Leak Test

[starcrafter65]

Guys,

Just finished spraying the Holiday 18 Hull. Has anyone filled the hull with water - well not all the way - but the bottom 10" for a leak test?

I gluvited (sic) the interior rivets...the Holiday took some lumps over the years and the previous owner had applied exterior fixes.

Anyway before I put the floor in want to test it - anyone done this?

Clark

 

[bananaboater]

Re: Leak Test

I've seen many of us doing just that. One lister claims it reverses the stresses on the hull and he would not do it.

10 inches seems reasonable with the hull well supported, on the trailer?

Albert

 

[starcrafter65]

Re: Leak Test

Whelp - I just did it - 2 leakers....the stresses are not an issue - when you are going 30 and hit a wave - now that is stress!!! did it on the trailer!

 

[fishmonster13]

Re: Leak Test

yup did it myself , just didn't intend too. when i bought mine it was parked on a hill with the transom up and a bunch of junk in it . needless to say i drove about 150 miles with about 10in of water in it. the funny thing is i had one leaker and it wasn't the one that came out when i sanded the bottom for paint

 

[Andy in NY]

Re: Leak Test

i filled mine right up to check for leaks...

 

[starcrafter65]

Re: Leak Test

It was so fun I did it twice!

It sure doesn't simulate the loads the hull sees when in use - but it made me feel better to have it watertight before I finished putting it together....

 

[CBGale2]

Re: Leak Test

I like to fill mine up in the driveway, then sit next to the boat with my fishing pole and float a bobber in it. Then I wave at the neighbors when they drive by slow.

Ive filled mine up so the water is atleast over that lower seam with the million rivets, cant hurt nothing like that, I wouldnt top it off.

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: Leak Test

I like to fill mine up in the driveway, then sit next to the boat with my fishing pole and float a bobber in it. Then I wave at the neighbors when they drive by slow.

LOL Now that's funny!

I'm about to test mine outside right now, will be filling it to just above the seams as mentioned.

 

[Pugetsound]

Re: Leak Test

OK how much sealing do you get with glovet. I started on the bottom of my 16 S/S on my restoration and some damn fool covered a lot of rivit areas with BONDO> What A a--. I found about 9-10 rivits that are worn down but dont think they leak. Will glovet seal these if I do both the outside and the inside? Really really do not want to put in blind rivits or have to buck new solid ones. The bondo was powdered under the mix and the whole bottom will have to come off to the aluminum. Glad I have the bigger Starcraft as this project will go on till Fall,I think. If I glovet the rivits is it best to get this thing wet Prior to any more paint on it?? To test for leaks. Thanks Ed

 

[starcrafter65]

Re: Leak Test

I can tell you what I have. My 68 Holiday turned out to be a butcher job - I think the hull had taken some serious lumps. The previous owner solved this by - I think - gluviting the outside and painting the bottom sides with some mystery goopy paint. He said it didn't leak. The bow had been hit pretty seriously (like sinking seriously) at one time, and the spot at the end of the bottom right in the middle had alot of lumps. All of this is fixed cosmetically.

I took off the paint and exterior gluvit and gluvited the interior - every rivet.

I also left some of the gluvit on the exterior. I leak tested it and had three leakers - these were the rivets that held stringers - so tough to seal. I drilled a hole through the stringer above the rivets and pumped some liquid nails into the stringer cavity and tried to seal it. Then I went under the boat and sealed it from the exterior with fiberglass bondo.

Didn't leak when I filled it with water - now once the boat starts flexing in the water under speed/load who knows. I think that gluvit is probably the best solution - but being a stubborn engineer - I think that fiberglass bondo is pretty much the same - a 2 part epoxy based system. I let you know how it turns out.

 

[ENSIGN]

Re: Leak Test

Put some Mr.Bubble in there,You'll clean the boat,possibly yourself and kids and the neighbors will really have something to talk about!!!

 

[ozenine]

Re: Leak Test

Guys, i really wished I had some more information but here is what I have.
I spoke to one guy who redid the seam on his 16' SS and he said he tested all the rivets. I asked him how and he showed me some chemical in the can (I wish I had written down the name ). It is a 2 part solution - apply one on inside, one on the outside and if the leak is detected then the colour of the chemical on outside turns pink, so you can see where it leaks. He is in mining industry and said that he got it from work.
I have just spent some time searching for this thing on the net but nada.....

 

[GLG fishing]

Re: Leak Test

Sounds like ?dyepen? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dye_penetrant_inspection
It?s a red dye that you use to check for cracks in metal parts.
Spray on red dye, wipe part down and spray with white developer.
The crack bleeds some red dye into the white developer and you can see the crack.
Used it for NDT inspection out in the oilfields of Alberta.

Personally I use the water method and take a black felt pen and mark the spots and then fix all of them with new rivets.