[Jdub]

Old pin covers, rear of course, come off with the fresh Xacto knife you purchased for this project. Cut that bad boy off, then clean the pin itself thoroughly using acetone or electric contact cleaner (careful of that material Eugene!). You want NO junk on the pin that might hinder the sliding on of the pin cover: this is especially true for the indents on the pin itself, so get all of the crud out of there.

Now, what happens next depends on how much of a b$#ch the pin and cover want to be. Prepare a method to push the pin on. I located a washer in my bin whose internal ID exactly matched the OD (Outside Diameter) of the fattest part of the pin cover, just above the "brim edge" that is at the bottom of the pin (think hat and brim here). Sliding that washer on, I then found a deep socket that pushed against this washer. Get the picture? Pin, slide washer over pin to bottom, put this assembly into deep socket that tightly fits to the cover. Now, with the socket, you can put on a socket extension that gives you a handle to push the piece on. Spray hairspray on the pin, line em up, and push like crazy. The hairspray lubricates the pin, and will eventually harden up to grip the two together (like they need it...). If you fail, simply clean up with acetone and try again. Like all good things on this earth, it is lubrication and heat that give you satisfaction ;>

EDIT: You can always drill a small hole at the tip of the pin cover to let the air pass out, making the slipon a bit easier.

The front pins are another matter. The cover is not meant to be replaced independent of the pin. Better to VERY VERY carefully unscrew the pin. This is done by ever so gently getting a wrench on the pin base, turning it in (not out) very slightly, then moving it back out. What you are doing here is just breaking the inevitable rust/corrosion from the alum. pin to steel threading in the top (alum+steel=natural corrosion). Dose the area with a penetrating fluid, move the pin in and out within the already-established band of movement, then try to loosen it a BIT more. Be SO careful here. New pin goes in with nice dose of anti-seize only.

I am unsure what the bumpers are you are referring to. If you mean the dome-shaped items on either side of the pin receptacle on the Targa bar, they are available from Dan. The center pin goes in after the piece is firmly pushed into the Targa bar hole provided for the pins. Sliding the middle pin into the dome secures the item to the 'bar.

Jw

[This message has been edited by Jdub (edited 09-07-2001).]