Official 400EC thread

Mission accomplished!! She's all put back together, and hopefully the frame will last another 25 years.

 
Now on to fixing the worn-out, broken cabin door slider trucks that aren't made anymore.!
There is a new (improved?) truck and rail system but, really don't wish to dissemble my boat to install the new rails...and the new trucks won't fit the old rails!
I'm sure I'll come up with something......


The 2 complete trucks are from the top rail and are still good.
The broken wheel-less trucks are from the bottom rail and need to be duplicated...some how?


I just closed on a 1994 400 EC. The top rollers are both gone (so no getting a measurement on those) and the bottom ones are in bad shape from the manipultations needed to operate the door. So, could you please tell me what's involved that would require someone to disassemble the boat to install the new truck and rail system?

Also how do you remove the door. I want to investigate whether anything is salvageable.

Thanks in advance for the help.
 
Definitely not fiberglass, some sort of 1/8" thick plastic. After stapling we applied 2 part epoxy, and a few mending plates. Hope this holds.

Talon,
Thanks for posting this. I have a helm seat backrest that has developed what I now see from your pictures is cracked so it flexes terribly. Looks like I'll be doing the same thing you are this winter. Keep us posted on this repair. I was assuming it was an aluminum part that failed but I can see its not. Most likely this is a rotation molded polypropylene or polyethylene, I used to be a plastics engineer. Not much you can do with cracked propylene or ethylene so your approach is sound. I would suggest making additional thin braces for the side as well. Keep the screw holes far apart and away form the original crack. I hope your staples and epoxy work. It would suck to have to open it up after you reupholster. Take a look at this product for bonding.

Loctite® Plastics Bonding System is a two-part cyanoacrylate adhesive that sets in seconds and develops tremendous strength with just one drop. The activator primes hard-to-bond surfaces such as polypropylene and polyethylene. Loctite® Super Glue Plastics Bonding System dries clear and sets without clamping
 
Mission accomplished!! She's all put back together, and hopefully the frame will last another 25 years.

Did you use the same cover or is that new? How is the cover fastened to the plastic frame? Was the replacement foam something one could get at a Hobby Lobby or Joann Fabrics?

 
I just closed on a 1994 400 EC. The top rollers are both gone (so no getting a measurement on those) and the bottom ones are in bad shape from the manipultations needed to operate the door. So, could you please tell me what's involved that would require someone to disassemble the boat to install the new truck and rail system?

Also how do you remove the door. I want to investigate whether anything is salvageable.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Welcome to the 400EC Club!! They are great boats! I have had my 1994 400EC for 7 years and still love her.

I just went through the 'fix' of replacing the factory door slides with a roller setup someone else posted on the Facebook 400 Express group.

First, removing the door is fairly simple. There are two allen head screws on each corner of the door that go into the slide assemblies. Removing all 8 screws will allow you to lift the door up and off of the frame. Be careful, as the door is large and cumbersome, but it is not too heavy.

Unless, they are bent or otherwise damaged, the tracks should be ok. The roller assembly you see below work in the existing tracks. Remove the OEM slides (I had to pry the upper track slides up to get them out of the track (breaking one in the process)) by sliding them to the starboard side out of the end of the track.

The new roller assemblies, which consist of 5/8" shower door rollers, 10x24 by 1" machine screws with lock nuts attached to a generic prepackaged 5/8" metal brace that I drilled the middle hole (ignore the finish washer :) - was holding it there for something else), slide into the track. Note, I ended up not using the middle lock nut on the upper track and replaced it with a regular nut on the lower track for spacing issues. I am also awaiting delivery of 19 MM and 3/4" rollers to give them a try on the lower track as the 5/8" rollers are binding a little in the track.


Door Roller Assembly.JPG


Each roller assembly lines up with one of the two original holes on each corner of the door. I used the outer hole on each corner. To get a 3/8" deep socket over the nut, I had to grind the hole a bit larger using a grinding bit. NOTE, check the mounting surface of the door frame where the slide assemblies attached. The welds on one of the pieces of aluminum used to hold the door to the slide assembly broke and was loose in the track. It would slide to the side making an opening larger than the washer I was using. (sorry no pictures of this right now). I would suggest adding a fender washer on the inside of the door frame and as large of a washer as you can get into the outside of the door frame as well.

Even though it was binding a bit and I am tweaking the design, the door has never moved as smoothly!! I can open and close it with one finger and the lock mechanism still lined up!! WIN, WIN. Best of all, the Admiral is HAPPY! ;)
 

GregM,

Thanks for the bonding products info. We also attached 4" long mending plates to each corner, just didn't take any pictures.
 
Talon,
Did you use the same cover or is that new? How is the cover fastened to the plastic frame? Was the replacement foam something one could get at a Hobby Lobby or Joann Fabrics?

GregM,
Only the three lower cushion pieces were replaced, and the blue piping was replaced with gold piping.
I only helped with the seat frame repair, my local upholstery shop took care of the rest, not sure where he buys his products.
 
Talon,
Did you use the same cover or is that new? How is the cover fastened to the plastic frame? Was the replacement foam something one could get at a Hobby Lobby or Joann Fabrics?

GregM,
Only the three lower cushion pieces were replaced, and the blue piping was replaced with gold piping.
I only helped with the seat frame repair, my local upholstery shop took care of the rest, not sure where he buys his products.

OK Thanks. They did a great job. I hope mine is not too bad. I have been having this fear that one day when I crank up the throttles the glass of red wine and me are going to do summer salts all the way to the stern of the cockpit if the back of seat lets go......LOL
 
I too have the dreaded reclining helm seat.
Thanks to you guys, I know what to expect :)
Needs recovering over the winter anyway..
 
Repaired helm seat back in place, and ready for the weekend.



Ken
 
Talon,
Did you raise the seat up? It looks like it is sitting higher than mine does. Looks good by the way, and I like the armrest/cupholder too!
 
Talon,
Did you raise the seat up? It looks like it is sitting higher than mine does. Looks good by the way, and I like the armrest/cupholder too!

Thanks! I didn't raise the seat, put I did notice that the blocks under the seat on the helm side are twice as thick compared to the port side seat. Not sure if someone in the past modified the helm side seat block or not.

Ken
 
Thanks! I didn't raise the seat, put I did notice that the blocks under the seat on the helm side are twice as thick compared to the port side seat. Not sure if someone in the past modified the helm side seat block or not.

Ken
Raising my helm seat is on my 'To Do' list but have not gotten to it yet. Time to break out the left over pieces of Starboard!
 
My 92 express does NOT have the blocks, and when I sit its not the best view/vantage point for driving. The guys 94 next to me has them, and what a difference. Im planning on adding them to both sides this winter.
 
My 92 express does NOT have the blocks, and when I sit its not the best view/vantage point for driving. The guys 94 next to me has them, and what a difference. Im planning on adding them to both sides this winter.

Tomorrow I'll measure both sets of seat blocks, to give you a starting point.
 
One of my winter projects is to pull the original QS 7.5 generator out and replace it. Any suggestions on the best way to remove it?
 

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