Thanks Mikey914 !!!


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Is it me, or are these door lock seals impossible to find?

I made a post last week about trying to find some of these fragile rubber seals, so that I could complete the rebuild of my door locks - and it appears NO one makes them (Yet!). Hopefully these photos of one will help someone (Mikey914 ??) make some as Aftermarket brand.

This one is a bit dirty, but it is still in very good usable condition.

So, they look like this in the door keylock assembly:
Click to view attachment

approximate width is about .177
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More to Come.....

Part II


Small OD
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Part III

Large OD
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Part IV


Internal Diameter is approx. .5625 give or take a mil...
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Part V

Thickness of material
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Part VI


Top View (note the slight seated ledge area just a few mils in depth)
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Side View
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Ok, well this concludes the slide show & gives a good idea of what this animal looks like, and the approximate measurements, give or take a few mils......if need be, I can try to take added measurements, or maybe send a busted sample to someone.


Anyway, I hope this is enough to spark someone to begin making these door lock seals, as replacement parts since OEM is not an option. I will begin on the glove box & trunk seal just subsequently, since I believe they are slightly different measurements (?).

Cheers,
Ken

Ken - you might PM or email Mikey914 (Mark W.) & see if he can & will make them & where to send the decent shape seal, since I think he typically uses a good used, or preferably new/NOS part from which to make a mold IIRC.
... Send him this one, if you can part with it until he gets some made?

Mark - FYI - I'll be in for at least 2 for my door locks, 4-5 if they're found in all of the 914 locksets (2 doors, F &/or R trunks, glovebox), & it sounded like a lot of folks out there will need them too.

Cheers back at ya!
Tom
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Mikey914 probably needs the measurements in MM's..........

I have several used ones. Very rare = $$$

I can put this on my plate, should be able to have something in a week or so. Hopefully less as I took my lock apart to get a sample and it fell apart. Now I need one too. The other lock proved to be a more viable sample, but wow, it just disentigrated.

So the question is how many peopel need these? I have a suspicion that there are quite a few that do and don't even know.

I can make these for $3.15 per part for those that want to step up now. After production has been run $5 each. Quite a difference in price, but if you want to step up now and commit to a few parts, you'll save some cash.

I'll take 10 to start with.
Thanks much for making these!

Dang! - I already missed the first sets for $2.85 each .... now they're $3.15!
... now that's inflation not seen since 1930's Deutchland or something!

Put me down for 5 Mark!

Tom
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Calculated the cost, but needed to allow for drop and have a small cushion to cover any adjustments. Still better that not signing up now.
-Mark

No problem Mark, I'm happy to pay whatever you need to do them, cuz we need you to stay in business on these - even if you're not profit motivated per our past conversations. I just figured you recalculated it again & corrected the post.

But I couldn't resist some fun at you.

OT -but hey, I referred my buddy Jerry S with that pristine original 71 914/4 to you for some seals & maybe a drive by assessment of what he needs when you're down here on a flight. I think he needs cowl seals & window scrapers & the top windshield to targa seals at the least. He's in San Clemente, an ex-corporate helo pilot & architect (so tell him about your deck rails for his projects also). PM or email me if you want his cell to set up a time.

Tom
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Did anyone research VW/Audi door lock seals?
The 914 seals look just like every VW/Audi door lock seal I have had apart in the last 20 years. I have never compared 914 to VW/Audi but always assumed they were the same size. VW/Audi door handles were a common failure and I re-keyed almost everyone I replaced. I probably have 3 or 4 seals loose in my tool box and a few in door handles I still have around. I don't know if the seals are available separately or not.

Jim

I looked all over the place for these when I rekeyed my car and could not find them.
Mark, I am in for a set of two.
thanks
-Rob

I'm good for four sets.

Thanks Tom my railing site is DIYRailing.com. You can PM me his info if he's interested.

Thanks,
Mark

I would be in for 4 of these - thanks as always!

Does anyone know if these are used in just the door locks or all locks (doors, hood, trunk and glove box)?

I'll take 4.

I will take 3, you know one spare...

The new VW/Audi ones are slightly larger & don't fit quite right.

10 for me right now, and more later.

I am in for 4.

--Steve

The doors and the rear trunk lock on each car will need them. Glove box and trunk pull do not.

Put me down for 6.

I'm burning the midnight oil on these. I've got it just about dialed in, need to do work out a few details, let's just say the new ones will probably out last us all. Pictures later tonight.

-Mark

I will take 10 pieces or 5 sets. I have 4 914's and may get more. I'm sure I will need to order a couple more items when you send your PM to complete the order. Like two rear window to engine lid seals for one item.

Well Mark, since there seems to be nothing you can't make out of rubber for our 914s, I think you should make little rubber 914 models. Maybe about 1:43 scale. Everybody needs at least one.

Nice key chain!

I will also take 6 lock seals bushings, add to my last order. Did you get my PM?

What? 2 days and they are done? You the man Mark!!! Damn glad your not into Fiat X19's.

+2 pieces for me
don't need the rear trunk lock seal, I have the reflector

Finally done with these. I decided to look at these as "bushings" rather than seals. The reason these were not rubber was the rubber would "grab" at the two surfaces and would deteriorate in much less time as the torsonial worces would exceed the flexability of the rubber over a very short time. The rubber would also require additional torque to get the full range of motion and the stress on the key would fatigue the metal at a much higher rate than normal usage.

The solution is a bushing.

If I were to make several hundred thousand of these. plastic injection molding is a cheap easy way to accomplish this probably at a part cost on .10 per unit (after tooling). Heavy up front tooling investment, but savings returned in the unit cost.

The downside - plastic will become brittle and will wear over time, but should last at least 15 years. That was 30+ years ago. Over all, I'm suprised any good examples still exist.

The solution I found was to machine an aluminum bushing to the correct dimensions. This took a bit of playing around to get everything just right, but these will outlast you and me.

Installation is simular to the OEM part with the exception that you apply a marine grease to the lock mechanism install the bushing, and recoat the outside of the bushing to create a water resistant seal.

Below are pictures of the installation and and key fitted in and working normally.

I'll be cranking more of these out tomorrow, and will be filling orders this weekend.

With that being said, I will also have a new introduction to the product line that I've been working on for the last 4 months. Those with the early cars will be interested in them. I will be unveiling the new product in a thread then.

installation

profile installed

Hey Mark, I'll take four pm me with total and s/h. I also want to say it was nice meeting you and your wife at WCR at Tahoe my wife enjoyed your wife and Andy's wife Amoy. Thanks Again John

looks like bushing porn to me...

i'll buy 6.

thefleur

I am in for 4.

why not? 3 for me too.

3 sets so 6 total...

Thx Mark

2 sets for me please.

And my wife wonders why I spend allot of time in the machine shop. I think in some perverse way it must be.

I'm in for two sets.

Put me down for 4pc. Can we send $ via paypal now to help with your upfront costs?

Mike, I'm in for a pair.

G

I'm in for 3,,, one will be a spare..

I'm in for 4 units.

Thanks again for the quality work you provide in all of your products.

Eric Read

(I think I just need to subscribe to everything you make. I seem to buy them all anyway... )

2 sets for me please.
Thanks















Jeff

I'll take two, thanks

I'm in for a pair, please.

Looks like another great solution ! I would like to order a pair.

Jim Hoyland