Need Help!

[Mike36c]

Here's the deal: We are finishing the final touches on my buddy's 45 Hatt total re-fit and we ran into a problem. While attempting to charge the new freezer in the cockpit box we discovered a freon leak somewhere in the freezer wrap, the kicker is it's foamed in place with 2 part poly pourable foam. Right now it seems we'll have to cut the whole box (including drink cooler, tackle drawers, etc.) chip away the foam to find the leak and repair it, then re-install which means another fair and paint . My question: Is there some chemical that will melt the foam without damaging fiberglass? If we can melt or loosen the foam the unit will slide out the top without having cut and repaint. Any ideas?

 

[MikeP]

Had essentially the same problem with the 9 year old fridge on our 53 the year after we bought it. They couldn't fix the leak because the portion where the line was leaking was "foamed in." They explained that this foamed-in construction was a NEW energy-saving "upgrade." Notice how whenever they cheapen something it somehow becomes an "upgrade." We had to buy a new fridge.

But on a smaller unit I would think it might be possible to just get in there and, as you say, just chip the foam out. You can buy cans of the stuff at Home depot so it's no problem to re-foam. I don't know of anything offhand that would dissolve the foam but I'm certainly not knowledgeable about this. Acetone is pretty good at dissolving plasticky things as is laquer thinner but if they work on the foam, they could damage other items as well. Probably anything that could dissolve the foam has a good chance of damaging other parts of the unit or the paint in the area.

Good Luck - hope you can fix it without too much trouble.

 

[Bob Bradley]

I believe that gasoline will dissolve foam, but obviously, you need to be careful about the fumes for a variety of reasons.

 

[ThirdHatt]

DIESEL will dissolve styro-foam almost completely, leaving a small amount of gunk/film behind. I learned this a couple weeks ago when I changed my fuel filters and happened to set them on a large-ish piece of scrap stryo-foam in the garbage can. The next day all that was left was the filters! That large piece of foam was gone. I wonder if regular foam dissolves as well as the styro-foam did.

Try a spot of diesel and see what happens after a day. I'd be a bit leary of using gasoline for obvious reasons.

 

[Chapeaux!]

DIESEL will dissolve styro-foam almost completely, leaving a small amount of gunk/film behind. I learned this a couple weeks ago when I changed my fuel filters and happened to set them on a large-ish piece of scrap stryo-foam in the garbage can. The next day all that was left was the filters! That large piece of foam was gone. I wonder if regular foam dissolves as well as the styro-foam did.

Try a spot of diesel and see what happens after a day. I'd be a bit leary of using gasoline for obvious reasons.

I suspect the foam in the refrig unit is of a different composition than stryofoam (main ingredient styrene). MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) is a solvent that may attack the foam. Be careful, as it has a pretty nasty reputatuion. If it turns out to be more resistant to solvents, it may dissolve in the presence of an aromatic ester....such as one of the ingredients in regular LocTite thread locking agent. Try a bit to see if it dissolves it. However, make sure there is plenty of ventilation. I have seen a very small amount of LocTite cut through some plastics like a knife, separating the plastic in its path, leaving a clean fracture. Lexan Polycarbonate and some of its cousins are plastics that can't tolerate any LocTite contact.


Good Luck and be careful.

 

[Mike53C]

When at the plant I have to make some concrete machine foudations I have used styrofoam blocks cut to the shape of the "hole" I need. Once the concrete has set I pour some gasoline over the foam and it disolves right away. But as Chapeaux mentions, I think freezer foam is polyurethane foam, different from styrofoam. And I am using the gas on an open space.

Miguel

 

[Mike36c]

Thanks everyone, As mentioned poly foam is a different animal compared to styrofoam. Poly foam laughs at styrene, acetone, thinners, resins, etc. but I have not tried gas, diesel, or loctite all of which will be tested on the bench first Sure hope we can come up with something before the sawzall comes out.......

 

[Starman]

Forget the gas, it will not work.

I have a gallon ( 2 part ) of the poly foam in the shop. Is is made by Kardol, and says right on the can that solvents, paint, and gasoline will not affect this poly foam.

I would contact the company.

One thing you might try is a heat gun, and if it does work, I expect it will be messy.


Just Checked their web site no info there about removal.
here is their addy and number:

Kardol LLC
285 S. West Street
Lebanon, Ohio 45036
Phone: 513-933-8206
Fax: 513-932-6900

 

[eze2bme]

Before you make all that mess dissolving the foam ... you might try HVACR Stop Leak ... it's a sealant that will plug small pin hole leaks. I used this on my stateroom Cruisair unit last Fall and it fixed the leak. I've previously used it on a home freezer and a friend's refrigerator ... both times it fixed the leak. It's only available from a mechanical refrigerant suppleir ... so you'll have to have someone buy it who is licensed and introduce it into your system. It comes in several different sizes depending on how large your system is ... and it isn't cheap ... as I recall about $125 for a 16 BTU unit plus service call ... but lots less expensive than replacing coils or trying to locate a small leak.

 

[TedZ]

And while you're at it put some dye in. That is the standard way of finding leaks if the gunk doesn't fix it. Then you cut in one spot.

Ted

 

[Banshee36]

If the freezer is leaking, remove whats left of the refrigerant and then pump about 250#s of nitrogen in to the system. You should then be able to isolate the leak and then cut out the insulation. You will then have to braze the leaking spot or use Low temp silver solder. Then pressure test with the nitrogen, then vac it down then charge.
Sounds simple .
JW

 

[TedZ]

It would be good to know what a "#" is before the freezer and the boat end up on the moon!!!

Ted

 

[Mike36c]

An update for those who are interested: All efforts to find the leak have failed, instead of cutting out the whole cockpit box we have decided to butcher the freezer from the inside and replace it with a new one. That will save loads of re-painting hours. Thanks everyone for the input. Mike