FJ40 Roof Cap RIVETS
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MAR FJ40
SILVER Star
MAR FJ40
SILVER Star
View M3*10 size @ 2:21 in the video.
Why am I thinking that the rivets are being put in upside down in the video. I thought the mushroom top was from the top down.
MAR FJ40
SILVER Star
This sealant works very well. I believe it takes two for full coverage, but I may be mistaken.
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RevISK
SILVER Star
Not on mine and I don't think this is correct for OE. There is another rivet/hardtop thread going on right now that explains it better but it boils down to: compressive strength and shear strength as well as the respective strengths of steel and fiberglass.
Head of rivet should be up and pushing into/clamping the fiberglass to the steel drip rail. The pin end gets compressed to deform creating the clamping force to hold the two together. Fiberglass is too soft to withstand those forces and would likely wallow out, bulge or crack (or all three).
Please help me fill in the blanks as I would execute this process
- apply a bed of "????" adhesive to drip rail
- place fiberglass on drip rail into adhesive bedding
- insert rivets and rivet it down
- apply self leveling seam sealer to outside channel of rain gutter, covering rivets.
-;paint it "????" (Cygnus white? What rattlecan is a close match?)
- apply a bed of "????" adhesive to drip rail
- place fiberglass on drip rail into adhesive bedding
- insert rivets and rivet it down
- apply self leveling seam sealer to outside channel of rain gutter, covering rivets.
-;paint it "????" (Cygnus white? What rattlecan is a close match?)
RevISK
SILVER Star
- No adhesive "bedding"
- get yourself a bunch of Clecos (50 should suffice) for the size rivets you're using and cleco pliers
- insert rivets and revet down
- apply self leveling seam sealer to outside channel of rain gutter, covering rivets
- There is a paint code for Cygnus white, any decent auto paint store should be able to pull it up. They can mix you up some quality paint in a can or can put it in rattle cans if you want.
MAR FJ40
SILVER Star
Learn something new everyday, thanks. I guess I assumed the machined head was on the bottom side because my OE top's bottom side rivets were nearly perfect. Doesn't look like they were compressed into a mushroom. Of course uncle toyota likely had riveters that smashed perfect heads.
+1 for Clecos. On my 76 top the factory rivet head is on top of the fiberglass. The battered end is at the bottom. They did uniform work, but it is apparent which side was hammered.
This is fantastic, man. Thank you so much, everyone! So, the way it goes is this: To do the same thing as OEM, you put the round / mushroom-shaped head of the rivet on the fiberglass side. You then do the pressing / hitting on the pin of the rivet metal side of the steel drip rail. This way, the pin end is compressed and deforms, clamping two pieces together. Thank you for pointing out that fiberglass is too soft to withstand the force necessary to compress the pin. So cool!
So, let’s put some more in the works on top talk. I have recently dismantled two tops. One is earlier and the other is later, but not real late. Explain in a minute. In my option, Mr. Toy was not great in putting metal to fiberglass. When necessary they would shim in between the glass and metal to fill in the gap. With pieces, strips, of fiberglass. No wonder these leaked. No sealer was found in between glass and metal. Sealer on the rivets looked to be after the fact, by owner, to try and slow down the decay. Didn’t do well.
Back in the early 2000’s I refurbished a top. This was before internet and mud. I had little idea of what I was doing. But working with a body shop person, we came up with putting a seam sealer in between glass and metal. Now this sealer is in a roll not squeeze bottle. It swished out just beyond the glass like a body seam. Time will tell on the efficiency of this idea. I am not found of the seam sealer covering up the rivets on the top side, but may end up being the better solution.
One more thing. The picture shows how on my ‘82 top they added a row of rivets close to the door area on both sides. This may have started earlier, because the top I used to replace mine was from a ‘79.
Anyone with a later model with multiple rivets on both sides. The later model top that I am going to redo did not have these extra rivets on it. Could be on a later top, after the wipers moved and before the extra rivets.
Back in the early 2000’s I refurbished a top. This was before internet and mud. I had little idea of what I was doing. But working with a body shop person, we came up with putting a seam sealer in between glass and metal. Now this sealer is in a roll not squeeze bottle. It swished out just beyond the glass like a body seam. Time will tell on the efficiency of this idea. I am not found of the seam sealer covering up the rivets on the top side, but may end up being the better solution.
One more thing. The picture shows how on my ‘82 top they added a row of rivets close to the door area on both sides. This may have started earlier, because the top I used to replace mine was from a ‘79.
Anyone with a later model with multiple rivets on both sides. The later model top that I am going to redo did not have these extra rivets on it. Could be on a later top, after the wipers moved and before the extra rivets.
RevISK
SILVER Star
My top from April of 1980 does not have an excessive amount of extra rivets at the door areas.
Using butyl is not a terrible idea, I just wonder how much would actually be left once the proper force is put on the rivets? Also may cause some waviness?
I rebuilt a few airstreams and related trailers so I have a decent skill set with rivet work. I have a pneumatic gun and bucking bar as well as several hundred clecos.
The heads on my '76 were pretty balanced top and bottom - if I recall, it looked more like the cap-side was the pressed/less-shaped side after driving them out, but it's been a few years and the driven out rivets never make an appearance in the video snips. I'm sure Uncle Toyota had a better setup for driving rivets than us home-gamers, though.
I did the machined head on the bottom for appearance, and they admittedly do less work than OEM as I used a light bead of Sikaflex between the cap and rail followed by epoxy sealer over the top. Definitely a strong recommend on picking up clecos.
I did the machined head on the bottom for appearance, and they admittedly do less work than OEM as I used a light bead of Sikaflex between the cap and rail followed by epoxy sealer over the top. Definitely a strong recommend on picking up clecos.
I also used pneumatic with bucking bar.
Used the rivets as my clecos with pop cycle sticks and clamps to hold them in place.
The rivets heads on the two tops I am working on were tiny compared to CCOT ones. That could help with the clamping force.
Sealant squeezes out but there is enough left to do the job that prevents wicking of water later.
My cowl seam leaked about 1984. I put a bead of GE 50 year silicon on. It's still there and not leaking yet but it looks old, yea 40 years!
My cowl seam leaked about 1984. I put a bead of GE 50 year silicon on. It's still there and not leaking yet but it looks old, yea 40 years!
Since this is the most recent hardtop thread I can find, can someone answer me this..
I'm getting ready to put my metal drip rail back on my fiberglass and there are 4 drain holes drilled in the metal drip rail, one in each corner.
Giving the amount of holes drilled in this top in general I'm wondering if these are stock or a PO did them....
Should I fill them or keep them?
I'm getting ready to put my metal drip rail back on my fiberglass and there are 4 drain holes drilled in the metal drip rail, one in each corner.
Giving the amount of holes drilled in this top in general I'm wondering if these are stock or a PO did them....
Should I fill them or keep them?