Redrilling Drip Rail Mounting Screws

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900Bundles

New member
Jul 13, 2019
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All,

Just purchased my 1975 Eleganza II in late May. I'm working to stop water intrusion issues before taking it out for weekend journeys. I've removed
the Driver's side drip rail, and in the process twisted the heads off of four screws. At some point in history a PO removed/resealed the drip rails,
which is evidenced by the fact that the screws I removed were non-stainless steel countersunk head style screws(#10-20).

To clean out old sealant in the screw holes, I ran a #10-20 tap down a couple of them. I noticed that when I thread in a new screw there is a lot of
slop in the hole. I've read about sliding the drip rail down a 1/4" and redrilling new holes...mainly because of the difficulty in drilling out the
factory installed screws. Is there a reason why I shouldn't redrill the existing holes, and tap them up in size to say a #12-24 or a 6mm (which is
slightly smaller than a 1/4" machine screw)? The four broken screws would not be that difficult to drill through.

How sealant looked after drip rail removal:
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/7231/IMG_2416rz.jpg

Screw used by PO:
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/7231/medium/IMG_2473rz.jpg

Drip Rail cleaned:
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/7231/IMG_2460rz.jpg

Thanks,

Shane
 
Shane,

I guess I was lucky when I R&R'd the rails on my '76 Birchaven -- I did it
in hot weather and every screw came out intact -- and in good enough
condition to reuse. Fact is, I probably should not have removed them; the
sealant looked great. But you're not that lucky! :-(

In your situation, I'd do as you suggest -- drill & tap to #12-24 -- and
NOT move the rail up nor down.

Have fun!

Ken H.

On Sat, Jul 13, 2019 at 11:37 AM gshaneb--- via Gmclist <

> All,
>
> Just purchased my 1975 Eleganza II in late May. I'm working to stop water
> intrusion issues before taking it out for weekend journeys. I've removed
> the Driver's side drip rail, and in the process twisted the heads off of
> four screws. At some point in history a PO removed/resealed the drip rails,
> which is evidenced by the fact that the screws I removed were
> non-stainless steel countersunk head style screws(#10-20).
>
> To clean out old sealant in the screw holes, I ran a #10-20 tap down a
> couple of them. I noticed that when I thread in a new screw there is a lot
> of
> slop in the hole. I've read about sliding the drip rail down a 1/4" and
> redrilling new holes...mainly because of the difficulty in drilling out the
> factory installed screws. Is there a reason why I shouldn't redrill the
> existing holes, and tap them up in size to say a #12-24 or a 6mm (which is
> slightly smaller than a 1/4" machine screw)? The four broken screws would
> not be that difficult to drill through.
>
>
> How sealant looked after drip rail removal:
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/7231/IMG_2416rz.jpg
>
>
>
> Screw used by PO:
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/7231/medium/IMG_2473rz.jpg
>
>
>
> Drip Rail cleaned:
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/7231/IMG_2460rz.jpg
>
> Thanks,
>
> Shane
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
 
Shane,

Welcome to the group, family, cult, asylum......

I'm not going to try to help with this problem, but I am going to help you with any others that might come along.

This is a community of owners that really like to assist other owners to get to enjoy the coach as much as we all do ours. To this end, please fill
in a sigfile. To do this go up to . It you only get a + at click that you will see the box to fill in
with your real name (you can change your alias if you care to) because we like to know who we are helping and it makes meeting each other less
confusing. Add a short bit about the coach (OK, we saw 75 EleII) and include any major mods, these may matter. A geographic reference is nice to
because you may have someone to assist very nearby. Be sure to go down more and click .

You found your way here and that is great, but hang on....
You just collected a whole bunch of new old friends and some have truly vast experience with these old girls. The help that this community provides
very much reminds me of the watermen of my world, that is why I offer a similar greeting to any new owners that arrive here. So,

May the Good Lord bless this coach and all those that set forth within her.

Welcome Shane

Matt
--
Matt & Mary Colie - '73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan
OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Twixt A2 and Detroit
 
Matt,

Thanks for the kind welcome. We are excited to be the new owners of this old girl, and can't wait to get her out on some weekend trips. Then build up
to further distances and longer duration getaways.

This should be a good adventure, and we've already been impressed by the GMC community and their willingness to help others.

