01-05-2003, 01:41 PM
[cool] If you have a traditional round tube, you will probably have a 20" truck tire tube in it. If you have had it more than two or three years, and if you have fished it much in salt water (without rinsing after each trip), the tube is probably ready for replacement. Start looking for tire dealers in your area that have truck tires. Then call and see if they have 20" inner tubes. There are still a lot available, but not at very many stores. You might even do an online search.
Don't let them sell you a "radial" tube. They cost more and you won't get any better "ride" in your craft...or more mileage either.
If the rubber in the tube is still "healthy", it is worth patching. Go to almost any auto parts store and you can find tire repair kits for cheap. Don't buy a big one, with lots of patches, because it is unlikely you will ever use it. You may need another patch, but once you open the volatile cement, it begins to evaporate and harden, no matter how tightly you close the cap. You can put it in the freezer to extend the life, once opened.
I periodically buy new, unopened kits to keep in my vehicle. That way, if I have driven a couple hundred miles on a multiday trip...or down to the beaches in Mexico...I can patch a tube and save a trip, without finding that my cement for the patches is all dried out.
If you have never done it, repairing a rubber tube is not too bad. You first find the hole. If it's a large hole, that is usually easy, because you can hear the air escaping when fully inflated. If it is a slow, pinhole leak, you have a more difficult task. You have to either immerse the tube in water and look for a stream of bubbles...or go around it with a soapy water mix in a spray bottle and squirt the most likely spots first...front end, bottom, etc...where you would most likely get fish spined or pick up a puncture from something on the ground.
It is virtually impossible to hold a fully inflated air chamber under water. You have to rotate it around, immersing one small section at a time. Use the family bathtub (spouse permitting), a kids' wading pool or even a swimming pool. If you don't have one, make friends with a neighbor who does...preferably one who already knows you are crazy and won't freak when they see you playing with your tube in their pool.
A third alternative is to make up a super soapy solution and just dip it in your hand and smooth it across the surface of the tube, one area at a time. That has been the only way I have been able to find some of the tiniest spine punctures over the years.
Once you locate the hole, mark it with a waterproof marker...in red or some other visible color. Deflate the air chamber and allow it to dry completely. If you are dealing with black rubber, you need to rough up the surface around the area to be patched...to allow penetration and bonding of the patch cement. There is usually a roughing tool included in most patch kits. I use a little sanding drum on my Dremel drill. Make sure the area is stretched flat across a hard surface and don't grind a hole in the tube.
Chose the appropriate sized patch from the assortment in your kit, or cut one out from a larger piece of patch material. Apply a small amount of the patch cement directly to the scuffed area on the tube. Use a SPARE kitchen spoon or table knife (not sharp), to work the cement into the roughened area and allow to dry for several minutes. Do not touch the cement with your fingers to determine if it is dry.
Remove the protective backing from the sticky side of the patch. Holding around the edges (not the sticky part), lay the patch carefully over the dried cement. Press firmly into place with finger pressure and then use more force with a roller or the back end of a kitchen knife or screwdriver.
Once the patch is applied, it creates a chemical bond that is tough and waterproof. You can immediately air your craft back up and get back out on the water.
Repairing vinyl air chambers is slightly different. If anyone can't follow the directions on their craft's manual, I'll be happy to render a similar dissertation on repairing vinyl bladders.
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Don't let them sell you a "radial" tube. They cost more and you won't get any better "ride" in your craft...or more mileage either.
If the rubber in the tube is still "healthy", it is worth patching. Go to almost any auto parts store and you can find tire repair kits for cheap. Don't buy a big one, with lots of patches, because it is unlikely you will ever use it. You may need another patch, but once you open the volatile cement, it begins to evaporate and harden, no matter how tightly you close the cap. You can put it in the freezer to extend the life, once opened.
I periodically buy new, unopened kits to keep in my vehicle. That way, if I have driven a couple hundred miles on a multiday trip...or down to the beaches in Mexico...I can patch a tube and save a trip, without finding that my cement for the patches is all dried out.
If you have never done it, repairing a rubber tube is not too bad. You first find the hole. If it's a large hole, that is usually easy, because you can hear the air escaping when fully inflated. If it is a slow, pinhole leak, you have a more difficult task. You have to either immerse the tube in water and look for a stream of bubbles...or go around it with a soapy water mix in a spray bottle and squirt the most likely spots first...front end, bottom, etc...where you would most likely get fish spined or pick up a puncture from something on the ground.
It is virtually impossible to hold a fully inflated air chamber under water. You have to rotate it around, immersing one small section at a time. Use the family bathtub (spouse permitting), a kids' wading pool or even a swimming pool. If you don't have one, make friends with a neighbor who does...preferably one who already knows you are crazy and won't freak when they see you playing with your tube in their pool.
A third alternative is to make up a super soapy solution and just dip it in your hand and smooth it across the surface of the tube, one area at a time. That has been the only way I have been able to find some of the tiniest spine punctures over the years.
Once you locate the hole, mark it with a waterproof marker...in red or some other visible color. Deflate the air chamber and allow it to dry completely. If you are dealing with black rubber, you need to rough up the surface around the area to be patched...to allow penetration and bonding of the patch cement. There is usually a roughing tool included in most patch kits. I use a little sanding drum on my Dremel drill. Make sure the area is stretched flat across a hard surface and don't grind a hole in the tube.
Chose the appropriate sized patch from the assortment in your kit, or cut one out from a larger piece of patch material. Apply a small amount of the patch cement directly to the scuffed area on the tube. Use a SPARE kitchen spoon or table knife (not sharp), to work the cement into the roughened area and allow to dry for several minutes. Do not touch the cement with your fingers to determine if it is dry.
Remove the protective backing from the sticky side of the patch. Holding around the edges (not the sticky part), lay the patch carefully over the dried cement. Press firmly into place with finger pressure and then use more force with a roller or the back end of a kitchen knife or screwdriver.
Once the patch is applied, it creates a chemical bond that is tough and waterproof. You can immediately air your craft back up and get back out on the water.
Repairing vinyl air chambers is slightly different. If anyone can't follow the directions on their craft's manual, I'll be happy to render a similar dissertation on repairing vinyl bladders.
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