Diesel Fume Odor

[rScotty]

Hi rScoty.

My roof is also that poly plastic material... not fiberglass, so that does make things more difficult.

I'll have to start searching for something that will bond to the plastic. It also has to hold the fastener in place well enough to take a little torque from the bolt.

When I had the roof off I should have taken some pics, but didn't.

If I can find something that will bond and hold well with some strength, maybe I can just secure the Huck style fastener in place.mine.

I know 5030 said he used fiberglass patch, but his roof may be fiberglass and not plastic (poly) like mine.

Thanks.

The glue you want is probably going to be special. And it may well be expensive. There are some major good adhesives out there, but not much information. I can tell you in advance that it may require heat and will probably be a two-part glue. Some of the glues out there look like one part but are actually two-part because they draw moisture from the air to activate their second component.

Here is one article I've saved about gluing low surface energy plastics - you can tell that kind of plastic easily because of the way water - and many glues - beads up on it instead of spreading out.
Ben Krasnow: Adhesive for polypropylene and other low-energy surface plastics
Some of the comments are good too.
It's just a matter of picking a technique and mastering it.

A couple years back I set up an assembly line for a company that involved gluing tiny magnets into a molded plastic body. The product had to withstand vibration at high frequency and medium to high temperature for years. I ended up going with a two-part adhesive: Loctite 332 structural adhesive on one part and Loctite 7387 primer as the second component. That worked, but was specific for those particular materials.

In general, I find my best info on weird structural glues on marine sites and sometimes on the homebuilt airplane sites - start out by trying glues such as 3M 5200, 4200, & 8200. Jamestown Distributors has lots of 3M adhesives and some of the more common Loctites. You can also call the 3M or Loctite for technical advice, although before you do that be sure what kind of plastic you have. Otherwise they cannot help. I am only guessing at what kind of plastic your top is made from.

Recently I saw small tubes of 3M 5200 and 4200 at Home Depot. It sets very hard, and the cured material can be hard to remove.....but is not specific for low energy plastics like you need. Still, it's cheap and worth an experiment. It might even work.
good luck,
rScotty

 

[fruitcakesa]

Hi rScoty.

My roof is also that poly plastic material... not fiberglass, so that does make things more difficult.

I'll have to start searching for something that will bond to the plastic. It also has to hold the fastener in place well enough to take a little torque from the bolt.

When I had the roof off I should have taken some pics, but didn't.

If I can find something that will bond and hold well with some strength, maybe I can just secure the Huck style fastener in place.mine.

I know 5030 said he used fiberglass patch, but his roof may be fiberglass and not plastic (poly) like mine.

Thanks.

I smashed a large ragged hole in the M's cab roof and it is definitely some kind of plastic.
I repaired it with West System 2 part epoxy and fibreglas cloth. Pricey . An effective, though ugly fix [my body work experience is pretty much zero]
Been through 2 winters with zero problems.

 

[radios1]

Tractors used to have vertical exhaust pipes that shot the exhaust up in the air and it drifted away. My 2007 Kubota has the exhaust coming out sideways towards the front tire and fumes are pretty strong for the operator. You can't get on and off without walking through a cloud.
I wish someone made a vertical stack kit. It would be worth the price.
rScotty

see what a muffler shop can do for you. it should be easy to make the exhaust vertical!..

 

[Smokeydog]

Not a fan of huck nuts. A spring clip nut? McMaster has different options. A nut spot welded to a thin metal strip and the strip pop riveted or even glued or held with vhb tape?

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-1-4-in-Black-Phosphate-Standard-SAE-U-Spring-Nut/3013215

There are always options and might even make it better than OEM.

 

[JWR]

I smashed a large ragged hole in the M's cab roof and it is definitely some kind of plastic.
I repaired it with West System 2 part epoxy and fibreglas cloth. Pricey . An effective, though ugly fix [my body work experience is pretty much zero]
Been through 2 winters with zero problems.View attachment 661978View attachment 661977View attachment 661976

I hate to agree with you so readily ...but that is ugly. I'm suggesting to anyone with similar problems to go to an auto body shop where it should be an easy ( and nice looking) repair. These stories are a partial explanation why I felt I could not use a cab model tractor. Going under limbs, fighting debris often, etc. I'd tear the thing up in 2 days usage.

 

[TimP]

Not a fan of huck nuts. A spring clip nut? McMaster has different options. A nut spot welded to a thin metal strip and the strip pop riveted or even glued or held with vhb tape?

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-1-4-in-Black-Phosphate-Standard-SAE-U-Spring-Nut/3013215

There are always options and might even make it better than OEM.

Those are some great options to consider.

I think it's goign to be difficult to get the existing Huck Fastener to bond well enough to the plastic to keep it secure.