Well Rats! Water Tight Cylinder Ain’t!

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  • llangston1
    Lieutenant
    • Sep 2013
    • 84

    Well Rats! Water Tight Cylinder Ain’t!

    Well darn it! Just when I thought this sub was ready for action I find significant water inside the WTC this morning. I was getting ready for some final trimming when I noticed the pitch planes weren’t working. Thought maybe the battery was down so took it out to recharge and saw a few drops in the forward battery compartment. Dried that out and changed the battery. Tried again in a few hours and still no joy on the pitch planes. Then I noticed a lot of water in tue engine compartment. A good tablespoon or 2 or 3 in there. Its all drying out now. Just hope I did not fry any electronics.
  • RCSubGuy
    Welcome to my underwater realm!
    • Aug 2009
    • 1768

    #2
    When I do a build, I always (usually) start with cylinder assembly. Once that thing is put together and functioning, I move on to cylinder testing. This includes not only the testing of cylinder functionality, but equally as important, the watertight integrity of the unit. This is where the installation of some form of testing hose is absolutely imperative. I usually double duty this hose as a test facilitator and a housing to run the antenna outside the cylinder, but you can also run the hose alone. It's exceptionally simple... just put in a piece of brass tube to the endcap and slip the rubber hose over it. Cap the end and you're done.

    To test, uncap the hose, drop the cylinder in the tub and blow into the hose. If you've got a leak, you'll spot precisely where it's coming from. The positive air pressure means that you won't get water in the cylinder no matter what.

    The new MSD's come with the test hose nipple already in place in the endcap.

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    • llangston1
      Lieutenant
      • Sep 2013
      • 84

      #3
      This leaking was a new occurrence. I have been dunking the WTC for the past month regularly with no leaks until this last try with it installed in the hull for final trimming. After that is when I noticed the water inside the WTC. I will try the hose on the front end cap before I put the WTC back inside the hull. Right now I am having issues with the schrader valve in the front cap pulling out of the cap. When I was test fitting a hose to the valve it pulled right out of the cap. Should I use CA or RTV silicone to reseal it?

      Comment

      • llangston1
        Lieutenant
        • Sep 2013
        • 84

        #4
        I agree plus as I was adding foam inside the forward hull for trim I started having problems with getting the WTC to fit easily i side the upper hull when assembling the hull. I could have opened the Schrader valve on the end cap by accident. I am reworking that forward nose area foam to try and fix that. I just used CA to re attach that forward end cap valve. That seems to work fine. Also the old SubSafe device seems to be working OK after a few days drying out. I removed the circuit board and rinsed it in alcohol. I would do the same with the old angle keeper but can’t get it out of it’s box. That circuit board seems to be glued or RTV’d to the box and will not come out easily.

        Comment

        • llangston1
          Lieutenant
          • Sep 2013
          • 84

          #5
          No, I can easily get medieval on the box. It is open I am just concerned about breaking the circuit board that is glued to the box. I can break the box but if I break the board it’s toast anyway. Hmmmm! The auto leveler circuit just fell out of it’s box.

          Comment

          • llangston1
            Lieutenant
            • Sep 2013
            • 84

            #6
            I will do that?

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