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Help me fix ny Cabin door

fireguy

Well-known member
Ok, so memorial day weekend we got into some pretty rough water. The cabin door on my 253 came out of the track. I thought the wife and I were gonna be able to get it back in but no luck.

I have tried a couple of times since and no luck. There is a pretty heavy dovetail on the bottom of the door and I can not get it back into the track on the floor that allows it to slide to and fro.

The track itself is screwed to the floor almost all the way to the port side and most of it is inside the area between the wall (for lack of better terms) in front of passengers seat and the wall inside the cabin. No way to get to the screws without serious deconstruction from what I can see.

So I tried to gently pry the track enough to slide the dovetailed retaining piece into the track and no luck with that either.

Any help or ideas will be greatly apprecited.
 
Hey Fireguy, is this the type of door track that you can take the hardware loose from the top of the door, pull the door back flat toward you to about a 45 degree or so and then it drops into the track, then you reattach the top?
 
Don't think so. There is no way ther is enough room to get it anywhere near a 45 deg angle. There is not enough room in between the two walls. The interior cabin wall and the finished fiberglass (wall) just above the passenger side foot rest.

I can take it loose at the top no problem. It is actually not attached at the top or bottom right now.
 
That door will flex more than you think before breakage, if I remeber correct get the bottom in first. As you are opening the door push down on the top and pull. Mine has popped out a couple of times and I was able to get it back in without removeing anything.
 
Thanks BR,
Getting the bottom in has been the problem. I am gonna have a buddy come over one night this week and try to get it. Figured the bottom would have to goin first.

I will try your method and see what happens.
 
CUDDY CABIN DOOR

Is your door the black lexan type? My cuddy cabin door (just a flat one piece black lexan type plastic door) broke last year on Memorial Day weekend when I hit a large swell. The ONLY remedy for me was to pull the cabinets out, remove everything on the inside that was attached to the bulkhead, including the overhead liner, and then the cockpit storage bin on the port side. Once done there were three or four bolts on the port side edge of the bulkhead that had to be removed (self locking nuts on the cabin side of the bulkhead, then tap the bolts out), along with the screws in the top of the bulkhead and the floor. I had to split the two piece bulkhead apart and use a very short screwdriver (in between the two pieces of the bulkhead) to remove the lower track. Once you have removed the track, slide the door in between the two piece bulkhead and move it to the starboard side and then reinstall the track. Once you have the track back in, lift and slide the door up and into the track.

I have a Persuader 261 and that was the only way to replace/reinstall the door. Don't know if your Convincor is designed the same but either way, it is a big Pain. If you have to do it this way, I can give you more complete details later. Hopefully, you can get it back in by doing it the way that Big Red said and not have to do what I did. Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Is your door the black lexan type? My cuddy cabin door (just a flat one piece black lexan type plastic door) broke last year on Memorial Day weekend when I hit a large swell. The ONLY remedy for me was to pull the cabinets out, remove everything on the inside that was attached to the bulkhead, including the overhead liner, and then the cockpit storage bin on the port side. Once done there were three or four bolts on the port side edge of the bulkhead that had to be removed (self locking nuts on the cabin side of the bulkhead, then tap the bolts out), along with the screws in the top of the bulkhead and the floor. I had to split the two piece bulkhead apart and use a very short screwdriver (in between the two pieces of the bulkhead) to remove the lower track. Once you have removed the track, slide the door in between the two piece bulkhead and move it to the starboard side and then reinstall the track. Once you have the track back in, lift and slide the door up and into the track.

I have a Persuader 261 and that was the only way to replace/reinstall the door. Don't know if your Convincor is designed the same but either way, it is a big Pain. If you have to do it this way, I can give you more complete details later. Hopefully, you can get it back in by doing it the way that Big Red said and not have to do what I did. Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!
Ouch!
 
Ding Ding Ding, we have a winner and it is Blue Mist *97.

Soke to Jerry at Checkmate this morning and he gave me a couple of choices. Once again, thanx Checkmate for AWESOME customer service.

Well I don't have the black lexan door I have the white fiberglass door with the big curve at the top, but the method BlueMist described is almost exactly what I had to do.

Remove the headliner. Then remove the cushions and backrest for the mid-berth (this was the biggest pain to get out and reinstall cuz you can't get to the screws), next remove the filler pad which converts into the mid berth and remove the interior bulkhead.

