Pressurizing Tray Area to find leaks

[Shifty]

I have my footholds installed and am ready to pour foam. I was about to pour last night after I familiarized myself with 2-part foam a little (awesome stuff). I blew into the holes I have drilled onto my rail caps and I am hearing hissing on one side and gurgling on the other......... I don't think the sounds are coming from the interior bulkhead area either:aargh4:

I had my gilrfriend listen in the engine bay and she heard nothing. It sounds like its coming from the rear or the bottom. I seal every bolt with silicone when I removed my pump, plate, and grate. Where the hell is this coming from? This is a 2008 ski and already issues?

I guess I need to bust out the soapy water.


Thanks for reading,

 

[sflsurfrider]

follow the hissing sound by ear, while moving your hand over various potential leaks (bondline, through hull tubes, threaded inserts, etc).

the hissing sound will change when your hand is between the leak and your ears.

 

[OCD Solutions]

There was a post on here a few years ago of a guy who installed an air fitting and applied 5 psi of air to his tray area before sealing. Makes finding leaks easy before sealing. He would pressure test throughout the season to check that it was still sealed.

Just make sure that the equipment you use doesn't have leaks to throw off your ear. lol

 

[Shifty]

Hmm, I was thinking about doing something similar to my flywheel cover. I need to get this resolved in a big way. I havn't spent much time on it really just a few minutes, I really need to listen for myself. Maybe by the time I need to refoam CF hulls will be available for as little as $1500...........

 

[jondotcom]

I think it's a yamaha thing because 99% of the posts about wet foam seem to be yamahas?

 

[Matt_E]

I think it's a yamaha thing because 99% of the posts about wet foam seem to be yamahas?

SXR's have drainplugs and foam that doesn't absorb water.

Just like my Superjet.

 

[Freakrider]

SXR's have drainplugs and foam that doesn't absorb water.

Just like my Superjet.

same here Matt...super-ski and myself copied you...

 

[Freakrider]

Hmm, I was thinking about doing something similar to my flywheel cover. I need to get this resolved in a big way. I havn't spent much time on it really just a few minutes, I really need to listen for myself. Maybe by the time I need to refoam CF hulls will be available for as little as $1500...........

I'm in....

 

[Crab]

FYI, apparently Blowsion has figured out how to pressurize wet foam in the back and dry that area out, then seal up leaks.

 

[Freakrider]

FYI, apparently Blowsion has figured out how to pressurize wet foam in the back and dry that area out, then seal up leaks.

I would think that constant pressure/airflow would eventually dry some wet foam up but how long would it take on a waterlogged one ?

 

[Waternut]

You could just fill it with water and look for where it's leaking. Then just open the drain plugs that you installed to let the water out...you did install drain plugs right?

I'd just be afraid to blast apart the fiberglass that I laid over footholds/tray area.

 

[Freakrider]

SXR's have drainplugs and foam that doesn't absorb water.

Just like my Superjet.

Do we know what kind of foam is in SXR's ?

 

[crashski]

They put low air pressure in through the fire wall and mark the locations of the leaks. With the foam wet this is easy to do find it bobbles pretty good. Once this has been done they drill small holes in the back of the ski and hang from the nose and let it dry. While talking to them I was told the longest they had one hanging was a month. The foam doesn’t have to be completely dry when you seal it back up it will dry if you sealed all the leaks.
I went and did this after I discovered my one-way was leaking and found about 6 other leaks. I had about 8oz of water come out when I drilled the holes in the back. I currently have drain plugs in but will be replacing them after this summer when I tear the ski apart and seal everything from the inside.

 

[Matt_E]

Do we know what kind of foam is in SXR's ?

Polystyrene.....just like my Superjet. :biggthumpup:



(Mine's extruded polystyrene, while SXR's use the bigger cell'd white stuff)

 

[Freakrider]

Polystyrene.....just like my Superjet. :biggthumpup:



(Mine's extruded polystyrene, while SXR's use the bigger cell'd white stuff)

cool same here...

 

[ski4]

They put low air pressure in through the fire wall and mark the locations of the leaks. With the foam wet this is easy to do find it bobbles pretty good. Once this has been done they drill small holes in the back of the ski and hang from the nose and let it dry. While talking to them I was told the longest they had one hanging was a month. The foam doesn’t have to be completely dry when you seal it back up it will dry if you sealed all the leaks.
I went and did this after I discovered my one-way was leaking and found about 6 other leaks. I had about 8oz of water come out when I drilled the holes in the back. I currently have drain plugs in but will be replacing them after this summer when I tear the ski apart and seal everything from the inside.

i did that last year
drained 3/4 of a gallon out
it has since sat all winter tipped up on the trailer
when i opened it up to de-foam if still is wet and there is lotsa water everywhere

i don't think stock foam ever can fully dry

 

[Freakrider]

it might dry with lots of holes drilled and placed in a desert for a year...

 

[ski4]

that maybe, but then may as well refoam