How To Replace a Targa Top Front Locating Pin - Stripped Nut

[Jtt84911]

Hi Pelicans-

My post asking how to replace a stripped Targa front locating pin nut – only got a few responses. One response suggested the only way to replace the nut was taking the top to an upholstery shop- have a section of the vinyl cover material seam opened up….and after the nut was changed…the seam would be re-stitched.

I found it hard to believe the only way to get to/replace the stripped nut was to open the cover material stitching.


After taking a closer look - it appeared there was in fact another way to replace the nut insert without damaging or opening the cover stitching.

Here’s what I did:

Photo 1- Using a “scalpel style” hoppy knife…I carefully made the two cuts – as shown by the red arrows. One was a perfectly straight line - while the other followed the profile of the rubber Targa side seal. As you see you are cutting through two layers of materials. A layer = the vinyl cover material and B layer = a canvas material.
Using a “mini pry bar” you need to carefully create a gap between the metal housing where the Targa pin mounts and the thin aluminum sheet metal below the housing.



Photo 2- The yellow dots… show the metal housing where the Targa pin mounts and the thin aluminum sheet metal below the housing.
You need to create a gap large enough to get the ruined nut out…by temporarily bending the aluminum sheet metal.… just big enough to get the ruined nut out and slide in the new replacement.



Photo 3- The new nut (from our host)
Photo 4- This is where the new nut will end up – and the size relative to the “enclosure”.




Photos 5 & 6- Using a small hammer and the “mini pry bar” I tapped the new nut into place.



Photo 7- Once the new nut is in place… using a hammer + wood block and another piece of wood underneath the roof…you carefully tap (flatten) the aluminum sheet metal back to the original location….trapping the new nut insert in place. (Yellow arrows) Flattening the aluminum back in place...is a lot easier and quicker than creating the gap.



Now…all that’s left is gluing the layers back in place. I used the 3M black weather seal adhesive. I put a thin layer on the layer and surface where it being glued. I waited about 4-5 minutes for the adhesive to cure and pressed the surfaces back in place – first the canvas layer- followed by the vinyl.

Photo 9 & 10- As you can see… depending on the angle…you can barely see where the original “incisions” were made.




Regards,
JT

[NYNick]

I love creative fixes like this.
Nice job.

[universeman]

Nice work. Did you try a tap and die set, I wonder? Maybe thread repair could have saved you an open heart surgery job. Nice fix though.

[dicklague]

Nice creative work.

Did you try a hole in the remaining pin and an easy out?

Or maybe it was all too shallow.

[Jtt84911]

Thanks guys for the positive responses.

Universeman- yes thought about it but had brand new front pin (from PP) and thought if I used a tap the new thread would be too big for the pin. I replace the first front pin in 2 minutes...but of course the second pin ended up being 2 hrs instead of 2 mins. Old story right?

Did want to clarify one additional thing.... the two cuts I made to open up the area... did NOT go all the way to the front seam....therefore the original seam/stitching was not affected.

Regards,
JT

[bbdhull]

Hi all, just to let everyone know,I had the same issue, both were stripped, I JB weld them before doing a 2000+ miles trip, all went well,folded the top on multiple occasion with no issue.