Making of the SNX Hull

S

Schmidty721

someone turf my rails
Location
WI
whitca said:
A quick search brought up the sale thread...I didn't see anything mentioning it. I remember seeing this pipe for sale around the same time I sold my PFP, and I remember seeing the "spot" (aka gob of chit) in one of the pics. Hope you can get it taken care of reasonably.
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Makes you wonder why that circus hull was freshly painted

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Nate_D

Nate_D

Location
Houston, TX
SkiDiggity said:
Dang Nate! Sorry to hear about the pipe. My best friend growing up lives in NC and is a professional Aluminum welder who could probably fix it. Let me know if you want me to ask him as a favor.
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Thanks man! I might take you up on that. I am waiting on a local welder to get back with me. Hopefully he can knock it out real fast. I can't imagine it being a difficult repair. I will let you know.


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whitca

whitca

Location
Tri-Cities, WA
Nate, did you pressure test the inside chamber too to verify that crack isn't through both the water jacket and inside chamber? I'd hate to see you get it repaired just to have to open it up again to fix the interior chamber.
 
Nate_D

Nate_D

Location
Houston, TX
whitca said:
Nate, did you pressure test the inside chamber too to verify that crack isn't through both the water jacket and inside chamber? I'd hate to see you get it repaired just to have to open it up again to fix the interior chamber.
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I was thinking this same thing. I only pressure tested the water jacket. It seemed like it was only leaking from that crack, but without that being sealed, I wouldn't know for sure. How would you pressure test the inner chamber? Expansion plug on one side I assume, but what would you use to plug the other side and pressurize it?


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whitca

whitca

Location
Tri-Cities, WA
Nate_D said:
I was thinking this same thing. I only pressure tested the water jacket. It seemed like it was only leaking from that crack, but without that being sealed, I wouldn't know for sure. How would you pressure test the inner chamber? Expansion plug on one side I assume, but what would you use to plug the other side and pressurize it?


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Expansion plug or rubber test cap on the manifold/waterbox ends and then you could pressurize from the stinger nipple. I know some of the early chambers w/out the spot welds were prone to having the inner chamber crack (then fixed or run wet). Judging by the condition of this one, it's at least worth a quick test to rule it out before shelling out some dough to fix the crack in the outer chamber. Post up the ID and OD measurement of the inner chamber where it slides into the manifold.
 
Ducky

Ducky

Back in the game!
Location
Charlotte, NC
I think I speak for everyone here when I say...now would be a good time for you to make yourself a composite PFP chamber :). Ill test it! lol.

Edit: Did it really sit on your shelf for a year? I know who you bought it from and I didnt think it was that long ago. Paypal gives you 180 days for a claim...so definitely make sure you find out exactly how long ago you bought it.
 
speedysprocket

speedysprocket

Alex
Location
Chesapeake, VA
Nate_D said:
So while I had the pfp out to patch the breather holes, I decided to pressure test it. The seller seemed like a good guy and is well known and competes at the pro level, so when he sold me the pipe a year ago I took his word that everything was in tip top shape. I knew he had patched a leak, but I never really examined the patch job (that's on me). Turns out he didn't have it "welded" he had it "jb welded". I connected two of the outlets and blew into the other and sure enough air is leaking from his patch. I gently tap it with a flathead and it all falls off.

I tried to "weld" it back together with my Mapp/oxy torch (let's be honest, it's a fancy flame glow lighter), but that just made the old weld material separate from the metal even more. So this is what I have:

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Besides sending this off to someone who can weld aluminum (trying to avoid that), what can be done to remedy this?

Honestly I'm finding out this whole PFP was a huge piece of poop and I should have examined it closer when I got it. If it wasn't for the year it sat on my shelf, I would be hitting the seller up for my money back and/or adding to the negative feedback forum. I think I paid $1k and it had a broken flow control valve, no couplers, clogged filter, clogged jet, jacked up waterbox, and now a ghetto rigged up patch. Not exactly the deal of a lifetime. Anyway, end of rant. Suggestions??


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Too bad you didn't know in time to send that to me with the water box. Looks very easy to repair.
As for checking the "inner jacket", same test you just did. If it leaks on the inside, it's cracked. No reason to cap off the ends, it's only going to leak into the water jacket anyways, and you'll never be able to see where. Leak test the water jacket, and you can hear in the pipe for a leak, and then spray some soapy water to try to locate it.
 
whitca

whitca

Location
Tri-Cities, WA
speedysprocket said:
Too bad you didn't know in time to send that to me with the water box. Looks very easy to repair.
As for checking the "inner jacket", same test you just did. If it leaks on the inside, it's cracked. No reason to cap off the ends, it's only going to leak into the water jacket anyways, and you'll never be able to see where. Leak test the water jacket, and you can hear in the pipe for a leak, and then spray some soapy water to try to locate it.
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After fixing the outside crack. My thought was if he were to do it this way prior to, then he's going to lose the pressure through the existing crack and it may not show.
 
Nate_D

Nate_D

Location
Houston, TX
Matt Jones said:
I think I speak for everyone here when I say...now would be a good time for you to make yourself a composite PFP chamber :). Ill test it! lol.

Edit: Did it really sit on your shelf for a year? I know who you bought it from and I didnt think it was that long ago. Paypal gives you 180 days for a claim...so definitely make sure you find out exactly how long ago you bought it.
Click to expand...

If it has an internal leak, depending on the cost to have it fixed, there is a very good chance that it will just become a plug for a carbon chamber. I don't know how well the outer shell works as a wet pipe though. I know people have used the inner one with moderate success.

It did. It was around this time last year. I'm really not trying to throw mud on the guy. It is what it is. I think it should be $30 fix (assuming no other damage), I just need to find the right guy with a TIG machine and some spare time. My attempt to repair it with my fancy oxy/mapp flame glow/torch was comical. I even hooked up my vac pump and pulled a vacuum while trying to melt the aluminum welding rods into the crack.


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Nate_D

Nate_D

Location
Houston, TX
Just heard back from the local guy. $60. I'm thinking that's on the high side, but what's another $30 after everything else spent I suppose.


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Nate_D

Nate_D

Location
Houston, TX
I dropped the pipe off last night and it's all patched up now. Not the prettiest welds from the picture, but as long as it is air tight and doesn't crack again.

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I'll pressure test the chamber tonight


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Nate_D

Nate_D

Location
Houston, TX
Leak down test complete. Setup a vacuum since I had the gauges and pump handy. Held 30hg indefinitely.

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Friday I go to get it titled and my HIN assigned. Hopefully they let me title it as a SkiWorks Composites SNX.


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Nate_D

Nate_D

Location
Houston, TX
That was easy. Some of the TPWD offices are awful, but the ladies at the one in Houston are awesome. They even went down to check out the ski (besides the game warden) just because they have never heard of someone building one. They titled it as a SkiWorks Composites SNX -HM (I was a little upset they put HM at the end).

Need to finish wet sanding the hood, install the hood seal and tweak the pole bushings a bit. Hoping to get it on the water Monday.


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