installing valve on bilam drysuit

[hmoffatt]

Hi,
I've got a cheap bilam drysuit. There's an inner plastic layer and an outer fabric layer and they're just joined near the seals with velcro, and at the two valves (exhaust/inflator). The inner layer is waterproof, the outer one just protects it as far as I can see.

Now I'm trying to install a si-tech p-valve on the suit.. the si-tech valve has a rubber ring (valve port) which needs to be glued on, then the two parts of the valve screw together through it. I'm not sure exactly what layer the valve port should go in.

I guess it should go on the inner layer (being the waterproof one). The outer layer just needs a hole to let the valve through. I've tried this and had some trouble getting the glue to stick to the inner layer. I used a polyurethane glue designed for sticking rubber to stuff and waterproof... I think that's what Aquaseal is too? (Specifically, the valve port has come off and teared the top layer of the plastic with it.. but there wasn't enough glue admittedly.)

If it goes on the outer layer, then the inner and outer layers need to be joined at that point to stop water getting in.. Perhaps with silicone, but it would be difficult to actually do this work (it's awkward to get the outer layer out of the way etc).

So, is my thinking correct about the layering? Any suggestions on the glue?
Should I quit while I'm behind (hole in my suit and one wet dive already!!) and call a professional? Any advice gratefully received.

thanks
Hamish

 

[crpntr133]

I used silicone on the inside and outside when I did mine. No glue at all. No problems.
As for the outer shell issue. I would say that the valve should be sealed to the inner shell only. This sounds like what everyone went through when White's made the Fusion.