Thanks,
Shane
--
1975 Eleganza II
Reaction Arms (Chuck Aulgur's) w/Rear Drums
Straight Trac on front bogie wheels only
3.21 Final Drive
 
But where do you live?

https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail
Virus-free.
www.avast.com
https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail


On Sat, Jul 13, 2019 at 4:04 PM Shane Brown via Gmclist <

> Matt,
>
> Thanks for the kind welcome. We are excited to be the new owners of this
> old girl, and can't wait to get her out on some weekend trips. Then build up
> to further distances and longer duration getaways.
>
> This should be a good adventure, and we've already been impressed by the
> GMC community and their willingness to help others.
>
> Thanks,
> Shane
> --
> 1975 Eleganza II
> Reaction Arms (Chuck Aulgur's) w/Rear Drums
> Straight Trac on front bogie wheels only
> 3.21 Final Drive
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>

--
Michael Beaton
1977 Kingsley 26-11
1977 Eleganza II 26-3
Antigonish, NS

Life is too short to hold a grudge; slash some tires and call it even !
 
> Matt,
>
> Thanks for the kind welcome. We are excited to be the new owners of this old girl, and can't wait to get her out on some weekend trips. Then build
> up to further distances and longer duration getaways.
>
> This should be a good adventure, and we've already been impressed by the GMC community and their willingness to help others.
>
> Thanks,
> Shane
> 1975 Eleganza II Reaction Arms (Chuck Aulgur's) w/Rear Drums Straight Trac on front bogie wheels only 3.21 Final Drive

Shane,

That is a real good start, but the E-mail folks can't see the header where the FL Panhandle is... A longitude reference would be nice.
If you go the the Black's list map, you will find the area well populated with owners willing to be of assistance.

Oh, and you are doing that just right. Get the rough spots hammered flat and then HANG ON>>>>>>
You also need to hook up with GMCMI, (FMCA) Sunshine Statesmen and maybe Dixielanders.
Too bad you missed Tallahassee.
The assistance that this community can provide is awesome. When you are learning about your coach, there are flocks of great people that can guide
you.
Your coach is much more than a big new toy, it connects you with this community.

Matt
--
Matt & Mary Colie - '73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan
OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Twixt A2 and Detroit
 
Shane,
Ken's advice is correct. When I removed the rails on my coach, I first tapped on each screw head

with a screw driver and a hammer to release any rust or binding the screw in place. When screwing
everything back down in place put a dab of RTV on the screw threads before screwing them down. That
will stop a major leak in itself.

jim Galbavy
'73 x-CL ANNIE

Lake Mary, FL
 
For a repair of this sort, be sure to use NEW fasteners! It is very possible that the head will break off when reinstalling. And as thrifty as we all are, do yourself a favor and throw the old fasteners away! One more thing, use a Brand New bit when installing the new fasteners.

>
>
> Shane,
> Ken's advice is correct. When I removed the rails on my coach, I first tapped on each screw head
>
> with a screw driver and a hammer to release any rust or binding the screw in place. When screwing
> everything back down in place put a dab of RTV on the screw threads before screwing them down. That
> will stop a major leak in itself.
>
> jim Galbavy
> '73 x-CL ANNIE
>
> Lake Mary, FL
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
 
In removing each screw I used my flat punch and hammer to deliver a series of good vibrating whacks. I then used a manual hand held impact driver to
slowly loosen/tighten/loosen each screw until it broke free. As you can imagine, that was a very time consuming event for most of the screws. Out of
the 27 screws, I guess those 4 just didn't agree with my methods. :)

Going forward I have doubts about reusing the existing #10-20 threaded holes in the extrusion, based off of how much slop is there when you thread in
a fresh screw. I would like to tap all 27 holes with a #12-24...but I'm not sure if there is that much material available. I might have to increase
to a 6mm, which is just a hair smaller than 1/4". But I've watched videos by Jim B, and he always advises to reposition the drip rail and drill 25
new holes (end caps don't move), instead of just re-tapping the existing holes. I don't see why I couldn't just re-tap, but I'm concerned that Jim's
advise is due to information that I may be lacking.

I just want to make sure I do this correctly, and don't make a grave mistake on my GMC.

Shane B.

--
1975 Eleganza II
Reaction Arms (Chuck Aulgur's) w/Rear Drums
Straight Trac on front bogie wheels only
3.21 Final Drive
 
Shane,

I don't KNOW Jim's reason for lowering the rails, but I suspect it's
because he doesn't want to spend the "wasted" time removing/drilling out
the old screws. And he's almost always going to be repainting so the
disturbed paint doesn't matter. I'd drill for 12-24 and not worry about
the material -- that longitudinal extrusion is pretty hefty. If the
#10-24's held for 40+ years, the 12-24's should be good for longer. :-)

Ken H.

