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Today I decided to change out the brittle, leaky windshield seal. In fact there was a 2" gap at the center bottom which doesn't look like a piece was missing, so maybe in 56 years it shrank that much? It was easy to remove, I didn't even have to use a utility knife since it came off in chunks. Then I used grease & wax remover to clean off the glass edge, and a plastic trim tool to scrape off the old butyl sealant from the pinch weld area. So far so good.
Anyhow I had bought a new Precision WBL 602 seal, so I unwrapped it and got to work. With the help of some glass cleaner spray for lubricant, I got it worked over the edge all the way around, and that last corner was a real struggle.
The problem is that the gasket appears too long (or the glass has shrunk - is that even possible?) See the pic - it's seated on all four corners and the other straight edges, but it wants to pop off the glass with some slack in it. The long top edge has a similar issue but not as severe... What should I do now?
Can you distribute the slack evenly around the perimeter? If no, then maybe consider purchasing a different seal from DC? While I am no longer much impressed by the quality of Dennis Carpenters repops - their quality has steadily deteriorated over the years (made offshore) - I still trust their rubber parts as being among the best. And that butyl sealant can really help.
The description does not appear to be correct for the 61-66 Ford truck application. May be mistaken but reviewing the supplier item description MLB 602 possibly for a Chevy just not clear to me what 'type B sear' refers to??? If find the seal is not correct I am in I buzzard camp regarding DC products they are no longer my go to part supplier except when it comes to weatherstrip, gaskets, and seals.
Have not done my truck, but on the many vehicles I have done, the rubber shrinks down after some time from being stretched, so let it sit a day to shrink and trim with a hose cutter or utility knife if it is not one piece. I use some blue tape where needed and trim it off latter with a utility knife. Hope that helped. and yes aftermarket ick
Thanks! It is one piece (the ends of the strip are vulcanized together). I'll let it sit, and see what it looks like tomorrow.
I suppose I could cut it there, remove a small piece and try to make a neat splice that will hold up under the tension... hoping that won't be necessary (or buying another seal)!
I ordered a Steel Rubber products one about a year ago. I had it done at a glass shop (which supplied the glass) so I don't have first hand knowledge but I did ask how the fit was because I plan to replace the rear also and the shop said it fit perfectly.
I agree with using DC rubber parts, they make them in Charlotte with the original Ford tooling. But what you got going on there is normal. I have installed a couple that did not have the stainless trim by myself. Some Castrol Red rubber grease on the cord helps a lot. Just get your sealant and pull cord in there then tape it snug to the glass with some masking tape. Try to get all four corners started before you start pulling on that cord. Having all four corners started will keep the glass centered. If you have a helper things go a lot faster. I find a cotter pin tool or a screwdriver bent into a 90 on the end works well to help that seal over the pinch weld.
Today I looked at the seal and it wasn't much different than the picture from yesterday. However, just a very small adjustment (pulling the seal towards the other end of the glass) allowed it to go on. So now I have the cord strung and the 3M Bedding & Glazing butyl applied, and the pinch weld cleaned off. No rust holes (somewhat surprisingly).
Now I just need a helper to get it in place and hold it while I pull the cord. I probably could do it alone but I don't want to get covered with sticky butyl rubber (or worse yet, pop that #$%^ seal off again!)
This reminds me of a trig problem I saw many years ago - if you have a perfectly straight pipe lying on the ground that's a mile long, and you push the ends together one foot, how high would the bulge in the middle be?
The answer is 53 feet! So maybe small deflections of the seal can cause big bumps too
I had a helper when I did mine. I had to deal with the stainless trim as well as the rubber, and none of it wanted to stay together. I disassembled the whole works, and taped it together every foot or so. Of course I had to wash off all the soap to get the tape to stick. The rope went in before the tape went on. I put a little soap on the flange. I pushed on it - pretty hard - and my helper pulled the rope and removed the pieces of tape as necessary. It took several hours. I was told the goop wasn't really necessary, and I couldn't find any traces of any on the old seal, so I didn't use it. It didn't leak at all.
I got a new windshield a couple of years later, and this time the insurance company paid. I watched two pros remove and replace the windshield in twenty minutes without tape or sealer and just a thin film of soap. No leaks.
Looks like you’re having about as much luck as I am. 6 weeks ago I ordered a new gasket for my back glass from Rubber The Right Way. It’s still on back order 😡😡
Looks like you’re having about as much luck as I am. 6 weeks ago I ordered a new gasket for my back glass from Rubber The Right Way. It’s still on back order 😡😡
That sucks. I was just about to recommend them. That's where I got my windshield seal and have been toying with the idea of doing the rear. Guess I should order it now!
That sucks. I was just about to recommend them. That's where I got my windshield seal and have been toying with the idea of doing the rear. Guess I should order it now!
If you order it now, you might have it before the snow starts flying 😂😂😂
My truck had butyl sealant all along the pinch weld area, so I'm using it. Precision says to use it, as does the Ford shop manual. Easier (if messier) to apply it now and not need it, than to try and stop leaks later if they do occur...
A Harbor Freight opened yesterday in my town (nearest one was 40 miles away before), so I bought a couple of suction cup holders, and tested them in the store before buying them. STILL waiting on my friend who was supposed to assist me today... I'd do it myself but I don't want to risk dropping and breaking the glass.
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Windshield seal problems
If find the seal is not correct I am in I buzzard camp regarding DC products they are no longer my go to part supplier except when it comes to weatherstrip, gaskets, and seals.
