Steve_Jones
Well-Known Member
I have just completed the replacement of the windows on my Leisure 27. They are of the overlapped, frameless type, being bolted through onto the cabin side. Having struggled somewhat with this, and having sought advice from many sources, including the good peeps on this forum, I thought I should share some experience which may be of use.
The original windows were fixed in with SS machine screws/nuts with a generous seal of Sikaflex (exact type unknown, they were fitted 27 years ago!) applied in a 4 cm wide strip. The machine screws were easy enough to remove but were totally gummed-up with Sikaflex. After removing these the next task was to remove the windows from the Sikaflex...
To cut a long story short, almost every source of knowledge on the matter (including the manufacturer) states that Sikaflex can only be removed 'manually'. The method I finally found to be the most efficient was to cut through the Sikaflex with a long sharp blade (usual precautions apply!) at one end and to then very gently prise the window from the seal with a lever (a wallpaper scraper worked well), cutting through the Sikaflex with the long blade as you go. This method allowed me to remove all 4 windows intact, ready to use as templates for the cutting/drilling of the replacement. The fact that the windows were 27 years old and crazed to the point of being almost opaque required this operation to be carried out sloooowly.
Once the windows were removed, a thick mass of Sikaflex remained around each opening.
Having 'wasted' an entire weekend scraping away with various tools I spent a few hours Googling and came up with the answer. Innotec Supplies Ltd produce a Seal and Bond Remover (see here: http://www.innotecworld.com/products.php?pag_num=1&cat_id=4&prod_id=75 ) which they claimed would 'probably' work. In my experience it worked very well and is completely harmless to gel coat, all that is needed is a sharpened scraper and a little patience. I managed to clean all the remaining Sikaflex from the window openings within a few hours, it is still a VERY messy job though!
The ss machine screws and nuts were left in methylated spirit for almost a week, after which they cleaned up 'as new' (all 140 of them) with a little scrubbing with an old toothbrush, a few ££££s saved there!!
Finally, under advice from a number of sources, I decided to replace the windows using a neoprene seal rather than use Sikaflex (or an equivalent sealant) as subsequent problems with leaks etc. should be far easier to resolve. After temporarily fitting the windows with a few screws and drawing around them with a soft pencil, a 3mm by 25mm wide self-adhesive expanded neoprene strip ( http://www.sealsdirect.co.uk/bbCMS/shopping.asp?intDepartmentId=4 ) was applied approx. 1 mm inside the pencil line (to allow for the compressed neoprene to be squeezed out towards the window edge).
Finally, the ss machine screws and nuts were replaced, bedding each one in with marine-grade silicone sealant.
This is, by far, the most difficult job I have attempted on the boat so far and not one I would wish to repeat in a hurry, I hope some of the above will be of use to anyone else attempting such a job. The usual disclaimers apply, i.e. this worked for me and did not damage or destroy any part of my boat (or me!) but I don't guarantee the same will work on your boat. Best of luck!!
Steve
The original windows were fixed in with SS machine screws/nuts with a generous seal of Sikaflex (exact type unknown, they were fitted 27 years ago!) applied in a 4 cm wide strip. The machine screws were easy enough to remove but were totally gummed-up with Sikaflex. After removing these the next task was to remove the windows from the Sikaflex...
To cut a long story short, almost every source of knowledge on the matter (including the manufacturer) states that Sikaflex can only be removed 'manually'. The method I finally found to be the most efficient was to cut through the Sikaflex with a long sharp blade (usual precautions apply!) at one end and to then very gently prise the window from the seal with a lever (a wallpaper scraper worked well), cutting through the Sikaflex with the long blade as you go. This method allowed me to remove all 4 windows intact, ready to use as templates for the cutting/drilling of the replacement. The fact that the windows were 27 years old and crazed to the point of being almost opaque required this operation to be carried out sloooowly.
Once the windows were removed, a thick mass of Sikaflex remained around each opening.
Having 'wasted' an entire weekend scraping away with various tools I spent a few hours Googling and came up with the answer. Innotec Supplies Ltd produce a Seal and Bond Remover (see here: http://www.innotecworld.com/products.php?pag_num=1&cat_id=4&prod_id=75 ) which they claimed would 'probably' work. In my experience it worked very well and is completely harmless to gel coat, all that is needed is a sharpened scraper and a little patience. I managed to clean all the remaining Sikaflex from the window openings within a few hours, it is still a VERY messy job though!
The ss machine screws and nuts were left in methylated spirit for almost a week, after which they cleaned up 'as new' (all 140 of them) with a little scrubbing with an old toothbrush, a few ££££s saved there!!
Finally, under advice from a number of sources, I decided to replace the windows using a neoprene seal rather than use Sikaflex (or an equivalent sealant) as subsequent problems with leaks etc. should be far easier to resolve. After temporarily fitting the windows with a few screws and drawing around them with a soft pencil, a 3mm by 25mm wide self-adhesive expanded neoprene strip ( http://www.sealsdirect.co.uk/bbCMS/shopping.asp?intDepartmentId=4 ) was applied approx. 1 mm inside the pencil line (to allow for the compressed neoprene to be squeezed out towards the window edge).
Finally, the ss machine screws and nuts were replaced, bedding each one in with marine-grade silicone sealant.
This is, by far, the most difficult job I have attempted on the boat so far and not one I would wish to repeat in a hurry, I hope some of the above will be of use to anyone else attempting such a job. The usual disclaimers apply, i.e. this worked for me and did not damage or destroy any part of my boat (or me!) but I don't guarantee the same will work on your boat. Best of luck!!
Steve
