Cobra trailer seal replacement--any previous experience?

Am replacing the seal on the lower half of the trailer. The question is
about replacing the front seal. It appears that the clamshell top must
either be removed or lifted from the front (which involves removing the
bolts that hold the hinge/handles).

Anyone have experience with removing the top half of the trailer or
replacing this seal?

Thanks in advance!

JD
John

On Sunday, October 4, 2015 at 9:15:06 PM UTC-4, John Duke wrote:
Am replacing the seal on the lower half of the trailer. The question is
about replacing the front seal. It appears that the clamshell top must
either be removed or lifted from the front (which involves removing the
bolts that hold the hinge/handles).

Anyone have experience with removing the top half of the trailer or
replacing this seal?

Thanks in advance!

JD
John

Read the guidance on the Cobra web site as to how to go about replacing the trim strip.
UH

No experience with having done this, John, but words of caution and advice.

1. Do not have the glider in or near the trailer when you do this. If you remove the front hinge, the struts are going to push the top forward. This will do bad things to your vertical tail and other parts of the glider.

2. Strongly suggest borrowing an engine hoist or similar, open the top, use the engine hoist to take the weight off of the strut to trailer attach bolts, disconnect the gas struts, use the hoist to gently lower the top, remove the front hinge bolts, use the engine hoist to pick up the front of the top so you can get in to replace the seal.

Alternative (maybe too "red neck" for your taste) would be to install a fabric seal inside the trailer between the top and bottom parts across the hinge. It doesn't move much from open to closed, and you can pretty well shut down air and dust passage through with a fabric seal.

Steve Leonard

I used an overhead crane on each end of the top to replace the front seal. That made it pretty easy to control the top. The dang thing still leaked when I towed in the rain.

Then, I opened it up and used a closed cell foam weather strip with an adhesive backing on it. I put the adhesive against the top channel after DE-greasing with a solvent, and using a little sandpaper on it. I may have loosened the hinge bolts to do this, but I didn't go back to the overhead cranes. Have an assistant shut you in the trailer, and then shine a flashlight into the gap. You can usually see where the problem is. Based on my results you may want to try this first.

Get the glider parts out of the trailer first,and be very careful to not let the top get away from you.

Good advice and sound experience from all. Thanks for your help!

John