question on hardtop

[Cornfield creations]

I am getting ready to put my hardtop back on my 79 after being painted. I have no real intentions of taking it off during the summer so I want it sealed up good but it still needs to be able to be taken off in case of wreck or whatever.

What do most people use in the corners ,where the cab meets the bedsides, when the hardtop is tightened up? I need a sealant because it was leaking at those points before, and I do have new seals.

Also what is the tightening procedure for a 79?

 

[goldwing2000]

Was it leaking there before with the new seals or the old seals? If there's new seals, it shouldn't leak. If it's leaking with the new seals, I would use something like painter's caulk that doesn't have a high adhesion. If you use silicone, it'll be glued on pretty tight.

For tighening sequence, I do the bed rail bolts first, starting from the cab and working back. Then the cab bolts, starting at the bottom and working towards the top.
As long as you still have the locating pins in the back, you shouldn't run into any alignment issues.

 

[Metrodps]

Use foam weather strip like you would for winterizing your home tape it to the bed rail. I have the owners manual for an 1987 that I can either scan the section on bolting down and post or email it to you.

 

[dyeager535]

Did you replace the little pieces of ???????????? (butyl rubber?) that GM installed along the bed rails to channel everything that gets in between the front cab seals out the sides?

I made sure to do that, when I finally realized what they were there for.