I am missing the top portion of the windshield seal (top and sides one piece combo unit)

according to Pelican, they now have a properly manufactured unit that will break upon installation (if assembled correctly I'm guessing, LOL)

anyways, has anyone tried this one yet?

how do the "bad" seals fail when brand new? anyone with a brand new torn seal that wants to sell it at a good discounted price??

I have no top seal at all and I'd like to drive my car in the rain.....

They failed at the corners while trying to shove the damn thing down in the channels.

my sides look to be in good shape, I figure I'd try to hold off getting a brand new one until I get the car repainted.....thanks.....

I bought a new one on ebay....

Corners didnt rip, but you can see where they are stressed from the factory

The supposed key is to mount one side and then stretch the hell out of the center section (maybe even heating it with a hair dryer) until it can be mounted to the other side without pulling it apart at the glue seams. I know of one successful installation....mine wasn't And I put the top in place immediately to try and form it.

QUOTE (Mueller Posted on Dec 27 2004 @ 04:29 PM)

I am missing the top portion of the windshield seal (top and sides one piece combo unit) according to Pelican, they now have a properly manufactured unit that will break upon installation (if assembled correctly I'm guessing, LOL)

What? Is that a typo? Did you mean "a properly manufactured unit that will" NOT break?

QUOTE

What? Is that a typo? Did you mean "a properly manufactured unit that will" NOT break?

good catch Mike !!!!

yes, it is NOT supposed to break

I broke 2 before I learned the secret of installing them. Had the one on the car now for 3 years without problems,

Here is the 'how to'

1. Get 2 clamps - I used sears small handle squeeze clamps.

2. Clamp on one side of the top section about 2-3" in from the splice that goes down the pillar to a piece of wood or workbench.

3. Stretch the top section a little and clanp it 2-3" from the other end that goes down the opposite widow post.

4. Wait 2-3 days and unclamp. Check your fit. It is important to only go a little at a time. Restretch as needed. But do not overstretch.

Takes a little time but this does work.

M

thanks for the install tip....still have the broken parts or are they history???

I dont know what all the fuss is about, I have installed several and never broke any of them. I found a trick from a guy who used to restore old cars for a living and he told me to put baby powder all over the seal and warm it with a hair dryer to soften it up and it slides right in. After it is in, you can take a damp cloth and wipe off the baby powder. Comes out slick. The other trick is to wear rubber or nitril gloves so you can hold on and get some grip on it when you start to pull it and stretch it without tearing it. I did the one on my yellow car twice with the same seal. Installed it, then removed it for painting, and then reinstalled it. Also did my red one too the same way. Works everytime.

QUOTE (skline @ Dec 27 2004, 10:40 PM)

I dont know what all the fuss is about, I have installed several and never broke any of them. I found a trick from a guy who used to restore old cars for a living and he told me to put baby powder all over the seal and warm it with a hair dryer to soften it up and it slides right in. After it is in, you can take a damp cloth and wipe off the baby powder. Comes out slick. The other trick is to wear rubber or nitril gloves so you can hold on and get some grip on it when you start to pull it and stretch it without tearing it. I did the one on my yellow car twice with the same seal. Installed it, then removed it for painting, and then reinstalled it. Also did my red one too the same way. Works everytime.

This method works great.

The last seal I bought was from GPR, great fit, no ripping, installed easily, no leaks. Call them, it is a good repo seal.

I used Silicon spray lube....worked fine

QUOTE (Aaron Cox @ Dec 28 2004, 09:00 AM)

I used Silicon spray lube....worked fine

It would work fine except it makes such a mess and it turns to a gel after awhile. Hope you never have to take it off and try to put it back on again.