EDO 2000 TLC

[jrussl]

Sadly, my floats have been on the wall in my hangar since 2006. I just got them down and onto a couple of sets of horses in preparation for some float flying in way north Canada next summer. They are in need of some TLC and I have a few questions.

1. The lugs (EDO calls them eye bolts)that connect the float bodies to the rigging, along with the angles they connect to inside the float, were bedded in some sort of a putty like material. This material has stayed relatively soft for 50+ years. Any suggestions as to what this bedding material is or the modern equivalent to it? I like the fact that it didn’t impede the disassembly of the components. Not to worry, the rusty bolts made the project interesting enough.

2. The floats look like they were sloshed many times with various compounds that are now half flaking artwork inside the floats. I am going to do my best to scape off the loose stuff and vacuum out the floats. Then I plan to find the leeks with a shop vac and soap solution. I recall a post from long ago where someone suggested thinning some 3M 5200 and pulling it into the leaks with a vacuum. Can anyone elaborate some more on this technique? Or suggest a better alternative.

More on the float adventure in a future post.

Thanks in advance.

Jeff




Sent from my iPhone using SuperCub.Org mobile app

 

[mvivion]

Jeff,

Good for you for cleaning up the "stuff" inside those floats. I'm not sure about the gooey stuff that EDO used on those eye bolts, but I'll be Kenmore has it in stock. Give them a call.

As to the vacuum sealing, there are a number of compounds that will work in sealing up small leaks in floats, but again, while you're on the phone with Kenmore, ask them what they'd recommend there as well.

Procedure: Make an adapter from your vacuum hose to fit the float pump out fittings. Attach the vacuum hose to the DISCHARGE side of the vacuum. Brew up some soapy water solutions and locate a magic marker, or crayon. Start by putting the vacuum discharge on one compartment at a time, and go over all seams and rivet lines with a spray bottle full of that soapy water. Look for bubbling. Mark any spots that bubble on the outside of the float with your marker. Hit ALL seams and rivets. Then move to the next compartment......etc.

When done, move the vacuum hose to the suction side of the vacuum. Brew up whatever sealant Kenmore suggests in a cup, and get a fine tipped brush (NOT a big brush, fine work here). Now attach the suction hose to the float pump out, and go to each marked leak. If it's a couple rivets, apply the sealant immediately around the rivet heads.....NOT broad brush. If it's a seam, same, same....just apply small amounts of the sealant right at the leak, and allow it to be sucked in. Once you've hit all leaks on one compartment, move to the next, etc..... One of the goals is to get as little of the "goo" on the outside of the floats as practical, suck it into the seams/leaks, let it set up, then close those voids. Trying to do the opposite (put pressure on the floats, then trying to paint from the inside is difficult, and remember, we're trying to keep floats dry means keeping water from coming INTO the floats, not to prevent air escaping.

Let the "stuff" set up good, then get a rivet gun and compressor, and go around and re-buck any rivets that leaked, or the rivets around a seam leak. That'll compress the sealant in the voids, and should seal everything up.

Historically (and I don't know when/if this changed) EDO used a zinc chromate tape in the float seams, which helped to both seal and corrosion proof the seams. Sometimes, floats that have been out of the water for a long long period will actually "tighten up" when put in the water again. But, in my experience, unless ALL your seams leak with the vacuum "test", the above process will be your best bet to seal up leaks.

It's not that tough a process once you gather all the stuff. And, it works! Good time of the year to git er done!

MTV

 

[skywagon8a]

1. The lugs (EDO calls them eye bolts)that connect the float bodies to the rigging, along with the angles they connect to inside the float, were bedded in some sort of a putty like material. This material has stayed relatively soft for 50+ years. Any suggestions as to what this bedding material is or the modern equivalent to it?

Zinc chromate putty. Fuller Seam coatings seam sealing compound 3998.(formally RL-3700) MIL-P-8116 Don't know where to get it now.

