Re: Disassembly of convertible top
Posted by HH56 On 2020/4/27 16:48:33
As I recall there was a poster on the PAC forum a year or so back who was in a similar situation. I believe at the time none of our Packard vendors were offering any rebuild kits but not sure about any other brand vendors or if other brands used the same size cylinders. Unless the situation has improved since the other fellow worked on his top the large diameter leather cup seal needed may not be commercially available.
New leather cup seals are available for water pumps up to 4" or so but I don't believe he ever found any pump cups large enough for the piston in the vacuum top cylinder. A modern neoprene seal to replace the small one around the rod could probably be found at McMaster-Carr or MSC but you may need to make your own cup seal. Here is a video of a fellow making a water pump cup and I believe the same procedure could be used for the vacuum cylinder cup.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xFhThdnYqE If that is not feasible because of the size then if the inside of the cylinder is smooth and in good condition possibly make a new end to attach to the piston rod that would be grooved to accept two or three modern O rings or a wrapping of square leather lacing in place of the leather cups. Before I found the video on making cups, I did the leather wrap replacement for a vacuum antenna that has an odd diameter bore and nothing commercial was available to fit.
Sheet leather in an appropriate thickness should be easily found and if a lathe to cut the mold ring is not available possibly electrical conduit or PVC pipe or a PVC fitting could be used for the ring. Even a hole saw could be used to cut a hole in wood or plastic as long as the inner diameter was finished smooth enough to allow the leather to compress and slide down without tearing.
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New leather cup seals are available for water pumps up to 4" or so but I don't believe he ever found any pump cups large enough for the piston in the vacuum top cylinder. A modern neoprene seal to replace the small one around the rod could probably be found at McMaster-Carr or MSC but you may need to make your own cup seal. Here is a video of a fellow making a water pump cup and I believe the same procedure could be used for the vacuum cylinder cup.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xFhThdnYqE If that is not feasible because of the size then if the inside of the cylinder is smooth and in good condition possibly make a new end to attach to the piston rod that would be grooved to accept two or three modern O rings or a wrapping of square leather lacing in place of the leather cups. Before I found the video on making cups, I did the leather wrap replacement for a vacuum antenna that has an odd diameter bore and nothing commercial was available to fit.
Sheet leather in an appropriate thickness should be easily found and if a lathe to cut the mold ring is not available possibly electrical conduit or PVC pipe or a PVC fitting could be used for the ring. Even a hole saw could be used to cut a hole in wood or plastic as long as the inner diameter was finished smooth enough to allow the leather to compress and slide down without tearing.
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