How to use your ILCA replacement wear patch
1. Before removing the old shim NOTE the orientation of the shim.
- Top shim – join is on the front
- Bottom Shim – Join is on the back
2. Start by completely removing the old shim taking care not to cut yourself on any sharp edges of the shim if it has been chipped. A sharp blade may be needed to help lift the lip of the shim in order to peel it off.
3. Once the shim has been removed sand the surface underneath using 80-120 grit
sandpaper until the surface is visibly roughed up. Next thoroughly acetone wipe the
surface to remove any dust or residue from the sanding and leave to dry for a few
minutes.
4. Next and lay out the following in the clear workspace:
- Supplied replacement shim with adhesive backing
- Brown tape (or similar)
- Supplied clear tension tape
- Heat gun
- Stanley knife/blade or scissors
- Clock or timer
- IR thermometer (optional)
5. Remove the brown paper backing off the supplied replacement shim and lightly place onto tube adhesive side down. Take care to ensure shim is straight so that it lines up once wrapped around tube. Once shim is straight firmly press onto tube surface and wrap around carefully ensuring full contact with the tube. Take your blade or scissors and trim off any excess adhesive that may be overlapping onto the shim and then press down shim firmly. The adhesive should hold the shim in place, however if it does not hold itself down, use a small piece of masking tape to hold the ends together.
6. Next wrap a few loops of the tension tape around the tube approximately 100mm away from the shim and secure using a wrap of brown tape. Then carefully rotate tube while holding a constant and moderate tension on the tension tape. Aim to hold the tape at such an angle that it overlaps itself 3-4 times as it progresses up the tube (this helps to apply a more uniform force). Wrap the tension tape along with tube, over the shim (note: if you placed masking tapeon the shim to hold it into place remove this now) and approximately 100mm past the shim, then turn it around and wrap all the way back to the start position. Secure both ends of the tension tape with brown tape.
7. Following this grab the heat gun, and while holding it 8-10cm away from the tube surface heat
the shim while slowly rotating the tube to ensure even heating. Start a timer and continue
heating and rotating the tube for 5 minutes.
Note:If you have an IR thermometer check that the tube surface is approximately 120°C, if not
holding the heat gun 8-10cm from the surface should achieve approximately this temperature.
8. Once 5 minutes has elapsed stop the heating and allow the tube to cool to room temperature. Leave the tube to cure at room temperature for at least 3 hours before removing the tension tape.
