How to repair Naish Octopus female part?

[rickybobbyalex]

Hello everybody,

Bought a Naish Park 2012 with delaminated female part/valve in one of the struts.
I'm capable of regluing delaminated valves, but how on earth do you go about regluing a valve that is inside the bladder? (see pics)
Can it be done from the outside of the bladder without cutting into bladder?
Not sure how to proceed here, any tips/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, muchas gracias, merci, bedankt, grazie, danke, etc.

Alex

[BillyGoatGruff]

I would carefully cut around the valve opening with a very sharpe Stanley knife, about 10mm from the valve in a circular pattern. Then fill both sides with a good amount of Black Witch neoprene glue, or Aquasure. I can't see a way of repairing that with out cutting the bladded.

[Herman]

I have removed valves on Flexi foil kites that were glued on the inside of the bladder by a hot water soak and teasing them out of the hole in the bladder. The hot water soak makes the valve pliable. I then just reglued old or replacement valves on the outside of the bladder with aquasure pu glue.

Have not fixed the Naish valves but would not be surprised if the same repair method would work.

PS If there is only a small part of the valve lifting I would not dismiss introducing some Pu glue with a bent wire or similar tool. I would then consider an overlapping bead of Pu at the edge of the bladder hole/valve seat. But bear in mind you may get better info as I have not worked on Naish octopus.

[edt]

the valve is NOT inside the bladder. That's just an illusion due to some random extra polyurethane. Old naish kites you never want to restick those male or female valves as they will instantly fail again. Get a good grip and pull off the valve and notice where it's attached. cut off the cosmetic polyurethane and do a restick with a new valve. You don't need that extra random polyurethane it's there for the looks. I will restick a 10 year old cab or slingshot but never an old naish female and male valves (the strut valves are ok to restick). I'm not sure why they were made differently from their strut valves but you must buy a new valve if you restick a male or female octopus.

[Topaz]

the valve is NOT inside the bladder. That's just an illusion due to some random extra polyurethane.

I swear that the ones that I repaired were glued from the inside. You peel them off and the bladder is as clean as can be and the female valve ends in the inside of the bladder.

Anyways, I tried gluing from the outside, and also cutting the bladder and gluing from the inside. None of them work. I guess because, as @edt said, old octopus females valves don't age well. You can tell that the plastic or rubber is dried and it doesn't take the glue well. I tried to re glue using Stormsure, which worked perfectly when I recently had to re glue a 2014 Naish Ride deflating valve, so the glue was not the problem.

Finally I got a new female valve from FixMyKite ($15) and it just worked. It comes with a wide enough ring of TearAid. No need for me to do what they call the MEGA patch, which is a wider ring. You get rid of the old one and stick the new one from the outside. I managed to pull the old valve through the hole without making any cut, but if you can't I guess it won't hurt to leave the old valve inside the bladder. I wouldn't cut the bladder just to pull out the old valve.

I repaired my 2011 Park with this about a month ago. No worries since.

[edt]

yup that's the way to go @topaz

[BillyGoatGruff]

Now I'm confused....

the valve is NOT inside the bladder.

I swear that the ones that I repaired were glued from the inside

[Matteo V]

Now I'm confused....

the valve is NOT inside the bladder.

I swear that the ones that I repaired were glued from the inside

Gnomes.

[longwhitecloud]

Easiest way is to chop all the male pieces off on leading edge and patch them all, then use a bag sealer in front of the valve on the struts... chopping the female valve off completely - i think there is enough bladder to fill to struts still?.....

[Topaz]

Easiest way is to chop all the male pieces off on leading edge and patch them all, then use a bag sealer in front of the valve on the struts... chopping the female valve off completely - i think there is enough bladder to fill to struts still?.....

I always thought about that option, but never tried it.
First problem you may find is to put the right pressure in the small struts with those toy like inflating valve than don't even have a ball.
Second thing is that you can't put full pressure on the main bladder with no pressure in the struts or the main bladder will pop through the hole where the male valve goes through.
Other than the fact that you're missing the one pump system.

Years ago, someone here in the forum said he was doing it with no problem. He said he was sealing the valves holes in the LE with some kind of hard rubber.