HELP! I don't have enough fiberglass to rivet my roof cap to the rain gutter (1 Viewer)

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Hey all, really appreciate your help in my previous post about my FJ40 roof cap project. To keep it simple I'll upload a video of my concern... I appreciate any advice.

VIDEO:

Thanks!
 
MAYBE….look at the WEST SYSTEM epoxies… they are very simple to use, they have a big library of projects for fiberglass repairs and projects… you may get inspired by some of the things you can do with this material. Very big in boat building and modifications. Hope it can do something for you

of course depending on how much work you wish to put into this…. You can likely fix the shortage of material permanently …but it is a job
 
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It looks like you have enough width to rivet there; maybe the arch in the top is a little high? I might try to focus on getting the edge of the top and the inner edge of the drip rail to meet and see if that doesn't pull the centerline of the top down.
 
A couple thoughts (and I did apply the CCOT drip rail to my existing top so I have a sample size of one... but hope to help).

- Remember, there will be a sizable (i.e. thick) gasket between the drip rail and the top-side panels/door top/rear cross member, so if the rivets don't completely hang out over the sides it'll likely be OK. The rivet heads will press into the rubber gasket (you should get this and set it on there as you're doing your test-fitting - it's not an easy task getting the long one-piece gasket to sit where it needs to be between the drip rail and body parts). With the gasket there you'll be able to see that the rivets will be sitting in that rubber, and not on the sheet metal - even where the fit is not millimeter perfection; not optimal probably to have the rivet heads in the rubber gasket, but surely not the loosest/leakiest part of an FJ40.

- It does also look to me like you have enough space to drill/rivet there. True, when you press down on the lip it flexes inward, with the curve of the cap, but you might not be pressing down like that when you join the sides. Think of it like tightening head bolts and go in a pattern around the cap so that you don't have to press the lip into the cap. Make the hole in the cap where you want it, and the corresponding hole in the drip rail where you want it, and maybe use an M4 bolt/nut to join the two temporarily to hold it in place - gently "stretching" the fiberglass cap outward to where it should be on the lip. Kinda like butt-welding a sheet metal panel. Put a little bit of the 'join' in one spot, move around to the other side/corner/front/back and join that place. Then come back to where you started and get another rivet/bolt beside the first. Continuing this will allow the roof cap to flex/stretch to match the drip rail without you having to press the cap lip into the drip rail at every point you're joining.

- Also, perhaps put something heavy (not too heavy - if you follow this advice and an engine block falls through your new roof cap, I will not buy you a new one - haha) on the 'crown' of the roof cap; due to the curve of the cap along the edge this may push the lip outward and into your drip rail edge.

I don't think you're too far off. There's surely some error when welding together the drip rail from CCOT, but I do think you've got enough fiberglass structure in the cap to join the drip rail to it without trying to build more roof cap out to meet the edge of the drip rail.

That's a lot of words, and not sure any of it will assuage your worries about the cap/rail union. But if it were me, I'd go with what you've got.

Hope to help,
Travis.-
 
I used windshield sealant to glue my top to the frame, using the vehicle as a jig.

Once everything cured, I put all the rivets in. Seemed like the easiest solution to me.


I think you've got plenty of material there for rivets. There will be a few places where they'll be close to edge, but there is a ton of rivets holding the gutter on.

I would get that gutter fully sealed up before attaching it.

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I used windshield sealant to glue my top to the frame, using the vehicle as a jig.

Once everything cured, I put all the rivets in. Seemed like the easiest solution to me.


I think you've got plenty of material there for rivets. There will be a few places where they'll be close to edge, but there is a ton of rivets holding the gutter on.

I would get that gutter fully sealed up before attaching it.
Wow, I've never thought of gluing the top to the frame before riveting! I was on the phone with Brandon from Classic Cruisers this morning (great guy), he said I might just have to send it even if not 100% of the rivets go through the fiberglass lol.

What kind of windshield sealant did you use? I'm not picturing it...
 
What kind of windshield sealant did you use? I'm not picturing it...


I wanted it bonded to hopefully protect the metal a bit more, remove a possible rattle, and be one more barrier to leaks.

This is the stuff I used. I wish I had that number exposed in the picture. I recommend a powered caulking gun. Even warmed up, it was a tough on the hands.

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