Remove door for roller replacement

[PhilPB]

I can't seem to figure out how to remove the glass sliding door on our 1983 Mainship 34 without having to remove the entire unit, tracks and all. The bottom track lip is too high to lift the door up and out so I can replace the rollers and would also like to put a track cap cover for smooth operation. Any ideas? There must be a better way to remove the door beyond complete disassembly

 

[AquaDestiny]

There should be screws going down through lower track. You remove the visible ones, then slide the door to the other side and remove the other screws and the lower track should be able to be pulled toward you creating room to remove door.

 

[AquaDestiny]

By the way, I got tired of replacing rollers and fabricated slotted starboard blocks to replace them. Haven't had to replace since then.

 

[PhilPB]

By the way, I got tired of replacing rollers and fabricated slotted starboard blocks to replace them. Haven't had to replace since then.

Did you put the blocks on the door or track? The problem I'm having is how to remove the door.

 

[PhilPB]

There should be screws going down through lower track. You remove the visible ones, then slide the door to the other side and remove the other screws and the lower track should be able to be pulled toward you creating room to remove door.

This would require removing the fixed panels as well if I were to remove the bottom track. That's what I was hoping to not do if possible. It's amazing that the entire unit needs to be dismantled to remove the sliding door

 

[AquaDestiny]

Right, the lower track keeps the bottom of the door in place due to its interface with the rollers. I machined slotted blocks to fit inside the door in place of the rollers….and voila! Smooth maintenance free success.

 

[AquaDestiny]

You will pull the track forward with the bottom of the door thereby lowering the top edge free of the upper frame.

 

[AquaDestiny]

Maybe mine were different, but my lower track was an individual piece.

 

[AquaDestiny]

Ohhhh! There may be an adjustment screw in the edge of the door that will allow you to retract the rollers creating extra space to pry the lower edge of the slider up and over the track. It would be recessed within a hole most likely.

 

[PhilPB]

I can get the rollers retracted. However, the top and bottom outside of the tracks are too tall to allow the tilting and removal of the door. I suspect it was deliberately designed so the doors would never liberate themselves from the track.

If I have to remove the tracks that would mess up the <yr old awlgrip paint job

 

[PhilPB]

Maybe mine were different, but my lower track was an individual piece.

Lower track is individual piece but it houses 2 fixed panels, screen door and the glass sliding door.

 

[PhilPB]

I've been restoring the boat piece by piece. They didn't make them to be maintained easily. But then again, it is 40 years old!

 

[Comodave]

Maybe the bridge deck has dropping over the years. Can you gently jack it up enough to slip the door out?

I have used UHMW plastic for door slides on a previous boat. It is very slippery and somewhat tougher than Starboard.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. P. Can you cut the bottom rail at the edge of the fixed panel, remove and repair the door then replace the rail?

 

[PhilPB]

Maybe the bridge deck has dropping over the years. Can you gently jack it up enough to slip the door out?

I have used UHMW plastic for door slides on a previous boat. It is very slippery and somewhat tougher than Starboard.

Good point. I will check that today but the framing is rather square.

 

[PhilPB]

Greetings,
Mr. P. Can you cut the bottom rail at the edge of the fixed panel, remove and repair the door then replace the rail?

That could be an option, I didn't think of that.

You guys have great ideas.

I will take a couple pictures

 

[Gdavid]

The rollers on the bottom adjust like a typical sliding glass door roller, that said, the flybridge decks have probably sagged at least 1/4" on these boats, even with a sound bridge deck, a bottle jack and some 2"x4"'s to both spread the load across the salon floor, across the ceiling and from the bottle jack to the ceiling will make quick work of achieving the 1/4" clearance you need.

Once you get everything apart, you might have a little better adjustment out of the roller assembly, and not need the bottle jack to reassemble, but I doubt it. I have been through this on both a MK1 and a MKIII mainship 34.

 

[OldDan1943]

Try lifting the door.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. OD. Re-read post #1. That was a no go.

 

[SIBERNUT]

OK, not a Mainship. To get the rear door out of my Khoudung 1984 trawler, the creative little devils have small blocks on the top edge of the door. At only ONE SPOT can you lift the door up into notches corresponding to the spacing.

