are also very DURABLE , remove and replace 10 times a day if needed they wont break .

 

[Nate_D]

Only thing I don't like about the whole noodle idea is that I think they will absorb gasoline if you ever spill any inside the hull. Let one catch on fire after that and you have napalm. Can't put it out with water either.

Unless I'm wrong about the noodles absorbing gasoline?

I don't know what the noodles in question are made from (my guess would be polyethylene), but polystyrene saturated in gasoline and benzene makes a napalm like substance (Napalam B). Although it is not the original Napalm, which contains naphthene and palmitate - hence NaPalm, it is similar in characteristics. I have never tried to make it... but from what I understand you would need to saturate the polystyrene in gasoline to a dissolved jelly state and then ignite it. This takes more effort than just splashing a little gas in the engine bay.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry about this happening. The white OEM foam is expanded polystyrene and I've never heard of someone accidentally saturating it enough to turn to jelly and then igniting it into a blazing jet ski inferno. Though it does sound like a fun way to get rid of this old 550 hull in my yard.


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