Removing Aluminum Channel on top of door - Trick?

[Jim_Gruber]

How do I remove the aluminum channel on top of the door on a Mark IV Sprite, Mark 3 Midget. I found the two 5/16 nuts and can get it to move back and forth easily but dont know if those nuts on the inside of the top of the door need to come off to remove this piece of not. Looks to be a total PITA to get nuts back on if I do need to remove. Another case of children or MOWOGs needed to reassemble. I'm replacing the vinyl on top of the door as it is ripped and need to feed the end of the vinyl under that aluminum plate. Heading to the store for some contact adhesive and hopefully an answer will be here when I return. TIA.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

I think there are a total of 4 nuts. It took much patience to remove, and when I reassembled I only used three of the four and it is holding well.

 

[Jimmy74]

Re: Removing Aluminum Channel on top of door - Tri

The nuts hold square headed bolts in a channel on the back of the panel you are trying to remove. You can completley remove the nuts and remove the panel that way or slacken them all off and then slide the panel, at a certain point while sliding the panel a set of channel cut outs line up with the square headed bolts and the panel drops off the door, the nuts are left screwed to the bolts through the door. Installation is the reverse.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Re: Removing Aluminum Channel on top of door - Tri

I think the answer is to slide vinyl under the one side working carelly around the vent window and simply glue down the inside. On the window side pressure from tightening nuts down will hold in place and after that contact cement will hold the rest. According to Frank C. there are actually 5 nuts under there and they are absolute b_stards to get back on. I'll try trick with sliding vinyl under the edge and see if that works.

 

[regularman]

Re: Removing Aluminum Channel on top of door - Tri

If you remove the glass, its easier to get the nuts off.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Re: Removing Aluminum Channel on top of door - Tri

Was successful in using clamps to hold the aluminum channel in the raised position and simply slide the vinyl underneath without needing to get the nuts all of the way off. Now all I'll need to do it tighten the nuts back down and that will hold the vinyl on the glass side, contact cement will hold the rest in place. Thanks all.