I bought this new repro part 7 or more years ago, it sat in its sealed plastic bag since then, and when I finally got it out to install it, it wants to stay curled up.
If I lay it out as straight as I can, the top (facing up when installed) want to be longer than the base (to be attached to the cowl) -- it looks kind of scalloped, with bulges (i.e. quite bad), and I do not want to just go ahead and install it like that, hoping that it will smooth out over time. (I guess that having the hood on would press it down and probably eventually would smooth it out, but it is going to be at least a year before that happens ...)
I tried taping it flat to my driveway for a day in 90 degree F. hot sun, but that did not seem to help at all.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Dave
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1956 Pontiac Pathfinder 2dr sedan, 496 - dyno'd 545 hp, stick shift, 4.11 posi - Hot Rod
Dave, would you have a chance by recoiling it the opposite way even if you have to sort of clip it together to hold it in the coil. Some time like that and in the heat may change its memory.
'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.
Well I had it laying out straight on the cowl for the past 4 days, and it flattened out a wee bit, but not anywhere near enough, so I am going to try the reverse-coiling method suggested by Jerel, and see how that goes after a week or so.
Thank you all for the ideas.
Dave
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1956 Pontiac Pathfinder 2dr sedan, 496 - dyno'd 545 hp, stick shift, 4.11 posi - Hot Rod
A week in my 80 deg. F. garage, reverse-coiled w/ blue painter's tape, did the trick. It now lays flat nicely and I can proceed with attaching it to the cowl.
(Interestingly, after over a week of waiting, Eckler's finally responded to my email request for 'how to fix this' by suggesting a heat gun "be careful not to have it too hot". So Darryl, your idea would probably have worked too - although this way, I did not have to borrow the wife's hair dryer . )
Dave
-- Edited by davelacourse on Friday 5th of June 2015 09:33:34 AM
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1956 Pontiac Pathfinder 2dr sedan, 496 - dyno'd 545 hp, stick shift, 4.11 posi - Hot Rod
It is good you have time working for you and it didn't have to be installed an hour ago.
Yeah, one of the benefits of being retired, eh?
Thanks again for the suggestion that worked!
(btw it is a good thing I saved some of the old rotten seal, to mark on the new seal where the holes needed to be, so I could use my awl to make the holes in the right place ahead of time, because there was no way in hell that it could be precisely done directly on the cowl as the instructions [http://www.classicchevy.com/assets/pdf/classicchevy/13-02.pdf] said - and it was essential to put the clips in place in the seal ahead of time [not how the instructions said], and I had to use a plastic-head hammer [not using your fingers to press them in place as is implied by the instructions] to whack them in place)
After installation, a little wipe with some silicone spray on a clean cloth, and ... ooh, so purdy!
Dave
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1956 Pontiac Pathfinder 2dr sedan, 496 - dyno'd 545 hp, stick shift, 4.11 posi - Hot Rod