Mike is right, when the zinc chromate tape was used in the seam the floats would tighten up like a wooden boat when put back in the water. EDO switched from the zinc tape sometime in the late 80s.

 

[BC12D-4-85]

When I assembled a set of EDO 2K's in 1978 EDO supplied the zinc chromate tape mike mentions. Their recommendation was to apply to those fittings and wherever parts joined. I had some tape left over from those and other floats (3430's) that soon became trading stock when its toxicity was noted and availability stopped. Same for a few quarts of the zinc primer I had stashed away after some paint jibs.

Gary

 

[jrussl]

Thanks guys! Great info, as always. I will call EDO tomorrow.


Sent from my iPhone using SuperCub.Org

 

[55-PA18A]

Mix some glycerin in with the soap solution. It makes better bubbles and easier to see air leaks.

Jim

 

[jrussl]

It looks like I have a good amount of work in front of me.

https://youtube.com/shorts/I8iupj8Js-8?si=0whynR0DEy48eYiS

 

[BC12D-4-85]

Search for float sealers here. Several threads available. 3m 5200 and others are used locally. Even thin laquer paint will seek out cracks and crawl in and dry. Helps to tighten the rivets at big leak sites, like where the floats get banged on hard bottoms over time.

Gary

 

[akavidflyer]

gluvit works well. It was designed for sealing up leaky riveted boats. I sealed up a set of 1320s years ago using the shop vac and gluvit and never had leaks again.

 

[bjh356]

I have an opportunity to pickup a pair of EDO 2000s locally at a seemingly reasonable price point. They have not been used or “tested” in a number of years and are currently disassembled. I presume a keel leak, corrosion or any other significant repair would be cause for caution. Outside of keel and corrosion, what would fall into the significant category?

I plan to use an EDO 2000 parts list and on field PA-18 with EDO 2000s assembled and affixed to cross ref with any missing parts/pieces. Any other thoughts I should have going into this?

 

[aktango58]

One seam... I would bet that it has the previously mentioned tape and will seal up a bit once wet.

5200 is good, there is another product I switched to called PRC, it was gray. Sorry I don't know what is is called today.

The goal is to find a good sealant that will stick to aluminum and the paint that you can not get out. West Marine has some really cool stuff.

I cut 5200 with alcohol to make it thin enough that it will be a touch runny. It sucks into the cracks much easier that way.

When doing a long seam, tape off beside the area you plan to seal to reduce excess. Remember it is all weight, and drag.

Keep the floats warm when you are sealing them, it will help for adhesion.

 

[aktango58]

Call me, those are my old floats.

 

[7GCBC]

Sadly, my floats have been on the wall in my hangar since 2006. I just got them down and onto a couple of sets of horses in preparation for some float flying in way north Canada next summer. They are in need of some TLC and I have a few questions.

1. The lugs (EDO calls them eye bolts)that connect the float bodies to the rigging, along with the angles they connect to inside the float, were bedded in some sort of a putty like material. This material has stayed relatively soft for 50+ years. Any suggestions as to what this bedding material is or the modern equivalent to it? I like the fact that it didn’t impede the disassembly of the components. Not to worry, the rusty bolts made the project interesting enough.




The stuff that’s equivalent is called Par-Al-Ketone, Aircraft spruce sells it and it’s similar to cosmolene.

 

[mvivion]

Sadly, my floats have been on the wall in my hangar since 2006. I just got them down and onto a couple of sets of horses in preparation for some float flying in way north Canada next summer. They are in need of some TLC and I have a few questions.

1. The lugs (EDO calls them eye bolts)that connect the float bodies to the rigging, along with the angles they connect to inside the float, were bedded in some sort of a putty like material. This material has stayed relatively soft for 50+ years. Any suggestions as to what this bedding material is or the modern equivalent to it? I like the fact that it didn’t impede the disassembly of the components. Not to worry, the rusty bolts made the project interesting enough.




The stuff that’s equivalent is called Par-Al-Ketone, Aircraft spruce sells it and it’s similar to cosmolene.

