Whaler Central - Boston Whaler Boat Information and Photos

Posted by wlagarde on 01/25/15 - 2:34 PM

I purchased a Red Ritchie Explorer on eBay that ended up having leaks. I was able to successfully repair/restore the compass. I posted details of the repair in a project album so others could benefit should they also want to attempt a repair: http://www.whalercentral.com/userphot...lbum_id=68

Posted by wlagarde on 01/27/15 - 5:03 PM

Well the air bubble appeared again after about 24hrs. I removed the old diaphragm and made a new one and soldered it into place. While I had the inside of the capsule exposed, I re-soldered all solder joints and areas that might be prone to developing leaks. I updated the project page with some photos of the newly installed diaphragm for those who are interested. If it leaks again the only place left is the joint between the acrylic globe and housing and for that I will use JB Weld.

Edited by wlagarde on 01/27/15 - 5:04 PM

Posted by gchuba on 01/27/15 - 9:33 PM

Good luck my friend for chasing "air". I commend you for understanding the fixture and the time you take. Best of luck with the journey.
Garris

Posted by wlagarde on 01/28/15 - 6:24 PM

Thanks Garris. Replacing the diaphragm and re-soldering everything did not solve the problem. I'm convinced the leak is between the acrylic globe and brass housing. I used JB weld to repair this tonight. If it still leaks I'll try replacing the capsule with the EX-0067ASY replacement. I spoke with Ritchie today and they confirmed this will work.

Edited by wlagarde on 01/28/15 - 7:07 PM

Posted by wlagarde on 01/30/15 - 2:20 PM

Success! Although my attempt at using JB Weld failed, I was finally able to fix the capsule by re-crimping it. I updated the project page with details of how I accomplished this: http://www.whalercentral.com/userphot...to_id=1878

Edited by wlagarde on 01/31/15 - 12:34 PM

Posted by wlagarde on 02/01/15 - 1:33 PM

Dear all - I made some final updates to the project page: http://www.whalercentral.com/userphot...lbum_id=68.

I hope others with a leaking or damaged Ritchie model 15 will benefit from the information.

Edited by wlagarde on 02/01/15 - 1:45 PM

Posted by huckelberry145 on 02/01/15 - 5:51 PM

I think the new capsule is easier to read. I think you got the best of both worlds, brand new modern dial with the retro housing.

Posted by wlagarde on 02/01/15 - 6:37 PM

I like the idea of having the original flat card dial but I agree the new dial is easier to read particularly if you are looking down on the compass.