In the picture, drivers side T-Top. There are 4 rusted screws that align/attach the weather strip. Is there a fix for this, if so, what do you suggest?
Thanks for looking

 

Anybody out their?

 

Obviously these are glass tops... so what I'd do if it were in my shop... I'd lay a welding blanket on top of the glass and weld large nuts to the damaged screws.

The heat from the weld will usually release the stud and the new nut welded on will allow you to remove the screw.

The other choice is to drill and tap the broken screws but I've never liked that option since I can usually get them out by welding a nut on top of the screw.

Another trick is to chase the heat... once you weld a nut on top lay a cold wet rag on top of the nut, this will chase the heat to the nut inside the top and usually allow easier removal.

So, my advice if you don't have a good welder is to find one that'll do this for you.... Access to the nut is almost non existent so you'll need someone with experience.

Willcox

 

Thanks for the reply and suggested info. I'm going to try the drill & tape method. Do you know what the thread size is? I do not have the replacement seal set. Will see how well that goes. I have a feeling the back side hidden nuts are going to spin. If this happens, whats next?

Thanks Again,
Ron

 

Ron,
This is exactly why we choose to weld nuts on them vs. trying to drill and tap... If the nut spins loose you're pretty much screwed aside from cutting into the top to fix. The screw is a 10/24 threaded screw.

Willcox

 

Since I do not have a welder, can a Guy use a heat gun or a propane torch to heat up the rusted screw? I will drill out some of the rusted fasteners, apply heat and use an easy out. I'm crossing everything I have, fingers, toes, eyes, etc.

Thanks Again,
Ron

 

NO...you need the immediate heart from the welder to transfer the heat. A heat gun or propane torch will take too long and you can do more damage than good..

AS much as I hate to say it. How Willcox has described it is how I do it and this is no area to try to 'reinvent the wheel'...becasue if there is way to do it any better or faster. .I can guarantee guys like us who have to deal with this a lot would have found a way to do it.

Or send them out to get the glass removed and the screws remove due to having access to the backside of the caged stove nut.

SO if you do this I would HIGHLY advise you to not to apply excessive pressure when turning these screws or you can cause the stove nut to spin in the caged retainer and you w ill be totally screwed at that point and their will need no way to drill and tap the screw out.

I can say that if you are limited on what you can do in this area I would also advise sending them to a company that can fix then...and a that is either Willcox or Melrose T-tops who can take the glass out and get them out and rebond the glass back in. And I am saying that due to the number of T-tops that a DIYer got their hands on that I was asked to fix and that person darn near ruined due to not having the tools and techniques to do it so it was put back into a good condition again.

DUB

 

Thanks for your post and process. I guess I have to wait on this until I find a Guy with a tig/Mig welder
.

 

Before you go crazy use a cut off wheel and grind a slot in the bolts , spray with a good rust penetrant let sit over night then use a big flat head screw driver see if they come loose , I had two like that that came right out with this method.

 

And this is a great idea... I must say... it's worth a try but I doubt it will work... but before you go awal... give it a try... you can't loose anything doing this. For me I just grab the welder but for those that don't have that option this would be worth the try. It might work and any easy tip is better than a hard one.

Willcox

 

Dub.. it's a very perplexing issue..

We deal with this all the time... If the nut turns in the retainer you're pretty much screwed to either removing the glass or cutting the top to repair the nut... Neither are a good option when you consider the labor cost to repair vs the cost to just purchase the top. I've had great luck chasing the heat down the screw after welding the nut... but it's still hit or miss.... chasing the heat is a neat old school trick that usually works... But I'd say honestly... about 90 percent of the time the screw will come right out... it's the 10 percent that sucks.

I like the cutting a slot in the screw mentioned above, but without heat I don't think it'll work very well. Considering all four of the op's screws broke I'd say (sadly) he's got about a 50 50 chance of getting them out without heat.

Ernie