On Sun, Jul 14, 2019 at 11:33 AM Shane Brown via Gmclist <

> In removing each screw I used my flat punch and hammer to deliver a series
> of good vibrating whacks. I then used a manual hand held impact driver to
> slowly loosen/tighten/loosen each screw until it broke free. As you can
> imagine, that was a very time consuming event for most of the screws. Out
> of
> the 27 screws, I guess those 4 just didn't agree with my methods. :)
>
> Going forward I have doubts about reusing the existing #10-20 threaded
> holes in the extrusion, based off of how much slop is there when you thread
> in
> a fresh screw. I would like to tap all 27 holes with a #12-24...but I'm
> not sure if there is that much material available. I might have to increase
> to a 6mm, which is just a hair smaller than 1/4". But I've watched videos
> by Jim B, and he always advises to reposition the drip rail and drill 25
> new holes (end caps don't move), instead of just re-tapping the existing
> holes. I don't see why I couldn't just re-tap, but I'm concerned that Jim's
> advise is due to information that I may be lacking.
>
> I just want to make sure I do this correctly, and don't make a grave
> mistake on my GMC.
>
> Shane B.
>
>
> --
> 1975 Eleganza II
> Reaction Arms (Chuck Aulgur's) w/Rear Drums
> Straight Trac on front bogie wheels only
> 3.21 Final Drive
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
 
Someplace I have a hand impact driver which should do well on those screws. I used it on BSA motorcycle engine screws, it's the only way to get them
out without destroying the heads and having to drill them. It has some sort of an internal ramp. Put it on the screw, turn it in the direction you
want the screw to go (loose or tight) against spring pressure, and whack it with a hammer, preferably a dead blow one. Breaks the screw loose and
starts it right out.

--johnny
--
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
 
> All,
>
> Just purchased my 1975 Eleganza II in late May. I'm working to stop water intrusion issues before taking it out for weekend journeys. I've
> removed the Driver's side drip rail, and in the process twisted the heads off of four screws. At some point in history a PO removed/resealed the
> drip rails, which is evidenced by the fact that the screws I removed were non-stainless steel countersunk head style screws(#10-20).
>
> To clean out old sealant in the screw holes, I ran a #10-20 tap down a couple of them. I noticed that when I thread in a new screw there is a lot
> of slop in the hole. I've read about sliding the drip rail down a 1/4" and redrilling new holes...mainly because of the difficulty in drilling out
> the factory installed screws. Is there a reason why I shouldn't redrill the existing holes, and tap them up in size to say a #12-24 or a 6mm (which
> is slightly smaller than a 1/4" machine screw)? The four broken screws would not be that difficult to drill through.
>
> Screw used by PO:
>
>
> Shane

Hi Shane. I don't believe that the OEM drip rail screws were stainless steel.
Examine those screws - yours look to be the same tri-lobe thread forming screws as mine, but mine are torx drive and not flat heads. This is what I
used to replace the drip rail screws:
https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/125/3074

Tapping removes metal and thread forming doesn't. Maybe you won't have to tap for larger screws with the thread forming screws. I also broke four
screws and replaced all of the screws with new ones. No drilling or tapping required.

Richard
--
'77 Birchaven TZE...777
 
Richard,

Do you remember which sealant you used on the drip rails? How's it holding up against leaks?

Shane
--
1975 Eleganza II
Reaction Arms (Chuck Aulgur's) w/Rear Drums
Straight Trac on front bogie wheels only
3.21 Final Drive
 
Shane,
When I had the drip rails off I figured this was a do-it-once situation {knocking on wood}. I verified that the aluminum skins were still well
attached to the aluminum extrusion (✓), cleaned the surfaces and wiped them down with acetone, then applied self-stick flashing tape as used for
sealing windows (interesting article: https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/a-backyard-test-of-peel-and-stick-flashings).

I had traced the drip rails with a pencil and adhered the top edge of the flashing to the roof ~5/16" down from the pencil line to allow the drip rail
to be caulked directly to the roof aluminum. The flashing was tucked into the roof extrusion a bit before adhering the bottom edge. This was to
allow the bump in the underside of the drip rail to key into the roof extrusion without stretching the flashing tape too much. Probably not really a
big issue, but it's what I did. The bottom edge of the flashing tape was also inside the pencil line so it wouldn't show.

I used a strip of blue tape above the pencil line and used Lexel®™ caulk to seal only the top edge of the drip rail when it was put in place. No
caulk was used on the bottom edge of the drip rail - if some water does get in the I want it to be able to get out.

Each screw has a bit of Dap 230 caulk squirted into the hole, and a very small amount under the screw head. I used Dap 230 because I had an open
tube, it's easily workable and I didn't want something that would make it difficult to remove the screws if I do have to remove the drip rails down
the road.

It's only been 3 years and I have no leaks from the rails. I don't expect that to change anytime soon.

Good luck with your project!

Richard
--
'77 Birchaven TZE...777
 
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