Need More Info On Pocket Stop Adjustments. - Page 2

Shane826 · 05-11-2018, 09:45 AM

What is this aluminum bar we are talking about?

**Bill** · 05-11-2018, 10:05 AM

Rather than a bar, it should probably be referred to as a square tube. It is about 1 inch x 1 inch x 5 inches. There are four of them, two at the forward edge of the lower box, and two at the rear edge. When the shells are erected, the tube is swung out, and engages a pin protruding from the lower edge of the shell. When engaged, the tube-and-pin prevents the shell from moving forward or aft.

Bill

Shane826 · 05-11-2018, 10:20 AM

Oh that thing. Got it. Sorry, just wasn’t clicking in my mind as to what you were talking about.

**commodor47** · 05-11-2018, 10:45 AM

Bill,

Thanks for clearing that up - it is indeed an aluminum rectangular tube. The most frustrating thing with my issue was the need to balance the shell part way open while at the same time reaching in to move the tube back to vertical.

Larry,

Sorry or the confusion.

Dick

Larryjb · 05-14-2018, 03:21 PM

No need to remove covers.

As said before, the pocket stop adjustment itself does not determine set up alignment. If however, one pocket stop is adjusted so that the shell won't open far enough, you may not be able to engage the pins with the square aluminum flip up tube.

If you cannot open the shell far enough to engage the pin, find the lift arm that won't open enough, close the shell, and turn the bolt in (clockwise when looking straight onto the bolt head.

If the pins are engaged with the square aluminum tube and the lift arm is still not vertical, you have another problem.

Steppy · 05-15-2018, 10:01 AM

Larry, thank you.
To Summarize then, turning the pocket stop bolt clockwise will cause the shell arms to move away from the center of the TM when opened after, counter clockwise will cause the shell to stop closer to center. I need to cause my forward shell to stop about 1/2 inch more forward and the rear to stop about the same closer to center to get the support arms perpendicular and thus square up the door opening for better opening and closing.

**Bill** · 05-15-2018, 05:09 PM

No. You need to re-read the posts above. You are describing a left-right motion of the arms, left-right meaning "toward the body of the TM" or "away from the body of the TM". The pocket stops have no effect in the left-right direction. The pocket stops control fore-and-aft direction - and they don't even control the final position in the fore-and-aft direction. As you open the shells, the pocket stops simply cushion the impact when the shells reach the end of their travel.

Bill

Steppy · 05-15-2018, 06:53 PM

Bill,
I am describing the movement of the shells fore and aft, not the arms towards or away from the body of the TM. I mean what you said earlier

"The pocket stops do not determine how far the shells DO open, only how far they CAN open. In other words, the shell comes up until it hits the pocket stop, and halts. Then you adjust the shell position a small amount, until the square aluminum latch bar (on the TM body) will engage pin on the shell.

As near as I can tell (and Larryjb check me), if the pocket stop is adjusted too far one way, the shell will not open far enough to engage the latch and pin. If the pocket stop is adjusted too far the other way, then the shell comes up and overshoots, and you have to pull the shell back until the latch and pin will engage."

That describes my problem, the front shell is not stopping far enough forward and the rear shell is opening too much causing me to have to push it back to engage the pins.. associated with these shells not opening where they should I surmise it is giving me door closing problems.

**Bill** · 05-15-2018, 08:28 PM

OK, I have apparently mis-interpreted the references to "vertical" and "perpendicular." If I look at your first photo in post number 5, the lift arm is clearly not lined up with the edge of the shell (vertical?). Adjusting the pocket stop will not change this, because the position of the shell is not set by the pocket stop, but by the swing-up aluminum tube. In order to move the top of the lift arm to the right in the photo, you need to move the aluminum tube to the right. The only way to do this is to put a stack of washers between the tube and the body of the TM. My TM has a stack at least a half inch thick. With the aluminum tube moved to the right in the photo, the top of the lift arm will be moved to the right, making the lift arm more "vertical". Adjusting the pocket stops will not change any of this. As long as the arm engages the pin, the pocket stop plays no role.

I don't know if any of this is helpful - I hope so. Let us know if the pocket stop adjustments have an effect on the door-closing problem.

Bill

Larryjb · 05-15-2018, 08:57 PM

Looking at your pictures, Bill is right that adjusting the pocket stops won't fix your problem. I can see that the square aluminum tubes are engaged with the pins. you will have to add a stack of washers to fix this. However, it is possible that you will also have to turn the pocket stop bolt in a little to get the shell to move for enough over.

I would turn all pocket stops in a half turn (or more, as required). Then, once you have the square aluminum tube lined upwith the pins where you want it, back the pocket stop bolts out one by one until the shell travels as far as you need (up to the pin).