anatomy of a spartan portlight or porthole

[sailorpappy]

I have a small leak in one of the portlights on my cd28.
It is on the starboard side over the settee.
Any advice on proper way to dismantle and reseal?
And if so, any advice on removing those screws?
Once removed, do I need to buy a gasket or rebed what is there?
Ain't it obvious I don't know where to begin?
Hoping those of you who know can help.
Would be great to have a diagram of the anatomy of those great ports.

[Steve Laume]

Are you sure it needs to be rebedded or is it just the old gasket that is leaking?

Replacing the gaskets is pretty simple and straight forward. While mine had not yet started to leak, I had to crank the dogs down pretty hard to get to old, stiff, gaskets to seal. The new gaskets are a nice and pliable with very little pressure needed to make them seal properly.

You may find that the ports do indeed need to be rebedded but you should also replace the gaskets and you might well do that first. This may be the end of the project or you might have to rebed. either way the new gaskets are a joy, Steve.

[sailorpappy]

Thanks much Steve. So I'm thinking "where is the gasket". And wondering if it's right in front of me when I lift the inside cover. Just pull that stiff but still a little bit pliable black ring out and replace it wit h a new one from spartan.
That sounds too simple but would be great. No need to remove screws or disassemble.

[mgphl52]

If you search the board, I am sure you will find info on buying the gasket material from McMaster-Carr far cheaper than ordering gaskets from Spartan.

[sailorpappy]

Good idea, thanks steve

[RC James]

A quick remedy that has worked for me over the years----
I 'liberally' spray SiliconeSpray on the original rubber gasket and it seems to swell the rubber enough to eliminate the weep.
Done 2 or 3 times in a single week, and the dogs don't need to be horsed down, thus my thought on the gasket's 'swelling'.

Use a wetted towel/rag to wipe down gasket before spraying to remove old dirt/salt/bugs from gasket. Wipe down again after spraying, and don't be alarmed when the towel/rag turn black. Spray again, and allow to soak in.

Do it again 2-3 months later.
= Note- this does not require removing the gasket from the port, just flip the portglass up, and dog it home when done. - =

RC

[sailorpappy]

RC,thanks for the tip. I'll try that before ordering a new gasket. Amazing how many suggestions came back.

[John Stone]

SailorPappy,
Steve is right. Could be one of two issues or both.

There is a lot of info on the forum about portlights. Here is a link to a recent discussion on the topic...about a month ago. Note there is a link in the thread to our portlight rebedding and gasket replacement. Lots of pictures. Might be useful to you to see how they are put together.

http://www.capedory.org/board/viewtopic ... ht#p201288

[sailorpappy]

John, wow, great tutorial
Thanks much. I feel more confidence about tackling this small leak.
Fair winds to all.