Bladder Elbow leak. Why give up on repair?

[scubasteve65]

I took this elbow from a mangled horsecollar that I forgot I had laying around. The red arrow in the pic is pointing to where a translucent yellowish gasket (crumbled from age) once existed. I think I can slip the male threaded flange inside the urethane bladder with a new gasket on it and tighten the second ring on to it. Question - What should that gasket be made of?

 

[Couv]

If you are going to make one yourself, tire inner tube would be fine. Here is a picture of a patch I made from one. I put a patch inside and outside.

By the way, using salvaged parts as you are doing is the ultimate in DYI. Please keep us posted on your project.

Couv

 

[oly5050user]

If I understand correctly from similar posts, the original elbow connection was an RF (radio frequency) weld. The elbow was cracked so I removed it. The weld separated cleanly. Is there no way to fix this? The bladder is fine otherwise and the BCD is in great shape. OK, now is when many will say get a new BCD. The bladder is from a near new Seapro Atpac. It's in great shape right down to the marbles loaded in the back. I would really like to repair the bladder.

if you want to fix it and play around in the water go on and do it.No LDS facility would take the liability and attempt to fix it.
I would not trust it . Good chance that you will find other holes in it soon for sure.It has to be 30+ maybe 40 years old years old.I think it is well past its usefull,safe life...

 

[scubasteve65]

LDS? Liability? This is a DIY forum. I believe the rest of the bladder is quite sound. It was the elbow that cracked. I'm in the middle of a bathroom remodel but first chance I am going to hit the bike shop for a salvaged inner tube that I can fashion a gasket out of and get this inflated. Pics will be forthcoming, hopefully

 

[redacted]

if you want to fix it and play around in the water go on and do it.No LDS facility would take the liability and attempt to fix it.
I would not trust it . Good chance that you will find other holes in it soon for sure.It has to be 30+ maybe 40 years old years old.I think it is well past its usefull,safe life...

I always find the LDS liability for a repair to be a bit humorous, in light of how often we hear stories of LDSs screwing up a reg service yet we never here of any liability ramifications!!!

 

[Texfrazer]

but first chance I am going to hit the bike shop for a salvaged inner tube that I can fashion a gasket out of and get this inflated. Pics will be forthcoming, hopefully

Now that's the spirit! Never do a DIY without pics!

 

[raftingtigger]

I know this is an old thread, but the gasket you are looking for is a round one of 'rubber' with essentially 2 gaskets connected at the inner opening (split gasket). Put the inner nut inside the bladder - just work it in it will fit, then put the gasket in the bladder and onto the inner nut. Push the male threads through the opening and gently bring the near half of the gasket through the hole to the outside. At this point the gasket should sandwich both the bladder and the bcd casing material. Now put the outer nut on. Tighten with a BCD tool (I think this is important if you want to separate the pieces properly later). The inflator assembly or OPV now screws on.

I got the gasket at my LDS. Went up to repair and asked for it. Actually they sold me the whole inner/outer nut/split gasket/solid gasket for $10