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Old 09-23-2021, 10:27 AM   #361
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Originally Posted by AndrewST View Post
Hello Boywonder, by any chance do you have a larger picture showing the retainer plates in place.
I need to install some on mine but don't know how long and wide they need to be.
Is it an 1/8" thick plate?
Thank you,
Andrew

Seems like I’m missing these too

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Old 09-23-2021, 10:36 AM   #362
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The retainer plates that hold down the helper springs? You NEED these to keep the compressed helper springs from shooting out of the channel at high speed.


I've modified and subsequently completely replaced the helper springs and retainer plates with a gas spring setup; I can snap a pic and measure the plates if I can find them in the garage. This is another area that you can improve dramatically over the SMB design. From memory they are 1/8" thick mild steel.
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Old 09-23-2021, 10:55 AM   #363
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I dunno if I’ll go as crazy as your strut setup (which I do love btw). My top came shipped to me with the main springs one chain link shorter and some 2 or 3 in blocks behind the helper springs.

I’ll probably just stick to that for now but yea I definitely see the need for retainer plates.

But back to the bulb seal: the thin flap just gets sandwiched between the canvas right?

So the layers would be top to bottom:
Wood strip
Canvas
Bulb seal

As I type this I’m realizing that the bulb seal is at the front and back in place of butyl?
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Old 09-23-2021, 01:29 PM   #364
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Originally Posted by Justgosurfin View Post
But back to the bulb seal: the thin flap just gets sandwiched between the canvas right?

So the layers would be top to bottom:
Wood strip
Canvas
Bulb seal

As I type this I’m realizing that the bulb seal is at the front and back in place of butyl?

Study the pics in the first post of this thread. It's been years but I'm pretty sure the bulb seal is stapled to the underside of the strips through the canvas, then the bulb seal is laid into the butyl tape. You need butyl tape on all four sides. In the front and back you need to build up little squares of tape in the roof channels. It'll be obvious when you get to that point.


So the layers are:

wood strip
canvas
bulb seal
butyl tape
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Old 09-23-2021, 01:41 PM   #365
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[emoji106][emoji106] thanks
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Old 04-05-2022, 04:02 PM   #366
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No, we don't. The donor van's owner said that he bought it from an elderly couple (with the PH already installed). It was a 2003 E150. I'm assuming that the PH is a 2003 but that's purely a guess.



A few more things accomplished today.......I installed M12x1.75 x 12mm long set screws in the threaded floor holes where the seat brackets used to live (passenger van). The set screws were 14 cents each in qty 25 at my local fastener supply house. I applied RTV to the threads to seal them and hold them in place. I left a few threaded holes unplugged so that I can fasten down the new floor. The ones that got plugged are not accessible from under the van.








The canvas is now attached to the roof; we used 4 layers of 1/8" thick butyl tape on the sides since it lays in the roof channels and must be built up above the surface of the roof. Probably could have stopped at 3 layers now that we are done but it worked out fine. The toughest part was drilling holes in the very corners of the ply strips holding the canvas. There is about a 3/16" thick layer of butyl below the bulb seals on both sides. The layers were 2 1/2" wide strips top and bottom, with 2x 1 1/2" wide in the middle.

Here is all 4 layers of tape in the channel before the screwing began.





The SMB plastic bulb seals on the ends of the penthouse top were replaced with rubber (EPDM) bulb seals sourced from McMaster Carr.




And finally, we got the Avery UHA heavy plastic tape stuck to the roof to protect the paint when the PH is down.

Trying to find the “plastic tape” roll online but can’t remember what it’s called was there something made of hdpe?
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Old 04-05-2022, 04:40 PM   #367
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If you are referring to the tape to protect the roof that's Avery UHA (ultra high adhesion......apparently VHB was already taken ;-) tape.


Yes it's likely HDPE...



I only found it at the Sportsmobile store.
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Old 04-05-2022, 10:27 PM   #368
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HDPE?! Might be the carrier foil…?!

As far as I know UHA/ VHB/ UHB tapes are eventually all acrylic based.

HDPE: high density poly ethylene
UHA: ultra high adhesion
VHB: very high bond (3M the first one using this kind of „description“)
UHB: ultra high bond
—> all acrylic based tapes with a higher modulus, higher glass transition temp, lower elongation coming in different thicknesses and different carrier foils
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Old 04-05-2022, 11:00 PM   #369
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Here is the tape that boywonder is referring to:
One side is a hard smooth plastic and the other side is adhesive

Click image for larger version

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Old 04-06-2022, 06:50 AM   #370
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Ahh cool! Thanks!
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