Skylight

From VanagonWiki

this is copy of original found here on Alistair Bell's website

Terry Kay's skylight mechanism repair

A vanagon listmember wrote:

Ok, all of you late model Westfalia Owners --this is in regards to the lift set up, and the broken rollers, or wheels, on the ends of the arms for the skylight. Has any one come up with a repair-- or better set-up, short of replacing the whole unit? Just curious--I have it out right this second, and am trying to determine what to do----the wheels are plum worn down to the nubs.

Terry responded:

I have read all the repair possibilities, and then I went to Home Depot. I wandered over to the shower door hardware display, and all that was there was flat non grooved wheels -- no good. I looked to my left and see another display with bi-fold door hardware--ah-ha!! I bought a package of bi-fold door top pivots, which are nylon tubes with a raised collar about in the middle of it. Picked up some 10-32 screws, star lock washers, and some #10 flat washers, and some nuts. I cut the pivot right behind the collar, with a razor saw, and cut the remaining tube to about 1/4. I drilled out the old wheel set-up, from the arms, and simply attatched the nylon tube to the arms. The tube portion rides inside the track, alost like it was made for it -- no slop, and the collar portion is on the outside of the track. Kinda like a T: The stem of the T goes to the arms, the top part or the flat is outside of the track. Kinda like the teflon tube with a washer on the outside--but this is all one piece.

Bullet proof, works good, should last for a long time.

Thanks to all of you for the input, and ideas.

Jerry Masar's Fix:

(from Jerry Masar who repared his skylight mechanism June 2004)

After leaving the skylight up on my '90 Westy and trying to drive into the garage one too many times, the rollers on the ends of the lifter arms needed to be fixed. Here is what I did, based largely on Terry K.'s fix for the problem. Parts list:

2 nylon bi-fold door top guide/pivots.
2 10/32 x 1/2 or 3/4" machine screws (with the flattest heads you can find) and two nylock nuts.
2 nylon washers. These are optional. I couldn't find any the size I needed, so I had to make the hole larger and the outer diameter smaller. I put these between the lifter arm and the slotted track.

Procedure:

Remove the screw holding the knob on and remove knob.
Pull off the plastic covers and remove the 4 8mm nuts and washers plus the smaller screw and nut above the knob.
Remove the plastic cover over the lifter mechanism. Don't lose the spacer washers under the outer ends.
Remove the lifter.
Drill out the old rivets and rollers.
Enlarge the holes in the ends of the arms slightly to take 10/32 screws (or use smaller screws).
Cut the two pivots as shown in the photo, to 1/4" long. Actually, a little less is better. This and the flat screw screw heads ensure they will not hit the nuts holding the slotted track to the skylight. If they do, you can mark the point on the nut, remove it and file it down a little.

The optional method uses two flanged nylon bushings, one inside the other, and cut down to 1/4" or less. The flanges will not fit through the enlarged part of the track, so thing must be assembled in place.
Replace the lifter mechanism and knob and raise the arms to about the mid point.
Insert the screw through the hole in the arm, then the slotted track, put the new roller on, small end first and then the nylock nut.
You will have to use an off-set screwdriver to hold the screw while you tighten the nut.