2004 226 Air Tower Failure - Replacement Options?
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Category: General Correct Craft Discussion
Forum Name: Common Questions
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URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=18350
Printed Date: May-05-2024 at 6:58am
Topic: 2004 226 Air Tower Failure - Replacement Options?
Posted By: jlatrace
Subject: 2004 226 Air Tower Failure - Replacement Options?
Date Posted: July-05-2010 at 3:09pm
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My tower on my 226 Air Teamedition failed due to installation stress (top of tower too wide and outward pressure caused footing to fail). We have tried to repair but every time the footing is heated, it fails at another stress point. So I am looking for a new tower to fit a 2004 226.
I have worked with customer service at Correct Craft. They are nice but so far have offered no meaningful solutions. They have told me the tower manufacturer is defunct, to weld using a certified welder 9done, no luck) and it's not covered by warranty. So I am asking this forum for help identify a replacement tower. Here are my questions: Is there a tower still in production or in spare parts somewhere that will fit a 2004 226 Team Edition Air Nautique? Thanks! Les |
Replies:
Posted By: The Godfather
Date Posted: July-05-2010 at 3:55pm
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Do you have any photo's ? I'm not sure if the tower failed after 6 years in use ? And if you replace the tower, you will have to get the whole thing new not just parts. The towers are built as a set in design. And when you try to buy feet or legs only, they don't line up. I would try White Lake Marine or your local dealer, to see if they can get a tower for you. |
Posted By: horkn
Date Posted: July-05-2010 at 4:18pm
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So did it fail while in warranty? It sounds like you have been dealing with this for a while.
Please post up pictures. I'm really interested in seeing them. ------------- 78 martinique- refloored, reinforced, stringers re glassed, re engineered interior GT40P heads Edelbrock Performer intake acme 4 blade http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v64/horkn/fish/nautique.jpg |
Posted By: TX Foilhead
Date Posted: July-05-2010 at 7:29pm
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I was looking at a 226 this morning online that had a Titan tower on it, those things are bullet proof. They have gone out of business but it might be worth asking CC if they have any left. Titan was bought by Malibu who took the name and the patent to the Titan 3 tower and they sold the rest back to the original owners who are now call Star One and still make the first 2 versions of the Titan towers that Malibu used, I don't know if they are allowed to make the Nautique versions of the towers anymore.
My second choice in your situatio would be one of the Samson towers, they are very well built, but you either like the look or you don't. |
Posted By: jlatrace
Date Posted: July-05-2010 at 10:03pm
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Thanks for all the replies. The top picture is the second failure which occurred Friday immediately after the repair. The bottom picture is the original failure on June 2, 2010. The tower hasn't really been used since 2006, but the boat has been regularly used. The crack appeared after cruising Memorial Day, not while wakeboarding.
In my opinion it was clearly an installation/manufacturing issue (installed under stress). No body has wakeboarded behind the boat since 2006, when my daughter hurt her knee. As you can see from the pictures, this is not the type of thing that should fail. I purchased the boat because of Correct Craft's great customer service reputation. So far they have not been able to help me. I have an outstanding "parts" request for a replacements tower. My expetctation is that they do not have any "replacement towers" in spare parts becausae towers are not supposed to wear out. My dealer sold out and now Correct Cracft recently cancelled the acquirer's dealership, so I am left hanging. Any help from this group would be deeply appreciated.  
