1948 Plymouth convertible

[Snippy]

Hello All, Need some help finding a source  for the Convertible top Vacuum operated cylinders that raise the top up and down, The Vacuum Cylinders have a Leather Seal in them that seal the piston to the cylinder wall. Anybody know a source for these Seals or someone that makes them. Hydro Electric had a source at one time but no longer. I would like to keep this original system, its so simple, Hate to go to Linear Actuators.  

[Snippy]

Forgot to mention the car is a 1948 Plymouth Convertible, that i need the leather seals for on the convertible top vacuum actuating cylinders.

[Dodgeb4ya]

If you are handy?..

There are a few companies that supply leather cup seals in small to large sizes.

Monarch-McLaren LTD is one..

 

[vintage6t]

I know they use neatsfoot oil to recondition leather wiper seals. Maybe you can recondition the seals in the actuating cylinders using the same. I'm interested in this topic because at some point I want get the cylinders in my 41 to operate a bit better. Please post any useful info that you find.

[Snippy]

Thanks, will do, I opened up the cylinders and the leather was very fragile, one tore, so they are past ther useful service. car sat for some 40 yrs in a barn. I was able to free up the mostly frozen top rack with Kano AeroKroil, that stuff is magic. If you look into your rack you might find that a stiff rack could be contributing to your marginal operation problem, not the cylinders, But maybe not, its just something that I came across. 

[Snippy]

Thanks for the lead dodgeb4ya, I'll follow up on that lead.

[Andydodge]

Is there any way that modern neoprene seals could work or can the system be modified to suit the neoprene seals...............can you take the parts to a bearing/seal place to get them to see what can be made to work.........andyd

[Bryan]

McMaster-Carr has a lot of different items. Just a matter of matching sizes.   https://www.mcmaster.com/o-rings/     or   seals | McMaster-Carr

Edited January 13, 2022 by Bryan

[Snippy]

Looks like Monarch-McLaren LTD has the leather cup seal in the right size and have a specific impregnated treatment for this type of service, 41.00 ea and I need 4. These seals are like the ones in a Hudson sprayer, they contract on the low pressure side with the resulting low drag, and they puff up on the pressure side to form a good air seal, Then vise versa when the action is reversed. Im going to send them one of my old ones so they have the real deal to compare and replicate.  The lead time is 4 weeks so won't have any progress till them, but lots of other work to be done. Thanks so much for all the helpful responses.

Some pics and a finished result i'm aiming for. 

[sidevalvepete]

Very nice ride. Have found with vacuum wiper motors and other leather component functioning devices that prior to any dismantling, filling them up with neatsfoot oil or auto transmission fluid and soaking for a good period can bring back old leathers that otherwise break when disassembling. For future consideration.....?

[Robin (UK)]

Hey Snippy,
This will be really useful information for convertible owners, so please share your experiences over on this facebook group.
P15 Convertibles

Thanks.

[Bryan]

12 hours ago, Snippy said:

Looks like Monarch-McLaren LTD has the leather cup seal in the right size and have a specific impregnated treatment for this type of service, 41.00 ea and I need 4. These seals are like the ones in a Hudson sprayer, they contract on the low pressure side with the resulting low drag, and they puff up on the pressure side to form a good air seal,

Don't know exact measurements and thicknesses but McMaster-Carr has rubber items like it..   https://www.mcmaster.com/o-rings/cross-section-shape~square/square-profile-oil-resistant-buna-n-o-rings/od~5-012/od~5-020/od~5-025/