The black plastic rail extrusions on your Original Series rower may wear or crack over time with heavy use. Replacement of the rail extrusions is fairly straightforward and the process is identical for any Original Series rower. Follow the steps below.
Step 1
Using a 3/16″ Allen key, unscrew the seat stops. There are 2 on each rail — 1 at the front, and 1 at the rear. Remove the seat from the rails.
Step 2
Remove the old extrusion from the rail. The extrusions is anchored into a groove in the rail and are held in place with caulking. It may necessary to use a putty knife or a flat head screw driver to remove the extrusion.
Note: Please be careful not to damage the wood in this step.
Step 3
Remove all the old caulking from the grove on the rail, as well as the rail extrusion. You can do this using a putty knife or flat headed screwdriver. You may also use a hair dryer or a heat gun set at a very low setting to help soften the caulk so you can remove it easier.
Step 4
Run a line of caulk down the groove in the rail.
When putting the new rail extrusion into place, make sure that the seat stop holes line up, and the overhang on the extrusion is on the inside of the rail. Set the rail extrusion onto the rail, so that the ridge on the bottom fits into the groove in the rail. Once aligned, set the extrusion into place on the rail by using a rubber mallet.
See the diagrams at left.
Step 5
With the 3/16″ Allen key, screw the rail seat stops back into place.
Step 6
If necessary, repeat steps 1-5 on the other rail.