I have posted this hard top insulation advice at least 3 times, and here
it is again.
If you are using the old flat, wide rubber with the large corner pieces,
you are going to be struggling forever. Sunbeam, in a move towards
better design, changed the entire sealing system in later models. They
fit better, provide substantially less paint scrubbing, and don't damage
paint at all with a static-cling vinyl seal that is applied with water
and a squeegee in the late fall, and peeled off when the top comes off.
Here is the design change. The flat rubber strips, with a raised center
portion to snap into the "C" shaped retaining clips on the steel top
underside at either side and across the back were changed. The rubber,
now being a small squeezable type that is exactly like your door seals (
that fit in the same type "C" strip, is one piece. It starts at the
front edge of the side window, goes all the way across the back, then
down the other side. The ONLY physical change you must make, aside from
getting the new rubber from Sunbeam Specialties, is to add a short strip
of that formed "C" shape (taken form an old Alpine door). It is placed
between the side and back "C" and a space between them of 1" or so is
fine. It just helps the rubber around the corner. Those huge rubber
tails are cut back to allow the continuous bead seal to pass, and held
in place with a sheet metal screw and a metal triangular plate in the
center of these moldings. Tools? Tin snips to trim the corner rubber,
make the small retaining plates. a hack saw to cut the 2 small diagonal
pieces that fit in the left and right corners to guide the rubber, and a
pop rivet gun to hold them in place.
If this were any simpler, I couldn't describe it. :-)
Been is place 5 years, no wear, no tear, no fit problems, no paint
damage (vinyl helps here), and no squeaking noises over road irregularities.
What more could you ask for?
Steve
stubrennan@attbi.com wrote:
>I had this problem right after I replaced all the
>gaskets, including those around the back. The pins
>won't go down far enough to go into the holes, right? I
>left the top on for a few months and it got better, but
>I'll have the same problem again when I put it back on
>again in a few weeks.
>
>I am tempted to do a little gasket trimming, but then
>the air and water leaks could come back...
>
>Stu
>
>
>
--
Steve Laifman
Editor
http://www.TigersUnited.com
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