Sliding cabin door repair in progress - 1997 240 Sundancer - Step by step

[FiremistSLK_old]

OK.... Here we go! I purchased a "Handyman Special" 1997 240 DA w/ 5.7 260 HP, Alpha 1. Got it for a very good $$$$ (well below 5 figures w/ trailer) knowing that it needed a few things. Some important (bottom paint needs to be done), some not so much important (boat is FILTHY with smelly yuck in the porti-potti), some a bit costly (no refridgerator??) but nothing serious. I had the engine checked (very good compression) the water pump impeller changed (for peace of mind) and the Alpha 1 Gen II out drive serviced (oil changed). So today I started to repair the cabin door. I plan to replace the plactic slides and aluminum tracks with the replacement kit that uses SS tracks and rolling trucks with wheels. Using the info and drawing from SR that was posted here on CSR I started to remove the helm to get access to the tracks. I began by removing the instrument panel as instructed to get access to two brackets that hold the top of the helm to the boat. The SR drawing shows two brackets holding the top of the helm in place, I found only one! Next, I needed to remove the three large screws securing the bottom of the helm to the boat. The instructions with the drawing from SR says these are under a panel in the mid-cabin. Well, one is completely exposed, one is under the panel that holds the light fixture and the third one appears to be under a large 5 foot by one foot "L" shaped panel that runs down the starboard side in the mid cabin. I removed two screws from this large panel that I could see, but the panel will not budge! I can't see or feel any more screws! If I can't figure out how to remove this large panel, plan "B" is to cut a 6" round hole to access the screw and cover the hole with a nice white plastic access panel. Also, the PO cut three large square holes in the helm under the steering wheel!?!? He mounted a GPS and a Fish Finder there??? Idiot! They were covered with a large sloppy looking piece of plastic and then calked by what looked like a two year old project in arts and crafts day.... Anyway, once the screws are removed from the helm, I will have to use the old fishing line trick to cut the caulk bead all the way around. Looking at the back of the helm from the access panel in the head, there are only a few things attached to it. Mostly electrical wire ties and of course the fuse panel. One question I have is about the steering rack and pinion. There is a gear box that looks like it holds the rack against the pinion gear. It looks like if I remove the 4 bolts holding it together, I can remove the helm and the pinion gear, leaving the rack behind in the boat. Can I split the rack and pinion without doing harm to the stearing gear? Pictures to follow as the work progresses.

 

[Degree of Freedom]

I started the door repair on my 1996 240 a couple months ago...took the helm out and then the project stalled due to busy schedule. On mine, 3 of the screws in the aftcabin were exposed while 1 was behind the cover for the light. The two brackets at the top behind the guages had both fallen off (screws backed out).
It's not a problem removing the 4 bolts on the steering.

In sourcing out the replacement hardware I've looked at the Teak Isle...
http://www.boatoutfitters.com/sliding-cabin-door-hardware.html
and Tecla...
http://www.teclausa.com/marine/doors.html

Does anyone have experience with either of these (or can you suggest anything else)? The Teak Isle will be about $300 while Tecla is $125.

Thanks!

Dan

 

[FiremistSLK_old]

Dan.... THANKS for the answer about the steering. It came apart easily. Thanks for the links, too. The drawings and descriptions of how the tracks and rollers work were informative, even though they are not for my boat. If your door is the same as mine (I have a 1997 240 DA) then our doors are made of wood with a fiberglass shell. The newer doors as shown in the illustratons are solid plastic. The tracks in my boat did NOT have rollers. They have an aluminum track and a plastic slide! No rollers..... The rollers and slides are a bit less $$ here http://www.searay-parts.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=Door+trackset+single .. I have a plan to use the newer aluminum tracks and rollers without the "train" piece since this piece will not fit over the bottom of the door. I will attach the bottom trucks to a piece of .060 aluminum bent to 90 degrees that will afix to the door bottom and take the place of the train. Another piece of .060 aluminum will be left flat for attaching the the trucks the top of the door. The trucks will be attached to these pieces of aluminum so I will still be able to remove the trucks if they break without having to remove the helm again. E-mail me for pictures if you have questions...... John

 

[billdorn]

definitely post some pictures please!!! i'm another stuck door guy who tried other fixes with just minimal success. very curious how this works out.

 

[Degree of Freedom]

Dan.... THANKS for the answer about the steering. It came apart easily. Thanks for the links, too. The drawings and descriptions of how the tracks and rollers work were informative, even though they are not for my boat. If your door is the same as mine (I have a 1997 240 DA) then our doors are made of wood with a fiberglass shell. The newer doors as shown in the illustratons are solid plastic. The tracks in my boat did NOT have rollers. They have an aluminum track and a plastic slide! No rollers..... The rollers and slides are a bit less $$ here http://www.searay-parts.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=Door+trackset+single .. I have a plan to use the newer aluminum tracks and rollers without the "train" piece since this piece will not fit over the bottom of the door. I will attach the bottom trucks to a piece of .060 aluminum bent to 90 degrees that will afix to the door bottom and take the place of the train. Another piece of .060 aluminum will be left flat for attaching the the trucks the top of the door. The trucks will be attached to these pieces of aluminum so I will still be able to remove the trucks if they break without having to remove the helm again. E-mail me for pictures if you have questions...... John

Thanks John...the parts from the boatoutfitters are the same as in your link. The price was slightly better from the site you suggested, but the shipping they use would've been $82 to my door, so I went with boatoutfitters. Hopefully get around to putting it all back together over the Easter weekend.