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Posted By: form&function
Date Posted: July-05-2010 at 11:57pm
| Looks like that tower has been repaired prior to the large crack.Any time I am faced with a repair like that I install a small gusset on top of the repair running top to bottom.A nice curve in the gusset and it looks like it came from the factory. |
Posted By: bhectus
Date Posted: July-06-2010 at 12:04am
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wow, that sucks! Could be that the manufacturer got a bad batch of metal, but no way to tell unless you send it in for metallurgy analysis. F&F has a great idea and a local metal shop should be able to weld a gusset in to reinforce that area. That would be your best and cheapest fix. Another option would be to go to an aftermarket tower but you will end up paying at least around $1000 for a good one. Correct Craft now uses Diamondback Towers but they will not sell direct, you will have to go through a dealer, but their towers are bulletproof. They are in Cocoa, FL. My advice is to have your current tower gusseted. Make sure they take measurements before welding as once they start, the heat will pull the feet out of alignment if they aren't properly bracing. ------------- '02 Ski Nautique 196 w/ 5.7 Apex bowtie - Sold '87 Barefoot - sold '97 Super Sport Nautique - originally custom built for Walt Meloon '97 Ski Nautique '83 SN 2001 |
Posted By: Air206
Date Posted: July-06-2010 at 10:47am
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Les,
I would get a Dealer involved. It may not be the same one you purchased from but I think they could get a work out done. I have dealt with 4 different Correct Craft dealers over the years and I feel certain each one would have come through on something like this..... Call Correct Craft and ask them to recommend a dealer for repair............ they probably will just get you a local one but it is a start with the company you should do........ Steve ------------- https://tinyurl.com/y6t5e3bu" rel="nofollow - 04 Air206 http://tinyurl.com/9urzgls" rel="nofollow - 91 Barefoot 78 SkiTiq |
Posted By: JoeinNY
Date Posted: July-06-2010 at 12:09pm
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I don't know that I agree with the failure cause being installation under stress. It is certainly impossible to tell without a real hands on analysis but it would take a fair amount of preloading to have any real effect and the leg would pop out like a son of a gun after the break occured. Hazarding a guess I would be looking at the material and the welding operation, the break looks like it might be following the line of the heat affected zone from the weld.
If I was going to take it off and repair it again I would be looking at an sleeve to back up the weld area. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1477 - 1983 Ski Nautique 2001 1967 Mustang 302 "Decoy" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO5MkcBXBBs - Holeshot Video |
Posted By: 79nautique
Date Posted: July-06-2010 at 12:54pm
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I looks like a very poor quality weld job with excessive grinding to the point of thinning the metal. Notice the grind marks/grooves in the flange. Not a design issue or loading issue purely a quality issue and maybe why they are on Bu's now and not CC's. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=756&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1979&yrend=1979 - 79 nautique |
Posted By: JoeinNY
Date Posted: July-06-2010 at 12:59pm
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On the top pick which was the break after the repair I agree with Chris, I would not have went after that repair with a grinder so heavily. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1477 - 1983 Ski Nautique 2001 1967 Mustang 302 "Decoy" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO5MkcBXBBs - Holeshot Video |
Posted By: jlatrace
Date Posted: July-06-2010 at 1:36pm
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Thanks for all the help. I have been trying to work with CC and will continue to do so. The repair was made by the former dealer. There is no dealer within 150 miles of my boat.
Question, if I try to repair again should I specify: A.gusset or B. sleeve to reinforce the repair? |
Posted By: Air206
Date Posted: July-06-2010 at 1:47pm
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Les:
I have driven to SW North Carolina, Eastern Maryland and Eastern North Carolina for specific CC Dealer work......... (I am in SW Virginia). If you take it on yourself, it is all on you. If a dealer handles it, it is all on him/her. I wouldn't do it on a tower that is no longer made on a boat that costs that much. (The boat's value will drop with the added expense of an aftermarket tower). Maybe I've got no guts.... but that's the direction I would encourage.  ------------- https://tinyurl.com/y6t5e3bu" rel="nofollow - 04 Air206 http://tinyurl.com/9urzgls" rel="nofollow - 91 Barefoot 78 SkiTiq |
Posted By: form&function
Date Posted: July-06-2010 at 4:06pm
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Preloading the tower will not cause failure,in fact it makes the tower stiffer and will reduce the side to side flex.If you sleeve the tower it will fail at the new weld points.Gusseting is the only way to transfer the load without creating a new weak area.
To understand this you have to understand that a weld tempers the pipe and creates a weak point right outside the connection. Maybe I see it different having access to my shop but this seems like a easy straight forward one hour repair to me. |
Posted By: JoeinNY
Date Posted: July-06-2010 at 4:48pm
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If you are talking about an external sleeve welded on, I agree not a good idea. I would turn a sleeve same od as the id of the existing pipe and run it internally, I would weld it in at the base but thats it. The external pipe would still be a butt weld repair. If it were for me I would also taper the internal wall of the sleeve to minimize the stress concentration where it ended... but as it would end far away from the heat affected zone it would be better than the current scenario. I am not saying a gusset couldn't work but one poorly applied would be more likely to cause a failure than prevent one. The ends of many towers are designed so they slide into the tube far enough to support the joint beyond the heat affected zone precisely to avoid this kind of failure.
