Door Window Outer Seals, Help Please

waldo_pepper · Feb 7, 2014

Can anybody give me a clue as to how to keep the outer door seal on. I have purchased some clips and new seals and have been "having fun" putting it on and watching it pop off again, the theory seems simple the clips fit nicely into the little oblong holes in the outer skin, then you ease the seal under the paart of the clip that sticks up and hey presto the seal is on.

I have the door stripped and am fitting the seal without the window in place, I have trimmed the seal down so that it lays flush on the door and fitted all the clips but when I ease the seal into place it pulls the clips up and they all fall off. phase 2 was fitting the clips and squeezing them with pliers to make them stay. same stuff. is it that I have bad clips or bad seals or am I just mental, I have spent 2 days trying to fit 1 seal and I am total frustrated

DanR · Feb 8, 2014

John, You seem to be suffering the same as I! My first try at it caused me to wonder why I was even attempting to restore a Sunbeam alpine in the first place.

My second try after reading and reading and reading the instructions was a repeat of the first.

Remember trying to suck juice from an orange? A tale that goes like this: Try and try again, if at first you don't suck seed, suck until you do suck seed! Dad encouraged me many a time to try and try again!

That's the best advice I can give. I finally was able to complete the task on my '67 SV.

PROCRAFT · Feb 8, 2014

seals

The only problem I had is they did not stay on no matter what I did the solutions seems to glue them, Im on my third set from Rick and not a happy guy!!!!!!! one thing I did discover is the door slot where the clip go's can be bent outwards causing the clip to become tighter all in all there a pain in the ass. also you can bend the little barbs a bit more so the dig into the seal a little deeper!

alpine_64 · Feb 8, 2014

A while ago it was acknowledged that the clips were not the same sprung tension steel as the originals.. original clips seemed to hold the external seal a bit better. Then about 6 months back a friend and i were looking at the various seals from original to repro from 10 years ago to SS current repro and one from a British supplier.. the originals are a slightly different thickness and I would say that combined with the slight change in tension on the clips is why the current ones have a habbit of popping out. Best solution is a small dab of contact cement on the inside of the clip to hold the rubber in place.

65beam · Feb 9, 2014

help

the best solution is hold onto the old clips if they held the old rubber in place.

P. Scofield · Feb 9, 2014

Even with original clips and new rubber, the rubber seams to work its way up when you roll the window up, especially bad at the wing window. The best way to solve this problem is to use a couple very small screws to secure the seal to the outer skin, from the inside facing lip.

Start by drilling two very small holes through the seal's inner metal at two strategic spots. One near the rear, one near the rear of the wing window. This should be done on the drill press with a wood block. Put the seal in place and mark the location of the holes. Remove again, and now the fun begins.

The inner skin is hard to drill because you will be trying to drill at a slight angle, and the drill bit wants to walk downwards. To complicate things, if your car is not a GT or MKIA, you don't have a waist roll to cover the paint you scratch up on the top of the inner door.

The best way I found to do it is: (all with the guts out of the door)

Pre-drill a very small piece of thin metal near the edge, like an old clip or speed nut. One of the circle washers with the hole that cover the inner trunk SUNBEAM letters is perfect.

Using small pointed vice grips secure this over your hole mark from inside the door.

Cover all of your drill bit except for 1/8" of the tip to drill through your guide. It's a good idea to also cover to top of the inner door with some tape.

Wala! Don't kill yourself by making the hole too tight for your screw as you won't have the leverage to put a lot of pleasure on the head at an angle.

The other way to do it is take a file and just file a small cup in the tip of your vise grips. Grip the pliers at the base of your hole and this will keep your bit in place long enough to break through.

Bill Blue · Feb 9, 2014

I tried using the clips with the same success as others. George Farrel suggested using small paper clips. Not the wire ones, but the ones with the black spring, perhaps better described as paper clamps. After installation, remove the wire portion of the clip, leaving just the black spring. Pretty easily done and they do a good job of holding the seal in place.

Bill

DanR · Feb 9, 2014

Paul, I may try your suggestion (on the door shell).

Mr Bill, I like that idea, especially while the seal is in place but needing a little help staying there!

DanR

alpine_64 · Feb 9, 2014

Bill Blue said:
I tried using the clips with the same success as others. George Farrel suggested using small paper clips. Not the wire ones, but the ones with the black spring, perhaps better described as paper clamps. After installation, remove the wire portion of the clip, leaving just the black spring. Pretty easily done and they do a good job of holding the seal in place.

Bill

Bill bulldog clips aren't a bad idea! and you can get them in quite small sizes too! that said.. a small dab of contact adhesive did work for me

P. Scofield · Feb 9, 2014

DanR said:
Paul, I may try your suggestion (on the door shell).

Mr Bill, I like that idea, especially while the seal is in place but needing a little help staying there!

DanR

Ideally, if you do it before you paint it's much easier!