 

[FiremistSLK_old]

OK... After speaking with my brother (he has a 2001 290) I learned that the sliding door on his boat is solid acrylic. There are provisions on his door to allow for the replacement of the rollers because they will break over time. So, I engineered a few "brackets" to mount the roller trucks to the door on my 240 Sundancer. The top and bottom brackets are different, but they will allow the roller trucks to be removed from the door for replacement without removing the helm again! My isue is that I am a better engineer then a Machinist.... I had trouble making the brackets myself, so rather then putting the door back together half a$$... I will send the roller trucks to a machine shop with drawings of the brackets I need, so I will wait for the machine shop to make my brackets from Stainless Steel and when I get them back, I'll assemble the roller trucks and brackets to the door and mount it in the boat later this week. In conclusion... the concept was a 10, execution was a 2.... to be continued....... John

 

[Degree of Freedom]

how's your fix coming? Mine's going slowly...kids and work don't leave much time. I'm almost ready to start putting everything back together. My trucks and tracks arrived a few weeks ago. Last night I fabbed a train out of 1-1/2" Starboard...it's the same shape as what they sell with the truck and track system, but with a wider slot to fit the thicker door used on the older boats. I also found that the door had changed shape (straightened) over the years, leading to this whole mess. In order to get it to fit properly, a little fine adjusting (ie. jig saw) is required. I started with trimming 1" off the bottom (no worry about doing a pretty job as the train covers the cut). I did a dry fit last night and it looks like I'll need to knock off another 1/4". The door slides so easy I can close it with one finger. I've taken a few pictures of the process and will upload them once I'm complete. All in all a pretty sh%^y undertaking, but I'll be left with a smooth operating door and more importantly a system that can be repaired in the future without removing the door.

 

[billdorn]

i might need to take a vancouver island weekend trip to see this, haha

how's your fix coming? Mine's going slowly...kids and work don't leave much time. I'm almost ready to start putting everything back together. My trucks and tracks arrived a few weeks ago. Last night I fabbed a train out of 1-1/2" Starboard...it's the same shape as what they sell with the truck and track system, but with a wider slot to fit the thicker door used on the older boats. I also found that the door had changed shape (straightened) over the years, leading to this whole mess. In order to get it to fit properly, a little fine adjusting (ie. jig saw) is required. I started with trimming 1" off the bottom (no worry about doing a pretty job as the train covers the cut). I did a dry fit last night and it looks like I'll need to knock off another 1/4". The door slides so easy I can close it with one finger. I've taken a few pictures of the process and will upload them once I'm complete. All in all a pretty sh%^y undertaking, but I'll be left with a smooth operating door and more importantly a system that can be repaired in the future without removing the door.

 

[Degree of Freedom]

i might need to take a vancouver island weekend trip to see this, haha

You're welcome to stop by...you'll likely find me sitting in the boat in my driveway drinking beer and scratching my head...

 

[FiremistSLK_old]

Hey, D of F.... Sorry I took so long to get back.... The door roller install went great for me! I too can now open and close the door with one finger,,, When I bought the boat, the door was stuck about 2/3 open. My door had changed shape, too! I had to remove about 1 1/4" from the door bottom the allow for the added height of the rollers. I removed the excess door bottom with a hand held electric plane. The kind a carpenter might use to trim a door edge. I set the depth of the cut to 1/32" and took several passes to trim the door bottom. This modification re-aligned the door, but it is CRITICAL that the door height remain unchanged when you are done. Did you remove the helm to get the door out? If you did, the cutout in the helm that is there to clear the step on the door will hit the lower panel on the door and this cut out in the helm will need to be slightly enlarged. I did not make a train for the roller mounts, I mounted the rollers on brackets that can be removed from the door to change the rollers without removing the door. Pictures to follow. Hey, one more favor, can you please read my post here http://clubsearay.com/showthread.php/51526-Need-electrical-help-please-switch-wires about the issue I'm having with the wiring of my Nav/Anc light switch and send me what you see when you operate this switch? Thanks!!!

 

[fatcatone549]

Sliding cabin door - 1999 215 express

Hi, My question is are there rollers on the sliding door bottom .I need a bit of effort to open door. thanks Dave

 

[FiremistSLK_old]

Hi Dave.... My comments that follow are for the Sundancer model. I am not familar with a 215 Express, but i am pretty sure there are NOT rollers on the bottom of the door from the factory. On the Sundancers, the factory installed a nylon slide and aluminum track system for the cabin door (top and bottom). After time, the nylon slides pop their screws from the door and the door becomes very difficult to slide open or closed, or the door jams completely. The only solution for this is to remove the nylon slides and aluminum tracks and replace them with a roller system and new tracks. Not an easy job, but it can be done. There are two different roller/track systems available, but they are for the newer model years of the 240 and therefore the door and the track/roller system must be modified to fit the older (1995 - 1999) boats. With the 240 Sundancers, the helm must be removed so you can remove the cabin door from the boat to replace the tracks and install the new rollers onto the door. I'm not sure how to go about this process with a 215 Express. Send a text to Sea Ray asking them where the screws are that attach the helm to the boat. There are also links to where you can find the new tracks and rollers. They will set you back about $275. If you bring your boat to Marine Max, they will make the repair for you for the sum of about $4,000........ :wow: Wha???? Hope this helps.