What he’s describing doesn’t sound like par al ketone. That stuff isn’t like putty anyway, but par al ketone does get used a lot on floats as corrosion preventive

MTV

 

[skywagon8a]

The stuff that’s equivalent is called Par-Al-Ketone, Aircraft spruce sells it and it’s similar to cosmolene.

NOPE. It is zinc chromate paste or tape. Par-Al-Ketone is brown sticky stuff used for corrosion protection primarily on steel parts but can be used anywhere.

 

[aktango58]

NOPE. It is zinc chromate paste or tape. Par-Al-Ketone is brown sticky stuff used for corrosion protection primarily on steel parts but can be used anywhere.

And it is also found in the washing machine at home by the wife after you worked around that stuff.

My experience is it is NOT something the home care folks are happy about:???:

 

[skywagon8a]

And it is also found in the washing machine at home by the wife after you worked around that stuff.

My experience is it is NOT something the home care folks are happy about:???:

That's what happens when you use your kilt for a shop rag. :smile:

 

[mvivion]

NOPE. It is zinc chromate paste or tape. Par-Al-Ketone is brown sticky stuff used for corrosion protection primarily on steel parts but can be used anywhere.

When operating an amphibious Beaver in Kodiak, as in and out of salt water all the time, I was advised by our old time Maintenance Chief to apply Par al Ketone to all exposed parts of those floats regularly.
After Jerry retired, I'd bring that thing in to Anchorage for a 100 hour or annual, and the shop guys would groan.....having to clean all that brown crud off everything just to inspect and service it......and as soon as I got those shiny clean parts back to Kodiak, I drug out the Par Al Ketone, and slathered it on everything that stood still long enough.....The stuff really does work.

MTV

 

[KeithO]

2. The floats look like they were sloshed many times with various compounds that are now half flaking artwork inside the floats. I am going to do my best to scape off the loose stuff and vacuum out the floats. Then I plan to find the leeks with a shop vac and soap solution. I recall a post from long ago where someone suggested thinning some 3M 5200 and pulling it into the leaks with a vacuum. Can anyone elaborate some more on this technique? Or suggest a better alternative.

Please post your experiences in removing the "compounds" from inside the compartments. Sounds like I have the same stuff you're dealing with in my floats.

 

[algonquin]

I’ve been maintaining a set of Wip 3000 amph.’s for a few years and have been spraying the insides with ACF 50 and have been very happy , haven’t had a bit of corrosion. I spray the pulleys with LPS 2 and let it sit over night before ACF50. This winter I’m sealing some of the seams that have started seeping, the problem is cleaning them well enough that sealant will stick. I’m planning on using PRC in tubes. I know warming it sure helps getting it out of the gun.
I also need to test my 1400 EDO’s , there new to me, and seal anywhere it’s seeping. Does anybody know where to get the O-rings for the covers. Then I’ll paint them with Aluminum float paint .

 

[jrussl]

Does anybody know where to get the O-rings for the covers .

I bought some from these guys.

https://www.theoringstore.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1389

 

[KeithO]

Does anybody know where to get the O-rings for the covers. Then I’ll paint them with Aluminum float paint .

O-rings come in standard sizes. You can google for a chart that provides measurements for standard sizea. Also, you have lots of choices of materials.
I read on backcountrypilot that the EDO2000 floats use size 429 o-rings. Based on my measurements, that seems small to me. I just ordered 12 size 432 BunaN o-rings fro my EDO2000s from Amazon for $18. I figure I'll try that size and see how they fit.

 

[skywagon8a]

O ring size chart.
https://www.theoringstore.com/store/pdfs/O-ring_Size_Chart.pdf

You should be able to find a distributor near you for Buna N O rings. This is my local source: https://southshorebearing.com

 

[jrussl]

The -430’s fit my EDO 2000’s very well. See my link in previous post.


Sent from my iPhone using SuperCub.Org