found a ride shoe for my 96 challenger but

[Chico]

He wants 350.00 for it. Or should I just get the rear of mine welded back on. I will be home in an hour and post pics of the peices. Let me know. Thanks

 

[Dr Honda]

That's nutz.

I can weld yours back together. (post a pic again)

 

[Chico]

thanks so much, like i said im in my semi all week only home at the end of the week, i apologize for so many posts but i read all week about my boat then try to get everything done in one day when im home, heres the pics, i have a buddy down the street that has a tig welder, real good at aluminum welding, my only concern is where the wings on each side with the 3 holes in each need to be welded back to the shoe or could i epoxe that seem on each side then have him weld the rear back on and a few gussets for strength? im assuming it it plum with the front half of the ride shoe and not angling up or down aft of the boat, heres the pics, thanks again for being so helpfull

 

[Chico]

in the first pic you can see the ride shoe pulling away from the hull, thats why i was trying to remove it to reseal it, can i break off the corner then reglue it or wait to see how the cavitation is with the new impellar and carbon ring, second pic should i weld the sides witht he 3 screws back on to the shoe or epoxy them? dont wanna heat up the gelcoat too much thanks gaiin

 

[Dr Honda]

OK... if you have a buddy with a TIG... you will need to take the boat over to him, so he can tack the wings back in the right spots. Then... he can remove all of it to finish welding.

 

[Chico]

so dr honda, should i try to remove the ride shoe again or just weld it back on the shoe and leave it in?

 

[Dr Honda]

It has to come off completely to be welded. The heat needed for aluminum is so high that the fiberglass would catch on fire. Not to mention... it will need to be re sealed to the hull.

 

[Chico]

OK ty. For your advise. I am pulling it tonight. Gonna try anyway. With heat this time

 

[Dr Honda]

Get a think hunk of sheet metal, and slip it around the shoe. (To split the sealant) then... put a long board in the opening of the shoe, and put pressure on it. It should just push out.

 

[Chico]

ok i used a heat gun and peice of wood and got it out, but it took some gel coat with it, do they make a kit to repair this or do i need to bring it to a professional? the fiberglass underneath isnt soft or wet, and there is a spot on the left that had the gel coat scraped off, i think the previous owner ran over something, heres the pics, thanks for your advice guys

 

[Dr Honda]

WOW !!!!


I have NEVER seen a ride shoe be that stubborn. And I've never seen it take gel with it. What the heck was it glued in with? What ever it was... wasn't factory.

Yes... you can buy a gel kit... but since its just going to be covered... I would just cover it with some slow cure epoxy.

 

[Chico]

yeah she didnt wanna come out, ok thanks again dr honda, im gonna work on it all day today then head for detroit tomorrow, thanks again for being so helpful and not getting pissy when im asking questions constantly,

 

[Chico]

i forgot to ask what and where can i buy this slow cure epoxy? the local auto parts store, the fiberglass underneath isnt soft wet or anything, then i could cover the spot on the left where the previous owner ran aground or something, thanks dr honda, so after i use the epoxy i dont have to gel coat it either, is what im getting from your message

 

[Chico]

ok paid him today paypal, hes shipping it out monday should have it wed, he cut the thing out with a chainsaw so i have to get all the fiberglass off it when i get it. he told me to start it on fire, im not sure about that maybe the oven to break the adhesive, this my friends is the last rideshoe in existance, 325.00 shipped, im also gonna have mine welded up so i have an extra just in case, i plan on keeping this thing for a long time, i love it. heres the pics of her right after he cut it out, instead of attempting to pull it and possibly break it

 

[rob91bob]

You might be able to use one of those oscillating cutters to take out small pieces of the fiberglass, then use the scrapper tool on it to clean the aluminum.

 

[Chico]

i was thinking about putting the whole thing in the oven for half hour and hopefully that will break the bond loose, man thats the last one in existance, i found 2 and the other broke his trying to get it outta the hull

 

[Dr Honda]

You can get 1hr cure epoxy at the hardware store. It will just seal the glass, and then you can use RTV to re-mount the shoe.

 

[Chico]

nice, its suppose to be here wed, im pretty excited about this little boat, thanks for the help