Hey Guys. I loaned my 7m vegas to someone a while ago and they left the little deflate stake inside on of the strut valves and it was left packed up for a couple months. Now, as you'd imagine the valve is stuck open. I pulled the valve/bladder partially out of the strut to try to push it closed with no luck. I left it pumped up over night hoping the pressure would close it, no suck luck. It'll hold air with the cap on but i'd imagine that would leak/pop out under the pressure of a hard crash.
Is there any method to recovering a stuck open one way valve? Can I heat it up or anything? Or, am I just going to have to replace the valve?
Thanks
Push the flap back into the valve from the back, when the bladder is deflated. You can feel it seat into place, just use your fingers does not require a lot of pressure. Hold it in place for a couple of mins then inflate the strut to a reasonably hard pressure and quickly remove the nozzle.
Also make sure the pump nozzle is not too long and holding the flap open when you insert it, if its too long trim some of the nozzle off with a hacksaw blade, then do what I said above.
It will come good, no need to replace the strut.
Had the same problem with my Rebels.
I would lay the kite out flat then I would put a ~20mm tube (retic fitting works well) over the top of the valve with a weight on top. Leave it over night.
If still leaking do it in the shed on a warm arvo and again leave over night.
Definitely fixable.
