Hi,

There are three sockets that hold the handrails on the left en right side roof of the front cabin. The screw of the middle socket does not hold any more (you can turn it around and around withouth fastening). Does anyone know what holds the screw underneath the polyesther? is it wood? Did anyone had this problem? What did you do? I'm afraid it is going to leak if it noght tight.

I hope that someone can give me some advice....  

--Last edited by michello on 2009-09-21 10:53:06 --

Hi Michello, the screws that hold any handrail in place are screw bolts and there will be a nut(probably loosened up by vibration)on the other end between the cabin roof and the cabin headlining.
This would mean you would need to remove the headlining to tighten it however there is a little technique I've used in similar situations.
Try to push the edge of a screwdriver blade or similar under the edge of the screw head as though you were trying to lever it out this will force the loose nut underneath to jam against the cabin roof keep this in place and then with another screwdriver and without using any downward force gently turn the screw until it tightens.
Hope this works for you.

Great advice! I will try it and let you know wether it worked or not!

April Rose,

I tried the technique you described, but that didn't work. I can lift the screw a tiny bit, but it does not help with tightning the screw.....So I have to find another solution...

Ok if the screw will only lift a tiny bit neither the screw or  grab rail are in any danger of pulling out so the only other problem is water creeping through and getting into the cabin headlining.
Just put a bead of mastic around the screw head and around the foot of the fitting to prevent it. Use an old toothbrush to remove any dirt so that the mastic forms a water tight bond.

I doubt that's enough. Altough the screw is not verry likely to be pulled out but there is 'movement' to the left and to the right if jou hold on to the handrails. So if i use mastic it wil only be water tight as long as there is no physical force on it.....

Unfortunately it sounds like you dont have any option but to try and find the nut under the headlining.
Although I have never noticed that there is any obvious place where the nuts may be.
The handrails on my cockpit roof are held in place by similar looking screws which have nuts under blocks of wood but these are very obvious.

The problem is that I can't 'feel' the nut behind the headlining, and I'm trying to find a solution so that I dont have to replace it (the headlining is looking fine).

Do you mean that there is a block of wood on top of your roof with the handrails connected on top of that block?

hi think what stuart h means is that the hand rails are bolted all the way through the roof and headlining and have oblong wood blocks with the nuts tighten on to the wood this is the same on my 22  

can you 'feel' the nut through the headlining then?

no the bolts come though the headling and wood and the nuts are on the wood,the wood is to stop the nuts pulling though  if looking up at roof from inside all you see is wood blocks and the nuts