I knew right away there was trouble when I tried to open the cooler door today with
my fingers and it just would not budge. Next a dowel was used to try pushing on the
door from the inside by going through the holes in the firewall … this should have
popped the door open, but no dice. I had to use a screwdriver to pry open the
door enough to use a razor blade to cut enough silicone away so my fingers
could get purchase on the door to pry it open the rest of the way … of course bending
the hinge in the process. The liquid Boelube DID NOT WORK at all as a release agent
because after the door was opened, there was a nice bead of silicone permanently
affixed to the firewall as if no Boelube was applied at all.
The results of the failed attempt to use Boelube as a release agent. The
Silicone stuck to the Boelube covered firewall plenty good … better than on the
door actually.
Looking at the edge of the hinge one can see how the door bent adjacent
to the hinge while being pried off the firewall.
It took quite a while to remove all the silicone from the firewall and cooler
door. After cleaning the mess up, the door was placed on a back riveting plate
and a piece of wood and a soft faced hammer was used to reshape the door and
make it flat again.
Cooler door after being reshaped to lay flat again.
For the next attempt tomorrow, I’m going to do what I was going to do in
the first place and that is to lay down packaging tape onto the firewall from
the hinge outward. Then the packaging tape will be slathered with Vaseline and
the cooler door closed as before to let the silicone cure. After curing, if the
door does not lift freely the packaging tape should still be able to be peeled
away from the firewall lifting the door with it.
Firewall in the area of the cooler box from the door hinge outward is
covered with packaging tape. The tape will be coated with Vaseline for the next
attempt at making a door gasket.
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