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So it should come forward if you remove the joint strip between the cab and rear linings?
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Yes, after you’ve carefully prised off the plastic window surrounds. It’s straightforward enough but a long slow process. Give yourself at least half a day. The surrounds have devious hidden clips so buy a set of plastic trim removers, a few quid on amazon, worth their weight in gold and plenty of other jobs you can use them for!
Nice day today so refitted the top part of the sunroof, will remove again after fitting the frame and vinyl roof skin so I can refit headlining. Don’t want to get lining dirty. Will need some final adjustment at the end as the cable needs tensioning but not over tight, or cables will rip out. again...
It’s a fiddly roof and I can see how it can leak, the side seals aren’t that tight, and there’s room for ingress across the back rail. But I can also see how to fix that, by adding depth to the existing seals and judicious use of silicon. The principle being not to over do it so as to trap water more to let any that gets in find a way out before it comes inside, much like my shower cubicle being sealed in the outside not the inside, so basically that in reverse.
I’ve also made a template, and cut the infill plates for the roof rib removal. And yes that zinc 182 is crap, when I joddled the plates it just fell off!!
Cup of tea and might start in a bit if weather holds.
The markings at the front are for the factory deflector/spoiler. I really hope I can get away without it as it will spoil the line and add height, but I may have to retain it if there is a ram air effect pushing water in at speed. I’ve a spoiler sunroof in front of it so it’s not needed for buffeting..
And I will not be using Sikaflex this time either!!!
Nah too cold and damp now :-(
Partly due to time, conditions and grinding/spatter issues from welding the plates, I am going to use Sikaflex to bond the plates in. They’re not structural, and I’ll fill/blend it and cover with the vinyl. Of course if I was painting the roof I’d weld and do it properly but I’m not that good!
Can always do it again in the future but I’m ok with this plan. Welding bound to lead to rust issues doing it in these conditions.
Well, it’s in.....
Had a day to try and get on with it. Semi successful, plenty of fettling to do and yes the bloody cable snapped again, that’s the Achilles heel on this roof.
Prepped and ready to start
Sheeted inside to catch swarf.
Template fitted
Tools ready
Halfway cut, steel bars across to hold weight. You’ll notice the rear part of the template is loose, this is deliberate as I have to remeasure part way through, to compensate for the ribs making the cut shorter. Refitted template after measuring the 1225mm front to back dimension.
One offcut::
Cut the rest of the ribs out
Sikaflexed plates in and forgot to take pics at this stage! Foil taped just to prevent sika sticking to roof
Tested. This is when the gears jumped despite all that testing! Going to have to re sync them. This is why the front isn’t tight down on the offside. Looks cockeyed from above but is measuring central!
Cable loose so can’t get nearside tight down. More fiddling when I get a decent day. No long trips for this bus at the moment...
Will be a while before I can get back onto the job, have to see if it’s waterproof....
I'm impressed with how you've just got on with it! I talk about these jobs but never seem to get around to them [emoji122][emoji119]
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Thank you but to be honest I’ve accumulated so many goodies, made so many plans, never really got round to doing anything til recently, I think having a bloody good clear out on eBay and raising funds to get the right bits has set me up for this. Even bought a new jigsaw for the job, Worx 20v been a great help goes through steel like a knife through butter.
Of course this is only the start of the roof I’ve got days and days of jobs to get in with on it, but I’ve broken the back of it!
I don’t know if any other T4s with this roof, maybe it’s not such a bright idea... good job I’m not planning to sell this van on anytime soon. I have to thank Stu from Brierley Hill (side lift pop top guy) who told me there was no strengthening needed for cutting out the 2nd and 3rd ribs on the roof. And switching to Multivan Seats has also taken the load off the C-pillars.
If it gets much colder I think I might finally get started on that Lego T2 I’ve had fit most of this year!!!
I think it looks great. Imagine what it will be like open. I do, however, have serious concerns over how water tight it will be. I hope I'm wrong...I'm sure I will be but we all know what water is like.
Bloody good thread, btw. Thanks for sharing and much kudos for having the balls to do it.
It’s dry when it’s parked level, not even mastic’d in yet just draught excluder. Not a hope in hell of keeping water out when moving, until I can reattach the side cable. Also seems like the self tapped threads are stripped on one side, not the end of the world but a pain.
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