Tips for leaking windows
Discussion
When I put the glass back in after last years replacement of the roof lining, scare stories of easily breaking back windows made me opt for using a professional. The good news was no broken glass. The not so good news is driving in the rain. It pours in through the corners front and back. I know the professional used no sealant and told me I wouldn't need any.
OK he was wrong. So now I need to do it as the car is used in all weathers. Can anyone suggest good sealants. Does it only need to be between glass and rubber or also between body and rubber?
Moto
OK he was wrong. So now I need to do it as the car is used in all weathers. Can anyone suggest good sealants. Does it only need to be between glass and rubber or also between body and rubber?
Moto
Hi,
You should have seealer between the glass and rubber, on these i would also seal the rubber to body. You can do this after the screen is fitted depending on what type of rubber fitment it is, i cant remember which type this has. If the filler strip ( the chrome part ) is fitted before the screen goes in then you will need to apply sealer first. Any decent technician would do this everytime.
You should have seealer between the glass and rubber, on these i would also seal the rubber to body. You can do this after the screen is fitted depending on what type of rubber fitment it is, i cant remember which type this has. If the filler strip ( the chrome part ) is fitted before the screen goes in then you will need to apply sealer first. Any decent technician would do this everytime.
I have just had my Taimar front screen professionally refitted & rear screen re-sealed.
Method used was as Phillpot states
1 fit seal
2 apply sealant between glass/rubberseal & rubberseal/body
3 fit "chrome strip" that has been warmed in a bucket of hot water first to make more pliable.
Chrome strip was removed from rear screen before sealant was applied as above.
Hope this helps.
MikeS
Method used was as Phillpot states
1 fit seal
2 apply sealant between glass/rubberseal & rubberseal/body
3 fit "chrome strip" that has been warmed in a bucket of hot water first to make more pliable.
Chrome strip was removed from rear screen before sealant was applied as above.
Hope this helps.
MikeS
OK job done. All seems OK but until it rains I won't know for sure.
I followed the above, removing the chrome spreader insert. I was advised by Adrian to use silicon sealant as the glass needs to be bonded to the fibreglass to provide the necessary rigidity. Having seen how flimsy the fibreglass roof edge is, that made complete sense. I could easily believe that if not well bonded to eachother, at high speed the wind could very easily lift the roof causing the screen to fall out, or worse.
Cash job? No a local windscreen specialist comapny and paid full rate. Won't use them again.
Moto
I followed the above, removing the chrome spreader insert. I was advised by Adrian to use silicon sealant as the glass needs to be bonded to the fibreglass to provide the necessary rigidity. Having seen how flimsy the fibreglass roof edge is, that made complete sense. I could easily believe that if not well bonded to eachother, at high speed the wind could very easily lift the roof causing the screen to fall out, or worse.
Cash job? No a local windscreen specialist comapny and paid full rate. Won't use them again.
Moto
Interesting - My memory is probably faulty, but I remember from somewhere that Silicon sealant was supposed to be a bad idea for car window seals, as the acetic acid (i.e. the vinegar smell) slowly rots the seal, so it leaks again after a while.
There are (or were) alternate formulations for car seals, which are available from windscreen places.
Is that [still] true ?? Anyone know ??
There are (or were) alternate formulations for car seals, which are available from windscreen places.
Is that [still] true ?? Anyone know ??
Didn't think silicone stuck to rubber too well?
To just seal it I'd go with a non setting sealant (like I linked to above)that will flex with the car and keep its seal.
If you do want to try and create a sort of bonded screen wouldn't a Polyurethane sealant, something like Sikaflex, be better (it does a pretty good job of holding Chimaeras together)?
phillpot said:
Didn't think silicone stuck to rubber too well?
To just seal it I'd go with a non setting sealant (like I linked to above)that will flex with the car and keep its seal.
If you do want to try and create a sort of bonded screen wouldn't a Polyurethane sealant, something like Sikaflex, be better (it does a pretty good job of holding Chimaeras together)?
The point is that a non setting is that it air seals on the surface but with all the flexing it all dries out and then falls out and you get gaps and leaks, which works well on rigid structures. With silicone it seal to neither surface (rubber/body/trim) perfectly, it can be removed as you are fitting easily with glass cleaner and white spirits, but then adheres to glass well bonding AND after 30 years plus years of using it to do this one job, as I use a different sealant for everything else (a white spirit based one with 700% elasticity) my advice is that as long as you are going nowhere near a paint shop (as silicones are a no no there) it does the job perfectly, (I have never seen it damage rubber either).To just seal it I'd go with a non setting sealant (like I linked to above)that will flex with the car and keep its seal.
If you do want to try and create a sort of bonded screen wouldn't a Polyurethane sealant, something like Sikaflex, be better (it does a pretty good job of holding Chimaeras together)?
Adrian@
Adrian,
Just checking, but by silicon, you mean the ones that smell of vinegar ?
The common household 'outdoor sealer' types ?
and what do you use to seal the join in the 'rubber' seal ? Superglue was recommended to me, but I don't think it's flexible ??.
I'm asking as I will be putting my Vixen rear window in (and the windscreen) quite soon....doing the headlining now, which is a pain to keep the creases out !!
Just checking, but by silicon, you mean the ones that smell of vinegar ?
The common household 'outdoor sealer' types ?
and what do you use to seal the join in the 'rubber' seal ? Superglue was recommended to me, but I don't think it's flexible ??.
I'm asking as I will be putting my Vixen rear window in (and the windscreen) quite soon....doing the headlining now, which is a pain to keep the creases out !!
RCK974X said:
Adrian,
doing the headlining now, which is a pain to keep the creases out !!
Andy, I used Bulldog clips all the way around the edges. Needed around 200 (small) to do it but it worked really well. Buy them on ebay for £10 ish. You can then pull the creases out, clip, then move along 2 inches and same again. The creases then just work themselves out.doing the headlining now, which is a pain to keep the creases out !!
Moto
Adrian - thanks. When I bought the beast (a long time ago) it had a 1/4 inch gap in the rear rubber, bodged with sealer !!
Moto - Yeah, doing exactly that, but with about 20 clips !
After putting it up with the wires, start by gluing centre of headlining at front (windsreen) then gluing centre of back and stretching as you go, clip with bulldog/foldback clips. Wait till it dries, then glue in smallish strips toward edges front and back to keep it taut.
Done that on a few kit cars etc, but Vixen has quite a sharp 'turn' over the doors, so it's a bit fiddly. In retrospect perhaps I should have used thinner material ! (I got one of those foam/fabric backed types for extra sound reduction)
Moto - Yeah, doing exactly that, but with about 20 clips !
After putting it up with the wires, start by gluing centre of headlining at front (windsreen) then gluing centre of back and stretching as you go, clip with bulldog/foldback clips. Wait till it dries, then glue in smallish strips toward edges front and back to keep it taut.
Done that on a few kit cars etc, but Vixen has quite a sharp 'turn' over the doors, so it's a bit fiddly. In retrospect perhaps I should have used thinner material ! (I got one of those foam/fabric backed types for extra sound reduction)
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