I have two tears in my soft top that cannot be reached to patch from the inside. Can I treat/seal them with some kind of silicone gel on the outside? If so, what product? and, would applying that gel prevent me from putting the top up and down?

thanks

 

Try talking to a convertible top shop in your neck of the woods, if you have one. Is your top an OEM vinyl top or aftermarket cloth?

 

I've tried various "gel" type patches on mine when I had a couple small tears. It's a temporary fix. Depending on where your tears are the fix may last longer or shorter... but eventually it will fail. I lived with it for a couple years then replaced the top with a new OEM one... hopefully I can get another 10 years out of this new one.

 

I put a temporary black Gortex parka patch over a 1" long tear on the roof of my '06 in 2015. Still there in 2019. No leaks. Barely visible if you're not looking for it. Bought two Gortex patch kits and made a patch inside and outside. Bought the kits off the rack at Dicks. Note this is a small tear.

-- Chuck

 

I've used this to hold me over until I got a brand new OEM top put in by 2poor2mod in NJ. Tear-Aid type B clear patch, applied to both the outside and inside of the top.

https://www.tear-aid.com/

 

I carry this same product (can't remember if I have type A or B) with me for emergency repairs on the inflatable pontoon boat I use for floating the local rivers when fly fishing. I've never even thought of this as I have yet to encounter any tears or rips in the top. How long did this hold up for you?

 

Years. But you have to make sure the affected area is cleaned very well and care is taken during application so that it sticks. It can discolor and turn "yellowy" over time but it holds up. In my case, the holes were caused by that frame bar not folding back all the way when dropping the back and poking through the vinyl, due to lack of tension. So obviously, I had to make sure that bar was being pulled back by guiding it with my hand when I put the top down. If I had not, I probably would have had holes again in the same place in short time.

 

I'm not impressed with the tear aid patches. You're going to need some glue to get them to stick to the OEM vynal.

If you want a serious temp patch that will last a while, do a search on Amazon for convertible top repair glue. And plan on deburing your top and replacing it with a cloth top.

The more your top goes up and down, the shorter the lifespan of the patches.

 

For a temporary tear repair on mine, I used a needle and thread followed by this RTU sealant.

https://www.permatex.com/products/ad...esive-sealant/

It is flexible and has been holding for 8 months with no signs of deterioration through moderate use. I reinforced some additional thin areas with military grade denier nylon I bought on ebay. I adhered the nylon with the same sealant.

It's not beautiful but I don't daily the car and drive 95% top down. I may replace the top down the road but my current budget went to wheels and tires.