WM RIB350 drain valve / diaphragm

[Wind River]

I have a 2009 West Marine RIB 350 dinghy.

It has a self bailing drain plug that has a rubber diaphragm inside to allow the one way/bailing feature. I need to remove this rubber diaphragm to allow complete draining of water and debris when it is cleaned.

It is not a very robust part I have broken several of them now. The only place I have been able to find them is from West Marine but they only sell the entire drain plug assembly to get this part of it.

WEST MARINE Drain/Plug Assembly for Inflatable Boat, Hexagon, Gray | West Marine

Does anyone have an idea where to get this part by itself. I would like to have a few of them in my spare parts.

[a64pilot]

Why use it at all? Just get on plane, remove the plug and the water will run out, then replace the plug. You don't need the flapper at all.
If you don't have a plug but just this valve, I bet your supposed to have a plug too.

[Wind River]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Why use it at all? Just get on plane, remove the plug and the water will run out, then replace the plug. You don't need the flapper at all.
If you don't have a plug but just this valve, I bet your supposed to have a plug too.

Yes, I do have a plug also.

I like this feature for two reasons:

One - It functions perfectly and doesn't allow water back when I stop to put the plug back in. Doing this while on a plane is not something I really want to be doing.

Two - I have been known to launch the dinghy and forget to put the plug in. By itself that is not really a big problem, but invariably I will have a dinghy full of supplies, clothes and tools that I would rather not get wet should/when I forget to put the plug in. I have forgotten it while this diaphragm was missing.
I usually remember I left it out when it is in the water and I am climbing in to back it off the trailer. Seeing my food for the weekend floating makes for a bad start to a good weekend...

[a64pilot]

Most likely what is tearing off the little plug is you removing it. For what it's worth an identical but smaller valve is in a lot of gas masks so I'm familiar with them.
I doubt you will be able to source just the valve, but Mcmaster Carr etc just might have them, otherwise buy a bunch of the $12 WM assemblies, or learn to put the plug back in, or stop removing the valve?

[Wind River]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Most likely what is tearing off the little plug is you removing it. For what it's worth an identical but smaller valve is in a lot of gas masks so I'm familiar with them.
I doubt you will be able to source just the valve, but Mcmaster Carr etc just might have them, otherwise buy a bunch of the $12 WM assemblies, or learn to put the plug back in, or stop removing the valve?

I'm sorry but I am not finding your suggestions very helpful but in suggesting to look to McMaster-Carr got me thinking, what do I call these to search for them?
I found they are called "Umbrella Valves or Umbrella Check Valves" and McMaster-Carr doesn't appear to have them. I have found some suppliers/manufacturers of these type of valves. I have not found the exact size and will have to continue this search when I have a little more time.

Thank you for getting my thoughts turned into another direction that turned out to be very helpful.

[rfinklegal]

I do not about the size of your Diaphragm, but it looks a lot like the one on my Achilles inflatable. You might look at the Achilles replacement parts. I was able to get just the diaphragm.

[a64pilot]

What I said another way but wasn't very clear, was stop removing the thing, I bet it's pulling on the "tail" that is causing it to break and if you didn't do that, then it may last a long time.
Yes that would mean finding another way to clean out the dink, like maybe a wet vac or something.
Of course the thing is available, it's not a limited production run just for WM, but finding the source is what may be difficult.
Finding out what it's correctly called is a major step towards that, I believe you will eventually find a source, good luck.

[Wind River]

Originally Posted by rfinklegal

I do not about the size of your Diaphragm, but it looks a lot like the one on my Achilles inflatable. You might look at the Achilles replacement parts. I was able to get just the diaphragm.

That looks very close. The size is not exact but it may be close enough.
They do say in the description that it fits West Marine inflatables so I will give this a try. Thank You!!

[Wind River]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

What I said another way but wasn't very clear, was stop removing the thing, I bet it's pulling on the "tail" that is causing it to break and if you didn't do that, then it may last a long time.
Yes that would mean finding another way to clean out the dink, like maybe a wet vac or something.
Of course the thing is available, it's not a limited production run just for WM, but finding the source is what may be difficult.
Finding out what it's correctly called is a major step towards that, I believe you will eventually find a source, good luck.

No doubt that removing the thing is causing it to break.

My dog shed a lot and the hair would get caught in the valve so I would remove it to clean it it out. The first one went in and out many times before it broke. Subsequent ones do not seem to take this abuse as well. Maybe a different vendor.

I have since lost my pup so maybe I wont have to remove it as often now. Thanks for the input.

[sailcay]

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