First Chance to Work With an AeroDynic!

[CatBacker88]

My daughter found two AeroDynics on a local (Chicago area) buy / sell / trade Facebook page and bought them for me because she knows I like this stuff. One is a 24 EAH, the other a 24 MEAH. Neither are junk, but both need work to display well. They have plenty going for them so I think it'll be worthwhile given I only have $15 apiece in them. All 12 PAR lamps are present, rotators and gears are all in good shape, just dirty. All bulbs light up and the flashers function correctly. Some rusty screws, but no corrosion to speak of.

The EAH has no motor or mounting feet. Its domes are intact and they might polish out okay but neither have their end caps. If anyone wants to share a lead for a motor, please do! I don't know yet if there's a drive belt inside or not. I guess I need to strip it all the way down to find out. If anyone has any tips or guidance to share with respect to where to start on that process, especially if I'm apt to break something out of ignorance, I'd love to hear it.

The MEAH powers up fine and the motor is very quiet and smooth. One dome is bad, the other potentially OK. Both do have their end caps, though, and I'm hoping to get them off to graft onto the other two. Those suckers are not cheap to replace, but I bought a decent set of domes for it (eBay) so I'll set to working on them. I've never worked on AeroDynic domes before. Are the panels glued together? There's a lot of what looks like a flexible clear glue or caulk holding much of it together. Should I just start peeling and shaving it away? Again, any suggestions would be great. I can do pictures if that would help.

Thanks!

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

Older video but a good overview before you start.

 

[CatBacker88]

Thanks, I watched that video twice when I found they were Model 24s and again today. It's very informative!

 

[stansdds]

My daughter found two AeroDynics on a local (Chicago area) buy / sell / trade Facebook page and bought them for me because she knows I like this stuff. One is a 24 EAH, the other a 24 MEAH. Neither are junk, but both need work to display well. They have plenty going for them so I think it'll be worthwhile given I only have $15 apiece in them. All 12 PAR lamps are present, rotators and gears are all in good shape, just dirty. All bulbs light up and the flashers function correctly. Some rusty screws, but no corrosion to speak of.

The EAH has no motor or mounting feet. Its domes are intact and they might polish out okay but neither have their end caps. If anyone wants to share a lead for a motor, please do! I don't know yet if there's a drive belt inside or not. I guess I need to strip it all the way down to find out. If anyone has any tips or guidance to share with respect to where to start on that process, especially if I'm apt to break something out of ignorance, I'd love to hear it.

The MEAH powers up fine and the motor is very quiet and smooth. One dome is bad, the other potentially OK. Both do have their end caps, though, and I'm hoping to get them off to graft onto the other two. Those suckers are not cheap to replace, but I bought a decent set of domes for it (eBay) so I'll set to working on them. I've never worked on AeroDynic domes before. Are the panels glued together? There's a lot of what looks like a flexible clear glue or caulk holding much of it together. Should I just start peeling and shaving it away? Again, any suggestions would be great. I can do pictures if that would help.

Thanks!

What? No pictures? Some of us come here to read the articles, then there is the rest of us who prefer to look at pictures.

 

[CatBacker88]

Here's a good look at What I have to work with One big question at the moment is, whats the deal with this almost clear rubbery sealant or glue stuff everywhere? Shouldn't I just get rid of all of it, even if things start coming apart?

 

[CatBacker88]

As found...

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

Probably grease, or the remnants of it.
take pictures so you know what goes where, and document your screws so you know how to put it back. Start tearing it down. I would remove the idlers and start cleaning. I don't think you need to remove the mounting plate from the frame unless you need to get to the timing belt. I would remove the speaker grille and clean out that as well.

my .02

Rob

 

[CatBacker88]

Thanks for the encouragement! Based on that, I'll start taking one down for cleaning and lubrication. It mostly peals off but very stubborn in a few spots. I think that stuff is actually some sort of clear adhesive or caulk. Maybe intended as weatherproof or to hold the endcaps onto the domes. Are the panels that make up the domes glued together or just a friction fit? In other words, do they come apart without breaking?

 

[Maxim2Eng]

Regarding the dome segments, I worked for a FedSig dealer in high school and when the AeroDynic came out, he asked FS if the lenses could be shipped in segment so he could custom assemble for customers (he was thinking of PDs that would want to experiment with various patterns before determining the optimum configuration). The short answer was no, the long answer was Hell No! They are glued from the factory (to avoid liability issues) and WILL be damaged if you attempt to disassemble. That being said, if you are careful and don’t break anything too badly, you can reassemble using Loctite’s Plastic Bonding System (won’t cause hazing like super glue and is much stronger), it should be just fine for display!

 

[CatBacker88]

Thank you! I'll hunt up some of the Loctite you cited. Great tip!

 

[stansdds]

They look a little rough, but can certainly be restored without going to extreme measures. For $15 each, you have a lot more value than that in parts alone!

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

So you can disassemble the domes, but as @Maxim2Eng said it can be abit of a bear. I have had better luck with older domes over the newer ones, however YMMV. Typically they are secured near the top (chrome stripper) and the bottom where it meets the frame. The rest is silicon. I have not had to reglue any of my domes I just use a good bead of clear silicone for reassembly.

 

[CatBacker88]

Making good progress on the MEAH, but man those little screws snap of easily, even after two days of Kroil soak.

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

Making good progress on the MEAH, but man those little screws snap of easily, even after two days of Kroil soak.

Yes this is pretty much standard. The trick honestly is to try and rock it back and forth, tighten and loosen to break the threads free. Doesn't always work, but to be expected with some of these bars.

 

[Maxim2Eng]

Yes this is pretty much standard. The trick honestly is to try and rock it back and forth, tighten and loosen to break the threads free. Doesn't always work, but to be expected with some of these bars.

Like every TwinSonic!