2003 FD218R bimini top part quick connect latch replacement

jcr

Hurricane discontinued this part and an aftermarket version does not exist. Does anyone have any idea how I can find the part? Junk boat yard recommendations? Anyone have a broken bimini with the part? Anyone have the part? Any help would be much appreciated.

cjjjdeck

First off, THANK YOU for posting pictures of your issue!

Yeah, obsolete parts are always tough to find...... and frustrating.

If it were me, I would consider doing one of two things.  Find someone to 3D print you one..... or two (probably using polypropylene material so the material has a bit of give and won't easily fatigue) OR convert the hardware to styles that are readily available.  This way I will feel confident to have replacement parts for the future.

You have either 1" or 1 1/4" square tube (probably 1" if I had to guess).  Here's what I would attempt to convert:

I would see if I could replace the broken hardware piece with the type shown below.  You need to see how it matches up with the base plate on the railing.  I know this might be a bit shorter than the original piece, but maybe you have enough play in the top, if not, you can shim the base plate to raise it higher.

Your original hardware part looks like it allowed for an easy disconnect from the base plate.  You could achieve the same results if you replace the threaded bolts on the above with quick release pins shown below.


The above parts are from a Hurricane supplier of railings and sides of the FunDeck series and the their website below specializes in Pontoon bimini tops:

https://www.pontoonboattops.com/

jcr

Thank you very much for the advice. I have been considering what alternatives I may want to pursue. But I thought I would make an earnest effort to find the right part, first, maybe cheaply through a junkyard or somewhere. And in the mean time, I can study what you said and figure out the best alternative. 3D printing was something I had previously considered, but I was told I would need to get the piece measured and mapped for computer inputting and the pricing sounded higher than a junkyard, so I have not pursued it presently.
  That and I suspect that the reason the part broke was due to the new bimini top canvas shrinking, which might make any attempt at fixing it a greater challenge than it should be, which might require a different bimini fabric. Still, thank you very much for your help!

cjjjdeck

I agree, the 3D printing route would probably be the most expensive.

Let the forum know what you finally did for a solution, the members will appreciate it!