The moral of the story is the same, a prudent repair would not have been putting it back the same as it was and expecting a different result. And yes with the proper tools and knowledge about an hour... plus time to remove, repaint, and reinstall.. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1477 - 1983 Ski Nautique 2001 1967 Mustang 302 "Decoy" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO5MkcBXBBs - Holeshot Video |
Posted By: behindpropeller
Date Posted: July-06-2010 at 7:33pm
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Click here:
http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/0/99c827db9baac81b86256b4500596c4e/$FILE/Chapter%2004.pdf%20 - http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/0/99c827db9baac81b86256b4500596c4e/$FILE/Chapter%2004.pdf It tells you how to properly fix your tube. Your best selection of tubing is probably www.aircraftspruce.com%20 - here. I would tack it in place on the boat with the tig and then remove the whole tower and jig it up. Cut out the crap and replace it with new. Put a 45 degree cut along with an internal sleeve. It might make sense to sleeve the other mounts while it is off the boat. Tim ------------- |
Posted By: jlatrace
Date Posted: July-06-2010 at 11:17pm
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Thanks, very helpful.
I just heard from CC that a dealer is being announced soon. I plan to wait and let the new dealer repair the tower. Thanks to all, you were all very helpful. Les |
Posted By: behindpropeller
Date Posted: July-07-2010 at 11:02am
I would not let a dealer touch that. Look up "metal fabricator" in your area. Tim ------------- |
jlatrace wrote:Posted By: form&function
Date Posted: July-08-2010 at 1:16am
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All the dealer will do is pay a fab shop to fix it and tack a few hundred on your bill for good measure.On top of that they will offer you no warranty.
A good metal shop will have enough faith in there work to back it up so I would search for a reputable fabricator.Keep in mind a lot of good metal guys work at car and streetrod shops if you know anyone like that. |
Posted By: bhectus
Date Posted: July-17-2010 at 4:22pm
I agree wholeheartedly.  ------------- '02 Ski Nautique 196 w/ 5.7 Apex bowtie - Sold '87 Barefoot - sold '97 Super Sport Nautique - originally custom built for Walt Meloon '97 Ski Nautique '83 SN 2001 |
Posted By: Air206
Date Posted: July-17-2010 at 4:33pm
You guys must have crappy dealers as that has not been my experience with out-sourced work from my dealer(s). White Lake (NC) and Chessie Marine (Md) have been great standing behind repairs they co-ordinated........ I bet Reid (at Race City Marine) would also do you right!!! 
Steve ------------- https://tinyurl.com/y6t5e3bu" rel="nofollow - 04 Air206 http://tinyurl.com/9urzgls" rel="nofollow - 91 Barefoot 78 SkiTiq |
Posted By: jlatrace
Date Posted: July-23-2010 at 1:05am
| End of story...Correct Craft found a tower and is shipping it to me to replace the broken tower. What a great company! |
Posted By: Air206
Date Posted: July-23-2010 at 2:00am
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Glad to hear it....... and glad to have our faith in Correct Craft and the network of dealers reinforced!
Whoo Hoo Nautiques! ------------- https://tinyurl.com/y6t5e3bu" rel="nofollow - 04 Air206 http://tinyurl.com/9urzgls" rel="nofollow - 91 Barefoot 78 SkiTiq |
Posted By: SN206
Date Posted: July-23-2010 at 2:06am
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Love a happy ending! ------------- ...those who have fallen and those who will. |
Posted By: horkn
Date Posted: July-23-2010 at 2:41pm
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I am very happy to hear this!
So, did you ask why they gave you resistance at first about this being a warranty item? It's easy for a company to say "no, the warranty does not cover that", but it sure makes them look bad when these issues get out to the public;) ------------- 78 martinique- refloored, reinforced, stringers re glassed, re engineered interior GT40P heads Edelbrock Performer intake acme 4 blade http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v64/horkn/fish/nautique.jpg |