Straightening a Cdi furler

[peterbud]

Ihave a CDI furler with a bend in it. Has anyone ever had any success in straightening one out and of ao how did you do it.
Thanks

 

[Jackdaw]

A bend or a kink?

A bend can be straighten with time, positioning, and (perhaps) warmth. I placed one in a long tight-fitting PVC pipe and left it in the sun for a week. Straight.

A kink is a kink.

 

[Brian S]

I've heard that the best way to fix a kinked CDI foil is to replace it. I think I remember an article in Good Old Boat mag where they tried everything, finally broke down and got a new foil.

 

[Meriachee]

The CDI installation docs suggests laying it out on the lawn, in the sun and it will return to it's original shape. (assuming it's not kinked)

 

[markwbird]

I've done it but it was with the mast down or other reasons. Just good old fashioned hand bending and eyeballing until it looked straight.

 

[peterbud]

Mark did you heat it up at all?

 

[peterbud]

It is a bend.

 

[SOCAL C50]

We just straightened one out. It took almost a week in the so cal heat, sun, we lay it out on the dock and tied it down on one end then kept unrolling it and tying it in intervals to the end. after a few days we flipped it and did the same thing. Instructions say to put it in a pipe until straight but the direct sun and restraining it worked for us.

 

[bcollis]

I'd return it if you can and get another one. I was told that it was best to order from the factory and get it out of the box within 3-4 days of delivery. I'd wonder if yours was sitting in a showroom or warehouse for a couple of months if it's that bad. I unboxed and had it installed within 2 days of delivery in the cold of March. It was staked out in the grass for about 2 hours, and I have no bends.

The manual specifically says not to heat it up with a torch or anything.

 

[SOCAL C50]

The one we did was in the box for 2 weeks! It did finally straighten out and works smooth.

 

[peterbud]

Thanks for the suggestions
Now to get it done.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Having worked with the CDI for many years, the smaller furlers come coiled up in a box with instructions to uncoil and bend in one big circle the opposite direction leaving it out in the sun. Leaving in a pipe of sorts is good but the old fashioned laying on a flat surface with weights of course on top to let the heat of the sun will unbend that. I always said never use a heat gun and trying to rebend that using a corner of sorts for example on a table will adversely affect the grooves in the extrusion.

as for unbending out of the box, safer with three people for that process and use large ties for that not the small ones.