Getting the water out of the seat foam. - Snowmobile Forum: Your #1 Snowmobile Forum

COOKSTER · 11-18-2009, 10:20 AM

The seat foam in my 90 Exciter was water logged so I took it apart to dry it out but I dont know how to go about getting all of the water out.
Im sure that this is a common repair with older sleds so I thought I would ask you folks for opinions or experiences. I currently have it hanging in the garage, it dripped for quite a while then stopped, but the foam is still noticeably wet.
Any ideas?

**RJ Gleason** · 11-18-2009, 10:34 AM

Needs to be in a warm/heated area to dry completely and will take a long time.

COOKSTER · 11-18-2009, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RJ Gleason

Needs to be in a warm/heated area to dry completely and will take a long time.

Days? Weeks? Months?
I guess I should have started this project in the summer.

**RJ Gleason** · 11-18-2009, 10:45 AM

Only about a week if you're lucky.
You could try compressing the foam to force more of the water out.

COOKSTER · 11-18-2009, 10:56 AM

Thanks RJ.
I will try the compression method and then wait... We wont be riding in my area till next month at the earliest so it should work out okay. I guess the longer I let it dry before reassembly the better so I will give it a couple of weeks.

**BC_Dan** · 11-18-2009, 09:56 PM

Put it between two pieces of plywood and drive over it. You will squeeze a BUNCH out of it in a quick hurry!!

COOKSTER · 11-19-2009, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BC_Dan

Put it between two pieces of plywood and drive over it. You will squeeze a BUNCH out of it in a quick hurry!!

The problem with that idea is that there are 2 plastic shells at each end of the seat and the foam is glued to them. I dont want to destroy the seat for the sake of saving some time. These seats are not like the old ones from the 70s that were just a block of foam on top of a sheet of plywood.

yamadad4 · 11-20-2009, 11:32 PM

this may seem a little odd, but if you have a powerful shop vacuum available, put the seat in a heavy duty plastic trash bag. stick the vac hose in the bag and get as tight of a seal as possible. turn on the vac and it will suck the air from the bag and form fit to the seat. if the bag doesnt break, it will compress the foam and squeeze alot of the water content out. learned this trick from an old upholsterer, but usually it was just the foam portion, not still attached to the plastic. if i remember right, on that sled there was a piece of 3/16" plywood, about 14x14, that had 6 or 8 rivets attaching it to the plastic. it may facilitate the process by removing the plywood. if the seat is that saturated, plywood is probably due for a changing.

**smallengineguy** · 11-21-2009, 05:02 AM

Buy some big dude a bunch of chicken nuggets to sit on it for a while....

JheLrey · 11-21-2009, 09:10 AM

Hang it in your basement where it is warm!

sovatj · 11-21-2009, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yamadad4

this may seem a little odd, but if you have a powerful shop vacuum available, put the seat in a heavy duty plastic trash bag. stick the vac hose in the bag and get as tight of a seal as possible. turn on the vac and it will suck the air from the bag and form fit to the seat. if the bag doesnt break, it will compress the foam and squeeze alot of the water content out. learned this trick from an old upholsterer, but usually it was just the foam portion, not still attached to the plastic. if i remember right, on that sled there was a piece of 3/16" plywood, about 14x14, that had 6 or 8 rivets attaching it to the plastic. it may facilitate the process by removing the plywood. if the seat is that saturated, plywood is probably due for a changing.

if the seat is that wet, like mine was, the wood is soaked and shredded and gone.

sovatj · 11-21-2009, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JheLrey

Hang it in your basement where it is warm!

its to damp in a basement. you need dry warm air.

JheLrey · 11-21-2009, 11:54 AM

Well, it depends on your basement! Yes, it would be damp if you have a crawl space with gravel... but I am assuming a utility room with a concrete floor.

polaris rider · 11-21-2009, 04:51 PM

whatever method u go with, make sure its completely dry, otherwise, everytime u ride wen its cold out, ur seat will get hard

sovatj · 11-21-2009, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by polaris rider

whatever method u go with, make sure its completely dry, otherwise, everytime u ride wen its cold out, ur seat will get hard

so its a male sled? hahahah

COOKSTER · 11-21-2009, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yamadad4

this may seem a little odd, but if you have a powerful shop vacuum available, put the seat in a heavy duty plastic trash bag. stick the vac hose in the bag and get as tight of a seal as possible. turn on the vac and it will suck the air from the bag and form fit to the seat. if the bag doesnt break, it will compress the foam and squeeze alot of the water content out. learned this trick from an old upholsterer, but usually it was just the foam portion, not still attached to the plastic. if i remember right, on that sled there was a piece of 3/16" plywood, about 14x14, that had 6 or 8 rivets attaching it to the plastic. it may facilitate the process by removing the plywood. if the seat is that saturated, plywood is probably due for a changing.

Your description of the seat is bang on and yes I do need to replace the plywood. The foam is now dry and I plan on reassembling tomorrow, just need to get a piece of that thin plywood, I have everything else required.