 

[Marco Flamingo]

After going to all the trouble of removing my door, I opted not to try to fix/replace the rollers. I went with some generic hard plastic, which isn't particularly slippery. Instead, I occasionally use a sail slug lubricant. It is actually an improvement as the door doesn't slide open/close in a moderate side sea.

 

[Comodave]

I used UHMW, Ultra High Molecular Weight, plastic which is pretty slippery and wears well.

 

[PhilPB]

As I was at the boat finishing up a couple projects, I moved onto the sliding door for some measurements. The top and bottom tracks in the middle are only off by <1/8 inch, still need 1/4"-3/8" minimum to liberate the door from the track.
I did see something interesting on the top of the door, but I neglected to take a picture. On the top of the door there is a Phillips screw on each end. The screws appear that they could possibly be attached to some sort of insert that could possibly retract into the top of the door. Of course after loosening up said screws, the part that looks like it could possibly move, didn't.

 

[SteveK]

This is odd. Either there is a top or bottom that is attached/removed to get the door in/out OR there is enough room to lift up into the upper track and without retracting the wheels by sliding open until it goes up enough.
But there could be a removable upper stopper (theft deterrent).
Pictures would be nice.

Edit: I see post 20 beat me to it.

 

[Jeff F]

I think Gdavid nailed it. The whole frame settles over time on those boats. The FB floor is large and massively built - heavy even before waterlogged

 

[ranger58sb]

I did see something interesting on the top of the door, but I neglected to take a picture. On the top of the door there is a Phillips screw on each end. The screws appear that they could possibly be attached to some sort of insert that could possibly retract into the top of the door. Of course after loosening up said screws, the part that looks like it could possibly move, didn't.

On our previous boat, there was a plastic insert over the doors and inside the track frame, affixed by several screws.

Had to remove screws on one side, move the door to the other side and remove those screws... then slide the whole plastic track out from over the top of the door and put it aside.

Can't remember if that was about the glass door or the screen door or both, though.

-Chris

 

[Gdavid]

As I was at the boat finishing up a couple projects, I moved onto the sliding door for some measurements. The top and bottom tracks in the middle are only off by <1/8 inch, still need 1/4"-3/8" minimum to liberate the door from the track.
I did see something interesting on the top of the door, but I neglected to take a picture. On the top of the door there is a Phillips screw on each end. The screws appear that they could possibly be attached to some sort of insert that could possibly retract into the top of the door. Of course after loosening up said screws, the part that looks like it could possibly move, didn't.

I'm pretty certain that those screws at the top hold the aluminum frame together. I had mine off of the boat last year to refresh the rollers so I am pretty sure of my recollection.

 

[IolantheSF]

Ditto on the starboard blocks

By the way, I got tired of replacing rollers and fabricated slotted starboard blocks to replace them. Haven't had to replace since then.

I did the same 10 years ago on a sliding door on our boat, and it's the best solution. The door slides freely, yet doesn't go back and forth under way. It just keeps getting smoother over the years. Make sure you give the blocks a wide deep vee where they go over the rail so they self-align. UHMWPE will be even longer lasting and smoother than HDPE (Starboard), but will be a lot more slippery.

 

[eswanson23]

I'm pretty certain that those screws at the top hold the aluminum frame together. I had mine off of the boat last year to refresh the rollers so I am pretty sure of my recollection.

I did same to a MS1 about 10 years or so back. Between the cockpit floor and fb deck replacements, things were not particularly plum or strait.Using a bottle jack with 2x4 post easily raised the jamb enough to lift the door out of the track and back in. Used a 2x6 top and bottom to spread weight evenly. Seem to recall moisture migrated down the port side wall required wood replacement to support the jamb on that side when I had it apart.

 

[kpinnn]

I have a Gulfstar that came without rollers. it simply slid in the track. The bottom of the track started to wear so I put a coat of epoxy in the track. Then I machined slots in the door and installed rollers. The problem is it slides too easily and unless latched rolls back and forth while under way. To correct this I put a velcro strip in the track. This works but needs replacing twice a year. I wonder is making slides out of starboard would be better?
Ken