Door rubber gasket - which direction to install?

[jumpinjan]

These are new rubber, door-edge weatherstrip gaskets from Rick (p/n DP54). These are the molded sponge rubber strips with a bonded, hard rubber "Tee" strip and that Tee slides in the metal channel that goes around the door jam.
These seals can only be installed in one direction, and when installed do not completely seal the body/door gap. Also, hard to even close the door. To me it looks like the wrong seal, and I have been told they are not like the factory ones.
My question is what have you experienced?
Jan

 

[junkman]

I have not had any issues with SS door seals. That being said they certainly can be a bugger to install, last set we did my guy broke out the glass cleaner to help them along and there was still quite a bit of swearing. As far as actually sealing, how good are any of them? Any Sunbeam I ever drove in a heavy rain leaked like hell. With all new rubber!

 

[jumpinjan]

I never had any leaks in my Series I with a hardtop. Although, all the seals were original seals. The soft top is a different story, it leaked.
Jan

 

[junkman]

I've never driven a Sunbeam with a hardtop. That's about to change with my up coming MK1, #364 black dash.Color#1 w/a Martha red interior.
Jeff

 

[bernd_st]

Despite I normally like original style setup I never install the door weatherstrips anymore. The channels are terrible rust traps and the seals do nothing except making door shutting difficult...

 

[moonstone SIV]

Jan,

The seals can be installed in either the "wrong" or "right" way, it's dependent on the lip that seals against the door aperture. Can you shoot a pic of the molding cross section?

 

[alpine_64]

Despite I normally like original style setup I never install the door weatherstrips anymore. The channels are terrible rust traps and the seals do nothing except making door shutting difficult...

Bernd if they are the correct seals they stop a lot of draft and wind noise. They shouldn't make it hard to close the door, they should be soft enough to compress to seal.

 

[bernd_st]

Michael, I wonder whether that makes a real difference in an open top car, unless you drive with the Hardtop on. What still remains an issue though is the rust trapping under that channel. Have attached a picture of a sample S2 original door which came from an otherwise almost rust free body and that's how they all look like underneath that dreaded steel channel . Just not going that path anymore, but up to personal preferences...

 

[alpine_64]

Hi Bernd,

Yes i do drive it with the hardtop in winter.... When i was younger i drove it roof down all the time even in winter.. That said when i first got it i had no hardtop... Or soft top

 

[bernd_st]

Occasionally also drive with Hardtop on as can be seen from my Avatar. Find the draft/engine fumes coming in from the firewall way more annoying. So a bit of fresh air in the cabin is normally welcome. Even letting the rear side later Hardtop windows open on longer trips...

 

[Warren]

I've never driven a Sunbeam with a hardtop. That's about to change with my up coming MK1, #364 black dash.Color#1 w/a Martha red interior.
Jeff

I had not driven one either except for an extremely well prepared car. What that means is one that didn't have any rattles have been gone over with a fine tooth comb or similar device to tighten everything up so there were no rattles and modified rubber for
the tin can effect. I didn't do my own headliner, as I have a old friend who used to do installs professionally. He used a MBZ soft top insulation. Maybe it works too good now because you hear every noise that the car makes. I just did spend some time putting some dynamat like product on the back of the center hood cover as the sound intruding from the fuel pump area as well as the boot is somewhat maddening.
My only fix now is to turn up the boombox which I kind of do anyway.

Before my concern with the top down was the amount of extra wind noise from the windshield surround in that 90° stainless steel stupid vertical gutter.

I would PS that tight rubber will also trap a lot of road salt salt spray if driven by the beach on the big surf day etc. Plus there's always that little bit of debris dirt and whatever that lives and turns to mud and remains wet.
Once you save a few cars from living in outdoor leaf shedders you see the debris contribution.

 

[hartmandm]

Continuing this thread ... I'm fiddling with my passenger door. It is really hard to close with the door seal in place and still way too hard to close with the door seal removed. I plan to work on adjusting the hinges soon. But as a starting point, I don't know if my door seal was installed with the correct orientation.

This door seal likely came from Sunbeam Specialties in the late 1980s. It has a smaller flat side and a longer curved side. Here is how it was installed (photo is the top of the door opening):



I think the door seal is the below profile from the Parts Manual (PLATE F- SECTION YX):



Should the shorter flat side be against the door outer skin or the longer curved side?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[bernd_st]

They should be installed the other way around, means the longer side towards the door skin...

 

[Pete S.]

Continuing this thread ... I'm fiddling with my passenger door. It is really hard to close with the door seal in place and still way too hard to close with the door seal removed. I plan to work on adjusting the hinges soon. But as a starting point, I don't know if my door seal was installed with the correct orientation.

This door seal likely came from Sunbeam Specialties in the late 1980s. It has a smaller flat side and a longer curved side. Here is how it was installed (photo is the top of the door opening):

View attachment 29298

I think the door seal is the below profile from the Parts Manual (PLATE F- SECTION YX):

View attachment 29299

Should the shorter flat side be against the door outer skin or the longer curved side?

Thanks,
Mike

According to Rick at S.S., that is the correct way to install them.

 

[hartmandm]

According to Rick at S.S., that is the correct way to install them.

Hi Pete,

Can you clarify which orientation Rick claims to use?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[jumpinjan]

The larger lip needs to face the body if you want it to seal. If the larger lip is against the door skin it will not seal.
However, installing the seal (facing the body) will not be easy, and one needs to push the rubber into the door channel with a small screwdriver......1/4" at a time....But so what, it takes a little time?
Jan

 

[bernd_st]

Rick certainly has longer experience, but I'ld doubt that seal orientation. Never seen that on any car/used doors. Do we have an original car with untouched door seals as an evidence to prove his statement ?

 

[JR66]

Series V original owner. Untouched door seals. jumpinjan is correct. Longer lip contacts body when door is closed.

 

[bernd_st]

Cool. Evidence accepted, but still looking weird to me. One is never to old to learn new things about our Beams...

 

[JR66]

A little difficult to see in the photo but flat side of the longer lip is what contacts the body so it makes more sense when you see the actual part installed. Also when installed this way it shouldn't make the door hard to close.