marlinspike

So, I'm going to try dremeling to get my sunroof working, but in the event that having a gap between the tube attached to the sunroof and the tube attached to the body presents a problem (it may, because they're supposed to overlap, I don't know how things will run when the pieces have to clear each other without overlap to help them out), I'll need a machine shop.

What I need is someone who can take the front tube (I can give it to them taken out of the car), cut it, and weld an extension into it (cannot simply be extended at the ends because it's flanged at both ends). There is a good amount of wiggle room on the outer diameter but the inner diameter has to be more or less exact. Who can do this in the 757, preferably Williamsburg area?

You may ask, why not just replaced the bent tube (the one attached to the body). Well, the answer is that not only does that require removing all interior trim above rear-hat-shelf-level, but it also requires removing the rear glass.

EDIT: actually, there isn't too much leeway in outer diameter either now that I think about it; however, I can supply correct size tubing (I only need like 2 inches of extension, and while the old tube has a bend in it, there is definitley enough of it that is good to source from).

weldmatic

i can do it

nftuatn

i second that ...dallas(weldmatic)can get it done for you...even can come to my shop and do it....being as he used to work for me...lol

marlinspike

Where are you located? How much would you want for it? I hope to find out if I need it done for sure tomorrow (I'd find out right now, but I don't think my neighbors would appreciate me dremeling through a steel tube at night).

To give you an idea, the tube in question is the one with the bend in it in this photo
http://davidson.smugmug.com/photos/4...2_Ja9xa-XL.jpg

The new one of course has no bend, but that tube pictured is what we'd be using for scrap to extend the new tube.

How much of a shop do you have? Could you make a fire-extinguisher bracket that uses the existing screw holes in the front of the tracks for my driver's seat to bolt in place (the screws hold the track to the frame, but I'm tall enough that my seat is far back enough that the screws can be raised without interfering with the seat)?

nftuatn

well i do body/paint and mechanical work...pretty much anything...and weldmatic can preety much fabricate anything....

he even built me an aluminum cowboy hat once on a dare...it was a flat piece of plate and next few days it was a cowboy hat..

marlinspike

LOL.

I was actually asking weldmatic where he's located though, I should have quoted him to make it clear - if I do need the tube extended I'll need that done before I get a chance to come down to your shop for the things I'll need you to do for me.

weldmatic

im in newport news j clyde area. nftuatn's shop is in hampton. either way were both good at what we do. if a little machining is needed we got a whole machine shop where i work. 5 axis mill the works. i doubt you need anything of that sort. if you need some steel tigged up thats cool too. but i also got a portable mig and all the fab tools if you wanna do it at my crib or yours. whatever. please post a pic that works so i can see what you need.

weldmatic

lol that cowboy hat was badass i must say myself.... even more badass when someones wearing it.

marlinspike

Pic didn't work for you?
I'll try again


So that tube with the bend in it is supposed to be straight (let's call this tube A). I have a new, straight, tube A. It slides back and forth with the sunroof over a tube that you cannot see in the picture (the unseen tube runs from the motor in the trunk to an inch behind the roof, let's call it tube B). Normally, tube A overlaps tube B any time the sunroof is installed in the car; however, because there is a bend in tube B that shouldn't be there, I have to cut tube B shorter. This means tube A will no longer overlap tube B (by like 1-2"). If the lack of overlap means they don't line up, I'll need to extend tube A so that it overlaps the now shorter tube B. There enough leeway in the front-back length, but no leeway in inner diameter. There is some leeway in outer diameter.

Alternative, if you have the skillz, you could extend tube B to be back to it's original length, but tube B would be installed in my car at the time (I am not stripping the headliner and removing the rear windscreen...)

weldmatic

ok i see the bent tube... and as far as i can understand you need the bent tube replaced..... tube "B" should slide into your new tube "A". but you cut tube "B" before and now the new tube "A" is too short to overlap. Correct?

possibly can we completely forget about an extension piece..... trying to butt weld tubes that thin, without distorting inside diameter, together will be impossible. what i think may work is an alternative.


find a small section of steel tube thats inside diameter is equal to the outside diameter of the new tube A. say a 3 inch section. lets call this piece a splice sleeve.

cut tube A and deburr ends. mark 1.25" on each end of the cut. slide the sleeve over both ends of the cut to the 1.25" mark and tack weld the sleeve onto tube A now tube a is 1/2" longer withour distorting the inside diameter.

Im guessing tube A has something in it that is close tolerance.

do you follow me?