i'm taking mine out (sort of) and i see that there are 4 tubes attached to the rails - one tube for each corner.

does the windshield wiper fluid flow through these or what? how do i remove the tracks and stuff but leave all that hooded up?

thanks...i tried searching BTW, and i saw nothing about these in the few threads about sunroof removal that i found.

 

why r u taking it out ???

is it just for tonight

or forever

just wondering if ur dragging tonight

 

well, before i bought the evo, i didn't know that sunroofs added weight (and did so in a bad spot...up top). i didn't really care about having the sunroof since i NEVER opened the one on my CRX - it's just that i got a good deal in '04 on the dealership's last '03 that was rally red (the color i wanted) and had a sunroof. i figured 'couldn't hurt'. but now i kinda wish i didn't have it, since it wasn't really something i was looking for in the first place.

so i've decided that i don't want to remove the glass and plug the hole - that just doesn't sound appealing to me. but i never open it either; so why not remove as much as i can? rails, motor and such should be at least around 20lbs (of up-top weight), and these are things i won't miss since i never open the darn thing.

the AC i use on rare occasion (sometimes it's hot enough in the summer), so i'll keep that - but i really never open the sunroof.

 

why would you want to do that - your car was designed for it. structureability and all.

 

i have seen some pieces so far that look like they might add to the structural integrity of the car, but i won't be able to tell till i pull it all down...

which i can't do until i find out what these darn tubes are for! if i think that i need to add a bar or rail back in for structural purposes, i will.

 

the reason to take it out is that it adds no structural rigidity but adds bout 80 lbs to the roof of the car. Mine is coming out as we speak, I'm having a roll cage installed. I'm going to have a plastics shop cut me a piece of plexiglass and a body shop glue it in place. Call a local body shop - they put in and take these things out all the time.

 

i would disagree with the above statement....the sunroof would add torsional stability under heavy lateral accterations. The area besides the sunroof is small and could produce unwanted stress on the a pillars. Just some food for thought...but you are right, the sunroof and its asscoiative parts do add unwanted weight...removing them would lower your Cg (center of gravity) a bit. Good luck.

 

i say if you're gonna put in that much work... just order the MR roof panel... there is a mitsu part number for it, robi has done it already.

the thing is... the sunroof and the roof panel... are just a sheet of metal... there is stuff under it that is holding the car together but that's not what you're removing...

but IF you get the MR roof panel you WILL be replacing the entire assembly... robi had his expoxied in by a shop... i would want my welded at the factory monocoque welding points but i'm not informed enough to know that that is actually viable.

 

there is no way in hell, that the sunroof adds 80 pounds... try more like 40 ish.

the evo was designed with a sunroof in mind, so to take it out defeats the purpose. and anways, unless ur putting a cage in, the 40-"80" isnt going to help u out much. if u care that much about weight savings, strip the carpet (which weighs a good amount more then the sunroof), the spare tire, the ac, the radio and all the speakers.

basically, there is no good reason to remove the sunroof unless ur going to take it to a road course or scca event, where u need cages and stuff etc. etc.

just save urself the time, money and effort and leave it in... no harm no foul i always say

 

i know about the MR roof panel - i don't have loads of money to just pour into my car right now (i don't have any to be exact). one day i may switch it out, but for now i'm ok with saving some weight.

 

I'll let you know. should be getting my evo back today or monday and I'll weigh the pieces. - mechanism, rails, glass etc.

 

you are right in that it's 30-40 pounds.

there is a good reason to remove it - 'cus i can. i'm not all that worried with weight savings, but if i can remove something i'm not even using, then why not do it? and i don't look at it as a waste of time...i like working on my car (and i'm not wasting any money 'cus this didn't cost anything)

why would taking 40lbs. off my car only help IF i'm putting in a cage? i understand that losing the 40 would offset a cage, but losing the 40 and not gaining it back with a cage is great too. it's 40lbs off the TOP of my car, lowering the center of gravity a little.

 

for anyone thinking of doing this, these are MY results (yours may differ):

1) i've removed the sunroof 'cover' or 'door'. i didn't like it much and i never slide it closed anyway.
2) i also removed the motor and a couple of rails (and quite a few nuts/bolts).

total, this saved 10lbs. not a great deal, but some and some helps. plus, i had fun working on my car all afternoon.

i was supprised at two things:

1) how heavy just the cover was - that thing is metal! thin metal, but metal none-the-less.
2) how heavy the glass/rail assembly is. it's HEAVY. before, i would've thought the motor was just as heavy as the glass - but the glass/rails are probably 2-3 times as heavy as the motor.

i'd say that if you removed everything (motor, rails, glass, ect.), it would be worth anywhere between 35 and 45 pounds. i doubt it's more than that, but still, that's a lot.

oh, and i think i figured out what the tubes are (which, after all, was the point of this thread )- it's a gutter system. the rails look like they're designed to be able to carry a small amount of water down to the tubes, and from there out of the car. i'm sure they can't handle too much water, but at least they're there to do some good.

anyway, if anyone has any questions, just post 'em and i'll answer what i can.

 

the tubes in each corner of the sunroof is the drainit goes all the way down to the bottom of your car it should end up nearyour tranny.

 

1st off, the flaming is not needed trinydex, even if it wasnt pointed at one specific person. 2nd off, the evo was made with a sunroof in mind because they designed it like that. they put in extra support/designed the roof to have a hole in it.

if u want to take it out, thats fine, im not one to judge. i happen to love my sunroof in the summer time with all 4 windows down and it open = wind tunnel effect.

40 pounds isnt going to save u much time, or equal a lot of faster speeds. now say, if u removed 500 pounds, or 700 or something, then it might be worth it.

and just for ur information trinydex, i weigh a whole HUGE 168 pounds... so i dont need a diet and i can loose more weight if i felt like it. so bug off.

also, no one ever said that a new roof would increase sunroof operation. theres a reason the mr doesnt have it with the lightweight roof... NOT A GOOD IDEA.... with the regular evo 03 evo roof, they designed the roof to have added support to make it how rigid it is and how little body roll it has.

if u cant post something nice or constructive maybe not post at all?

evolute, im not trying to argue with ya, just dropped my opinion, thanks for paying attention. i hope all goes well with ur un-instal of the roof, let us know how it goes and maybe some pics for other members that might be pondering or willing to get rid of thiers?

i for one, await pics!!!