zodiac repairs

falcon0310 · 01 December 2012, 22:32

i have zodaic pvc tender that need some repairs
1 valves leaks
2 slight leak near transom seam
3 ever removed the transom to get at repair
has anyone done much on fr type with pvc
thanks

falcon0310 · 01 December 2012, 23:28

Some pics

Quite near the seam

Peter_C · 01 December 2012, 23:51

Valve leaks can usually be solved by replacing the caps o-ring. The valves themselves are not a 100% seal.

Is the transom leak an air leak or a water leak? How is the glue ever where along the bottom and transom doing? What year is the boat?

I completely removed the floor and transom of my boat. It was a pain in the backside and took over 40 hours of work, making improvements as I went.

falcon0310 · 02 December 2012, 08:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_C

Valve leaks can usually be solved by replacing the caps o-ring. The valves themselves are not a 100% seal.

Is the transom leak an air leak or a water leak? How is the glue ever where along the bottom and transom doing? What year is the boat?

I completely removed the floor and transom of my boat. It was a pain in the backside and took over 40 hours of work, making improvements as I went.

Hi peter, bought last night as bit indoor project the transom is soft at the bottom and. The old owner has done biggest Borge in history Not sure if I should take floor out and stick hull on it or put new transom I say year is late ninetys

falcon0310 · 02 December 2012, 08:37

More pics

Transom rot when searched on web it happens a lot on zodiac sib

Nasher · 02 December 2012, 16:25

Anything is possible with the correct preparation.
Make sure you work methodically, and that any areas to be glued are spotlessly cleaned and prepared properly.
Using Acetone on PVC before the first layer of glue will soften the surface and allow the glue to seep into the top layer giving really good adhesion.

Remember that any inflatable boat is just a collection of flat bits of sheet glued together in the right places.

Nasher.

falcon0310 · 02 December 2012, 16:38

been having look today and all seams are well bonded still, so do i do proper patch on transom, or replace.

Nasher · 02 December 2012, 16:41

I'd replace the transom, but it will depend on how confident you are.

Nasher.

falcon0310 · 02 December 2012, 16:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nasher

I'd replace the transom, but it will depend on how confident you are.

Nasher.

i dont like be cocky, as will go wrong,
got another idea aswell can get zodiac hull and make rib what do you recon ?
adrian

Peter_C · 02 December 2012, 18:41

Many times dry rot can be repaired by getting the wood completely dry, then using epoxy to rebuild it. Do you think that might be possible on yours? The photos are not clear enough to show the actual soft spot(s) so how you go about it is up to you. Use a heat gun to remove the PVC strips, and all attachment points. Lots of heat, but keep the heat gun moving. The last thing you want to do is melt the PVC. It can take a few minutes of heating just to be able to remove a small section. If the material starts tearing, it is either bad or you aren't doing it right.

The glue needs to be the proper PVC two part glue and temperature and humidity are critical for adhesion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nasher

Using Acetone on PVC before the first layer of glue will soften the surface and allow the glue to seep into the top layer giving really good adhesion.

Actually that would be MEK to soften and prep the PVC for bonding. Acetone is used for cleaning the old glue off, as it is not as harsh as MEK.

I found that Scuffy Pad works excellent for removing glue without taking hardly any material. The courser the Scuffy Pad the more glue it can hold inside itself. Sanding is a no no, and all the old glue has to go. Good neoprene gloves and a respirator are in order along with doing it outside in open air.

Building a new transom can be done fairly easily with glue, weight, and a router with the right bit to follow the old transom as a pattern. Screw them together or double stick tape and just use the old transom as a template with a bit that has a bearing. You will need to use a decent quality marine type plywood. I doubt you can buy the right thickness so you will need to buy 1/2" ply and glue two sheets together, with waterproof glue.

falcon0310 · 02 December 2012, 19:04

peter, its 22mm ply and you get it over here that size, do you have any pic when you did yours ? adrian

Nasher · 02 December 2012, 19:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_C

Actually that would be MEK to soften and prep the PVC for bonding. Acetone is used for cleaning the old glue off, as it is not as harsh as MEK.
.

Actually, I do use Acetone, as it only softens the very top surface.
Even the Airdeck on the Aerotec was repaired that way and is fine after two seasons use.

Nasher.

Tim M · 02 December 2012, 19:36

What size is it? If you want to go down the converting it to rib route I've got a Zodiac 310 hull you can have for a bottle of rum!

falcon0310 · 02 December 2012, 19:48

its 340 that think would fit, as there was realy shaged one on ebay, you got any pic tim ? thanks adrian

RIBFIXER · 04 December 2012, 08:40

I have been factory trained by Zodiac and a Transom replacement should only be attempted by a 3 star Zodiac station.The reason for this is the transom is injection moulded to the slides,these in turn are welded to the tubes. Removing any components are difficult, in fact you have to saw the slides from the transom.
PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS YOURSELF, you will probably damage the boat beyond repair.

Good luck finding a pro to do this for you.

RIBFIXER · 04 December 2012, 08:59

As for finding a hull and fitting the tubes this is something as a pro I would not advise, the cost in time and money will be astronomical. The tubes were not designed to fit a hull so the fitting would be nearly impossible without specialized help.

Steve Hackett · 04 December 2012, 09:54

There's some pics of a Zodiac repair here ;

Zodiac Dinghy Transom Repair « Polymarine Paints, Adhesives, Parts & Accessories

RIBFIXER · 04 December 2012, 10:39

The pictures certainly are for a transom refit, the boat appears to be an older model where the components are glued rather than moulded and welded . This is also being done in my opinion by a pro.

paul tilley · 04 December 2012, 14:44

Nasher we also use acetone on PVC repairs but we are not professional pvc repairers . Falcon as to trying to fit the tube to a grp hull Go FOR IT if you can find one that will fit that is how a certain rib manufacturer used to make his small ribs by buying cheap dinghies and fitting them to his own hull

Locozodiac · 04 December 2012, 14:58

You can reglue sib tubes on rib hulls, but both must nearly match width, lenght, tube diam and bow shape for a fast swap. Will need to unglue all floor fabric and complete transom to have bare tube. This is a skilled work and must be done at a professional boat repair shop, could be pricey but well done. A rib outperforms a sib...

Happy Boating