Can I get whatever that thing that goes around the valve is?

Nighthawk700 · Post by **Nighthawk700** » Mon Jun 03, 2013 5:41 pm

I got my Expedition used a year or two ago. I took it on two trips, then when I went to inflate for a third, the circular thing that goes around the valve came off. On close inspection, it was glued shut, I guess by the previous owner. Can I get a new one of these? I guess I would need to align the bladder, and the two layers over it? I hope the two pictures I'm trying to attach work, it'll probably make it clearer. Is it just get the new piece, screw it on? Is there a lot more repair involved? Is there a specific part number I need to order?

The broken piece (glue between 12:00 and 1:00)

Where it goes (I had to hold the material to show through the openings...)

Thanks for any info!

NaturalPath · Post by **NaturalPath** » Tue Jun 04, 2013 2:13 am

Yep, you can get that part. Five bucks. See this page;

http://www.advancedelements.com/replacements.html

Also, lining up the covers is not hard. You might find it a bit easier if you put some air in the main tube, not full pressure, but enough to fill it out, and then manipulate the main tube to line up the hole in the cover.

Nighthawk700 · Post by **Nighthawk700** » Tue Jun 04, 2013 5:10 am

Thanks, I missed the "store" on the website. Got the part ordered, and also got the patch kit and glue since those didn't come with the kayak when I got it. And I appreciate the tip about putting some air in the tube.

Nighthawk700 · Post by **Nighthawk700** » Sun Jun 09, 2013 12:49 pm

Okay, I received the locking nut and put it on today. Gave way to another problem. The thread on the valve is a little bent. (about "6 o'clock" in the picture.)

I got the nut on once, inflated the inner bladder, and it popped off. I tried putting it on again, and inflated the outer bladder, then the inner one. This time it seemed to stay on fine. But you can still see the bend. (about "7 o'clock" in this one)

Will this be okay? Should I glue the nut on? Anything else I should try? I'd hate for it to pop off when I'm in the water!!

Thanks for any (additional) feedback.

NaturalPath · Post by **NaturalPath** » Sun Jun 09, 2013 1:38 pm

Wow, ya I see your problem there NightHawk. Does that black cap not screw onto the center of the valve? If it does, then that would keep the outer nut from being lost anyway, via the string attached. The only other alternative I can think of is to replace the main tube, because the inner valve is part of the tube, as far as I know, and it can't be replaced separately. Honestly, if it was me, I would probably glue some longer wings onto the ends of the black cap, so that they cover the big nut, when the black cap is screwed into place. That would hold the nut in position, but maybe not tightly. Still, I think that it would suffice, a lot cheaper than a new main tube.

If you glued the nut in place, you wouldn't be able to take apart the kayak for cleaning or drying, so that's not something I would suggest. You could also just leave the nut off altogether, it doesn't really have any critical structural value. If the black cap does screw on, just use that part and leave the big nut off, although the black cap would then be a loose item any time you removed it.

I do see some cogs on the inside of that damaged ring, so maybe I'm wrong and this part can be replaced. If so, I'm sure that someone will point that out.

Nighthawk700 · Post by **Nighthawk700** » Sun Jun 09, 2013 3:26 pm

NaturalPath wrote:You could also just leave the nut off altogether, it doesn't really have any critical structural value. If the black cap does screw on, just use that part and leave the big nut off, although the black cap would then be a loose item any time you removed it.

I do see some cogs on the inside of that damaged ring, so maybe I'm wrong and this part can be replaced. If so, I'm sure that someone will point that out.

From the second picture in my first post, it looks like the nut helps to keep the layers straight, and to prevent water from getting in. The black cap does screw in. (I think I did it... it's been a few hours since I tried setting it up, my brain is already turning to mush

)

I'll wait a little and see if any of the folks from AE say anything. Thanks for the feedback!

Post by **JCOOLEY** » Mon Jun 10, 2013 2:51 pm

The only thing the Locking Nut does is keep the valve in place with the tube cover and outer cover so that when it is deflated, the valve does not slide back into the covers. The old Bravo valve used from 2002-2005 didn't hold it in place so when the kayak was deflated, the valve would slide back in and when you went to inflate it, you needed to fish it out everytime. If you want, you can forget about the locking nut and just screw on the black Secondary cap. You may just need to fish the valve out of the covers though to inflate.

Nighthawk700 · Post by **Nighthawk700** » Mon Jun 10, 2013 4:54 pm

Okay, thanks JCooley and NaturalPath. So sounds like I could have still made my trip when the nut first came off. But the last thing I want to do is be out in the water and get that sinking sensation.... (reminds me of an old "Far Side" strip with 2 ducks swimming next to each other, one a little lower, and he asks "Bob, be honest, am I sinking?"

)

NaturalPath · Post by **NaturalPath** » Mon Jun 10, 2013 5:41 pm

What you could do, if you're not going to use the big nut, is to, carefully, put a small hole in the rim, where the big nut used to go on, and attach the string from the black cap there. This would prevent loss of the black cap, and also make it easier to pull the valve back out, after you've deflated the kayak. Locate the small hole like I've indicated with a black dot on this picture;

Post by **Pearly** » Tue Jun 11, 2013 4:10 pm

I don't know what you have under the covers! Looking at that last pic, your tube may have a kink in it - you can see a fold of the inner tube. Unzip the tube cover and check that your tube is smooth all the way round. If it is not, partially inflate it, push it into the cover at both ends and zip it back up again. It looks like that fold is preventint the nut from screwing down all the way - you should have a couple of threads protruding from that centre section once the nut is tight.

Also don't know why your valve outer is bent like that. You could try and gently heat it with a heat gun and push it back into shape - just don't apply heat direct - just wave the gun toward it and back away again until it starts to become pliable, push into shape and hold it there till it hardens. You gotta be extra careful tho! Don't get heat on the tube!

The black cap is a cover for the valve. Once inflated, screw the cap on and you are good to go. It will also stop you losing the ring again!

Nighthawk700 · Post by **Nighthawk700** » Thu Jul 18, 2013 9:42 am

Just wanted to thank everyone again. I finally got to take the kayak out on the water again. Actually for the same water based geocache that I tried last time when the cover came off. This time everything inflated, and I got out on the water, found the cache, and made it back without a hitch.

"breadcrumb" trail of my paddle: http://www.gobreadcrumbs.com/user/night ... to-degobah

The cache itself: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_de ... wp=GC3NB2J

Nighthawk700 · Post by **Nighthawk700** » Thu Jul 18, 2013 9:43 am

If we weren't being furloughed this summer, I'd seriously consider getting a convertible kayak so I could take one of my kids out with me next time. Hopefully next year.