| REPAIRING LEADING EDGE BLADDERS 1. First, lay the kite out with the struts facing up, 2. Each end of the Leading Edge (LE) bladder is folded over and secured with a Velcro closure. You will also find a zipper access pocket at the center of the LE. Undo each Velcro closure and unzip the center access pocket. This will open up the sleeve of the strut and will allow you access to the bladder. (Fig. 1,2) 3. Separate the Airlock Valve Assembly from the leading edge. Carefully lift the retainer ring from the bladder. Using the small pull tab on the Velcro ring, carefully peel the Airlock base off of the inside of the LE. Keep track of the assembly for later use. (Fig, 3,4,5) 4. Next, disassemble the SPRINT valves. Remove the tubing lock collars of the strut valves (Fig. 6). 5. Slide the air clips off of each tube. (Fig. 7), 6. Remove the screws (2) from the base of each LE valve. (Fig. 8), 7. Keep track of the valve parts for later use, 8. For the next step, you will need two flying lines. Starting with one end of the leading edge, tie one line around the wing tip end of the bladder. Cinch the line down well. Using the second line, follow the same procedure with the other end of the leading edge bladder. 9. Next, gently push the valves down into the strut sleeve, 10. Now, access the leading edge bladder through the zippered access pocket near the leading edge valve. (Fig. 2) 11. Gently pull one side of the bladder out of the sleeve at a time, leaving the flying line through both sides of the sleeve. Having the flying line through the sleeve will allow you to easily replace the bladder once it is repaired. 12. Once out of the sleeve, attach the air clips. Inflate the bladder and close all clips and the airlock valve so that it maintains air. Do not over inflate the bladder. 13. Submerge the bladder in water to locate the hole. A bathtub or large sink full of water is best. You will need to submerge one section of the bladder at a time in order to locate the hole. Look for air bubbles to locate the hole, 14. Once you have located the leak, dry the area and mark the hole with a circle. A permanent marker works best for this. (Fig. 9) 15. Dry and clean the rest of the bladder with a soft towel, 16. Again, deflate the bladder, 17. Decide whether to use the marine glue or a patch supplied in your bladder repair kit, 18. If the hole is on a seam, you will need to glue the area, 19. If the hole is on a flat area of the bladder, remove the backing on one of the patches and press it onto the bladder, covering the hole. |