Removing panels from renogy Z brackets without removing the brackets?

[Desert Mouse]

Ugh. So I just finished installing my panels on the roof. For some dumb reason I thought it would be fine not the tighten the zip ties that are going to keep the wires from flopping around under the panels. I thought this wouldnt be a problem, I'll just reach under their with my long pliers and tighten em. Bad move. The zip ties I got turned out to be shit, and everyone one I tried immediatley broke. I took some out from the bag and every one snapped like a twig when I bent them.

Great. So now I have to get under the panels. The renogy z brackets I used make this effectivley impossible. Has anyone come up with a method to remove just the panels? Or has found or jury rigged a tool that can hold that nut? I really dont want to remove the brackets and spend an entire day scraping dicor off, and its too cold where I am now to reseal them anyway.

Now if I can actually get these things off; I found another thread where someone mentioned using rivnuts to reattach the panels to the bracket. Which I think is just brilliant, but are the nuts going to be strong enough?

 

[42OhmsPA]

Hmmm pictures of what you're working with would be helpful... maybe duct tape a box end wrench to a broom handle or something similar?
As a last resort OMT with a carbide blade between the frame and the mount but this would force you to use rivnuts and it would be a huge frustrating pita.

 

[Desert Mouse]

Oh yeah good call, I'll throw some pictures up tomorrow when its light out. The panels are mounted on a slightly curved fiberglass roof. I can get a wrench-on-a-broomstick onto one of the nuts fairly easily. But my other panel and roof fan are too close to do that for the other two. I only need to get 3 off, the 4th bracket is a custom job and can be unbolted without trouble.
I just tried taping a wrench to a universal join with an extension, the idea being I could have the wrench folding back towards the bracket, essentially in a U shape, but the joint can't fit under the panels.

I doubt the multi tool could work. There isn't enough clearance to actually get the blade in place

 

[Isaac-1]

You might be able to spin the screws fast enough to get undone with an impact driver without holding the nut.

 

[justinm001]

Can't you reach under and put a wrench on the top nut then use a socket on the bottom?

Use the open end of the wrench that's flat and put against the wall of inside panel so it won't spin

 

[Q-Dog]

You will have to modify or fabricate a tool to reach under there. I would use an acetylene torch to bend an old wrench to get under there. If you have a nice set of tools you don't want to destroy, pawn shops and junk shops are a good place to find loose wrenches to modify.

If you have a length of flat, thin steel stock you could also cut a notch in the end to fit the nut, then bend it as needed to get to the nut.

 

[HRTKD]

I have a similar setup and have contemplated what I would do should I need to get under the panel. I would leave the brackets attached and cut them halfway between the panel and the roof. To put in back together I would discard the part of the bracket still on the panel and replace it with a suitable size of 1/8" angle aluminum. After attaching the angle aluminum to the panel in such a way that the new bracket will go either inside or outside the existing Z-bracket stump still on the roof. Place the panel on the roof, drill holes in the mated brackets and install a two fasteners in each bracket that won't come loose.

Before I did all that I would try to get the fasteners between the bracket and the panel to come loose.

 

[Kcmusa]

I was worried about the standard mounts and not being able to remove panels.
I found these mounts.

Solar Panel Mounting Curved Z Bracket -- Set of 4

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www.renogy.com

 

[Aussieguy]

if you want just squirt some sealant on the wire and the roof,
Will hold OK until the warmer months

 

[Desert Mouse]

Alright heres what I’m dealing with. As you can see theres no clearance on the inside. and very little under the panels. I did whip together a proof of concept tool by duct taping a wrench on a ruler. With the end point back towards me but offset by about 45 degrees to one side, with a piece of metal as a spacer between the wrench and the ruler.

The rulers flex made it a-lot easier to maneuver. And I could atleast get the wrench head onto the shelf that the nut is on. But after 10 minutes I could not actually get it on the nut. It’s nearly impossible with no room to get my fingers in there, or even see what I’m doing.
I might be able to slip it under the inside of the panel and go strait across to grab the nut. Perhaps with the help of a narrow mirror so I can see what I’m doing.

God I really wish renogy had thought thru this design more… I definitely wont be using these things without modification on any future builds. I’ll report back if I have success. If not then yeah… its a choice between cutting the brackets or completely remounting the panels. Which is less time consuming lol.

 

[BobH]

Given the minimal amount of sealant you used on the brackets, I would just unscrew them from the roof, then seal and remount in the same holes. I can see potential water intrusion paths around the bolt heads in your pics.

 

[HRTKD]

Given the minimal amount of sealant you used on the brackets, I would just unscrew them from the roof, then seal and remount in the same holes. I can see potential water intrusion paths around the bolt heads in your pics.

Agreed. I was going to post almost the same thing.

 

[Desert Mouse]

Yeeah… you guys might be right. Im not looking forward to scraping all that shit off. It’s hard to tell from the picks but there is some in and around the bolt heads. Atleast I used dicor and not something like sikaflex =p. Anyone know a solvent that will help remove dicor that wont damage my paint?

 

[HRTKD]

Yeeah… you guys might be right. Im not looking forward to scraping all that shit off. It’s hard to tell from the picks but there is some in and around the bolt heads. Atleast I used dicor and not something like sikaflex =p. Anyone know a solvent that will help remove dicor that wont damage my paint?

Use a heat gun to soften it up a bit.

 

[BobH]

Yeeah… you guys might be right. Im not looking forward to scraping all that shit off. It’s hard to tell from the picks but there is some in and around the bolt heads. Atleast I used dicor and not something like sikaflex =p. Anyone know a solvent that will help remove dicor that wont damage my paint?

Test mineral spirits on your roof surface. It may not remove hardened dicor, but it will eventually remove soft stuff.

 

[BobH]

It’s hard to tell from the picks but there is some in and around the bolt heads.

Here's my n=1 experience with dicor and bolts: it will eventually harden and crack from expansion & contraction as well as vibration around fasteners. I assume that when visible cracks are seen, they were first hairline micro-cracks for quite some time. Believe me, water will find its way into a hairline crack. That doesn't mean a leak, but overtime, the cracks grow unless the dicor is reapplied. I prefer removing as much as possible before I reapply it.