Now you have full access to the door and track. Took the door all the way out. Removed the track from the floor. Slid the track onto the bottom of the door. This was the only way it would go back on because the dovetail on the bottom of the door is so heavy. Slide the door back in place and screw the track back down the the floor. Screw one side in, slide the door over and screw the other side in.

It was at this point we tried to make sure it doesn't happen again. Cut a shim to go in between the top track and the bottom of the deck. Used marine grade epoxy (if this gets wet I have much bigger problems than a loose door) :D and epoxyed the shim to the top track. Slid the door to the open position so there is good pressure on the top track, shim, and bottom of the deck and left the door in th open position.

Now- reassemble. Everything went back together fairly well. Except, the bacrest for the port side bench seat this thing was a pain in the arse and you had to be a contortionist to get the screws in.

But, it is fixed. Thanx again to all who offered their advice and thanx again to Checkmate for their amazing customer service. I spent maybe 15 minutes on the phone with Jerry and he made sure and told me 3 times if I had "ANY" questions or problems to call him back.

BTW, I also got my new carpet in today. So wednesday we will put the snaps in and we should be ready for the 4th of July weekend.:thumb:
 
Ding Ding Ding, we have a winner and it is Blue Mist *97.

Soke to Jerry at Checkmate this morning and he gave me a couple of choices. Once again, thanx Checkmate for AWESOME customer service.

Well I don't have the black lexan door I have the white fiberglass door with the big curve at the top, but the method BlueMist described is almost exactly what I had to do.

Remove the headliner. Then remove the cushions and backrest for the mid-berth (this was the biggest pain to get out and reinstall cuz you can't get to the screws), next remove the filler pad which converts into the mid berth and remove the interior bulkhead.

Now you have full access to the door and track. Took the door all the way out. Removed the track from the floor. Slid the track onto the bottom of the door. This was the only way it would go back on because the dovetail on the bottom of the door is so heavy. Slide the door back in place and screw the track back down the the floor. Screw one side in, slide the door over and screw the other side in.

It was at this point we tried to make sure it doesn't happen again. Cut a shim to go in between the top track and the bottom of the deck. Used marine grade epoxy (if this gets wet I have much bigger problems than a loose door) :D and epoxyed the shim to the top track. Slid the door to the open position so there is good pressure on the top track, shim, and bottom of the deck and left the door in th open position.

Now- reassemble. Everything went back together fairly well. Except, the bacrest for the port side bench seat this thing was a pain in the arse and you had to be a contortionist to get the screws in.

But, it is fixed. Thanx again to all who offered their advice and thanx again to Checkmate for their amazing customer service. I spent maybe 15 minutes on the phone with Jerry and he made sure and told me 3 times if I had "ANY" questions or problems to call him back.

BTW, I also got my new carpet in today. So wednesday we will put the snaps in and we should be ready for the 4th of July weekend.:thumb:
Again, "Ouch!" I feel for you, brother. Well, at least now it's done and you're good to go. Have fun!
 
Sounds like a pain but glad you got it fixed. So what's the secret to making sure I don't ever have that issue when running big water? I'm guessing the door was open when this happened.
 
Yes, door was open and I am not sure how to make sure it never happens to you. If the 240 Convincor is just like the 253 then you may have to go through the same thing at some point. The problem is the door coming out at the top first. If your door does not some out of the track at the top then I doubt you will have a problem.

If it does pop out at the top, STOP AND POP IT BACK IN THE TRACK BEFORE THE BOTTOM POPS OUT!!!!
 
I had the same problem with my door last weekend trying to keep up with Check300 in the 43 punisher. I was looking close at it today trying to figure out how to get it back in and noticed the receiver that mounts to the floor is cracked. Does anyone know where to get a new receiver dovetail?
 
I would think you could get it from Checkmate. They have always been really good about that kind of stuff.
Although I called them twice and left messages a few weeks ago re: an issue I was having and never received a call back.
I was hoping the Checkmate/ Hustler thing would keep things on track but who knows in this jacked up economy.
 
Called and talked to Kip at the factory, sent him a few pictures of what I need and they don't have any left. They also outsourced the doors that year so they can not make me one. I am going to take it apart after boating season and make a new one.
 
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