CarCare

How do you rebuild a sunroof? It's much like the omnipresent necessity of any other mechanical part of your car, with moving and non-moving parts that require service with use. This is much like any equipment or device, really—maintain or die.


With the sunroof, the working parts include little more than the manual hinge (in the case of our '92 Mustang GT) and its subsystems, the tongue-and-receiver forward locators and the roof seal itself. What of this unit—simple in vision and not much more complicated by execution—would need your attention and a rebuild? All of it.

Starting Point
Start with one of the three main parts of the sunroof. We began with the least complicated of all incorporated elements, the front-edge locator tangs. Metal, plastic-coated and secured to the glass sunroof body with large (#3) Phillips bolts into receiving fasteners that terminate on the outside of the sunroof, we applied heavy but gentle torque and they eventually relented.


The plastic coating on the tangs was in good shape, so we chose not to replace them, instead cleaning up the hole into which they mount, chasing the threads of both nut and bolt, then added Loctite to the threads and sealed the hole with a butyl-based caulk to make sure water leakage would be kept to zero. You won't need much of the sealer, because if you apply too much you'll be cleaning it up off of the glass, inside and out, and it's a bear to remove. Silicone-based caulks would likely work too, but for us, that was in scarce supply. As for the female body inlet that inserts into the metal tongue, examine and verify their condition. In this case, they're rust-free, not brittle or cracked and sealed (again patchable with a little butyl).

Hinge and Keeper
Next on our list was the main sunroof actuator hinge and keeper, a combination of body latch, release mechanism and manual opener, located in the middle of the sunroof's inner-rear edge. Here was the second of two reasons for the need to rebuild the sunroof itself. This latch, which was anchored to the sunroof with two through-bolts much like those on the forward locator tangs, had developed a leak that dripped into the Mustang's interior during heavy rain. Suspect was the plastic bolt cap, which spanned both through-bolt holes on the sunroof's outside, having weathered a little and possibly pulled from its factory-sealed position.

Continued on Page 2

Copyright autoMedia.com 2000-2009



 
Related Photos More Photos...

Sand the are...

Buff the tri...

With all fas...

Remove the 8...

trim and windshield wipers replaced
All the trim...



Related Articles
Dent Repair
Professional Windshield Install
Window Chip Repair
Hatchback and Hood Lift Repair
Paint Chip Repair Advice


autoMedia Car Blog
autoMedia CARnival 11-20-09: This week in Auto Blogs
It's the week ending November 20, and we've browsed our favorite automotive blogs all week long to gather the highlights from each.It was a bad week ... more...

LA Preview: 2011 Mazda2
Mazda will introduce its award-winning Mazda2 subcompact to North America at the LA Auto Show. It is offered in sedan, three-door hatchback, and five- ... more...

LA Preview: 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
Los Angeles kicks off the North American new-car auto show circuit on December 2nd when the LA Convention Center opens its doors to the media, ahead o ... more...


Forum Highlights
Re: Aluminum wheels and a flat tire
I am sure you have your tire changed by now, but this is a common problem when using aluminum wheels.  Once you realize you have a problem, hitti ... more...

Re: Chevy 3.8L Engine cutout
 I would call it in intermediate job.  You will need some special tools to do it, but if you have some experience doing repairs, and not jus ... more...

Re: The correct Voltage/Amps for Horn??
I'm not sure I have ever seen an actual horn go bad.  When they do stop working, it is usually an electrical issue.  You want to make sure i ... more...


Car Buying Guide

QUICK SEARCH:


Specs, prices, photos & more
SEARCH BY BODY STYLE:
FREE New Car Price Quote
Get the best price - it's easy!
Zip Code

Used Car Buying Guide



2000-2009 autoMedia.com Inc. All Rights Reserved.