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Mountain gear firefox jacket zip replacement

Mountain gear firefox jacket zip replacement


Postby Roger101 » Sat Nov 30, 2019 4:20 pm

Hello everyone. My first post on here. Hope I can help others soon.

I've had this great Mountain Gear Firefox jacket for over 6 years now, so we'll out of warranty.

Still got a few years life left in it if I can repair the zip. I have contacted MG but they won't do anything for me

Basically the waterproof zip track is fine but the slider broke and fell off (looks like the one in the attached photo). I ordered what I thought was the same slider since I had the code, tried to fit it but it was impossible. It's so tiny I kept breaking them.

So decided to bite the bullet and take to a tailors. I tried all local tailors and eventually Scottish and Lancashire sports repair.

Scottish mountain gear said they couldn't repair it because it is glued into the jacket. Lancashire sports repair said they could replace it with a non glued stitched in waterproof zip but it may not match.

Surely there is a way to melt the glue and replace the zip. Anyway, no luck so far. It was quite expensive and I like to look after things.

Anyone got any suggestions ?
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Re: Mountain gear firefox jacket zip replacement

Postby davekeiller » Sun Dec 01, 2019 12:57 pm

Lancashire Sports Repair are specialists. I've used them once or twice for things, and if they say that the best they can do is replacing the zip with a stitched in one, then that probably is the best that can be done.
On the plus side, January sales are coming up!
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Re: Mountain gear firefox jacket zip replacement

Postby davekeiller » Mon Dec 02, 2019 8:19 pm

I was thinking about this, and whilst it's probably possible to melt the glue and replace the zip, you're probably going to damage the surrounding jacket in the process. You then won't have a clean surface to glue the zip to once you've repaired or replaced it. That's probably why Lancashire Sports Repairs were suggesting a stitched in replacement. It probably won't look quite right, but would be perfectly functional.
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Re: Mountain gear firefox jacket zip replacement

Postby jacob » Wed Dec 04, 2019 7:53 pm

It seems to be a YKK-aquaguard zipper. Should be no problem to order from YKK directly. When the rails truly are glued into the jacket, try opening the runner slightly, shove it onto the rails and close it again with pliers.
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Re: Mountain gear firefox jacket zip replacement

Postby WalkWithWallace » Thu Dec 05, 2019 8:10 am

Try these guys, they've fixed tents and rucksacks for me and I rate them:

https://www.scottishmountaingear.com/repair-service
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Re: Mountain gear firefox jacket zip replacement

Postby davekeiller » Thu Dec 05, 2019 4:45 pm

@ WalkWithWallace in the OP it says he's already tried them and they can't help.
I think Jacob's idea of gently bending a zipper to slide it in and then bending it back with pliers is likely to be the best option.
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Re: Mountain gear firefox jacket zip replacement

Postby WalkWithWallace » Thu Dec 05, 2019 10:34 pm

Oops, that's what you get for not reading all the post. :oops:
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Re: Mountain gear firefox jacket zip replacement

Postby Roger101 » Mon Dec 09, 2019 1:36 pm

Thanks for all the responses. So am I to assume that all these modern waterproofs with glued in zips are unrepairable? (Aside from cutting it out and stitching a new one which may not match back in, or replacing the zip slider).

I would like to know for future, because I will never buy one like this again.

And can anyone point me to somewhere who could supply me the exact right slider? The code is YKK 3C. Only thing i could find in Ebay was a YKK 3. Didn't really look the same as the oroginal.
I felt like it was smaller, hence why I broke it every time I tried to fit it. Otherwise limiter places online that sell them.

Cheere
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Re: Mountain gear firefox jacket zip replacement

Postby Giant Stoneater » Mon Dec 09, 2019 2:42 pm

This maybe of some help though it is a German store.
https://www.extremtextil.de/en/zippers/standard-3c-coil-ykk.html
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Re: Mountain gear firefox jacket zip replacement

Postby davekeiller » Mon Dec 09, 2019 7:33 pm

In fairness, LSR said that they can repair it, but that the repair might not match the original because they'd have to cut the zip out and stitch a new one in. That would probably also be true if the zip was stitched in because what they have in stock might not exactly match the original.
You also say that you've had 6 years out of the jacket, which is pretty good going.
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Re: Mountain gear firefox jacket zip replacement

Postby jacob » Tue Dec 10, 2019 10:23 am

@Giantstoneeater:
You linked a standard zip, this is a aquaguard.
Proper link:
https://www.extremtextil.de/en/zippers/aquaguard-3c-coil-ykk.html

btw for those in doubt: extremtextil is a proper and fully trustworthy website, quick delivery and quality stuff.
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