winshield rubber seal install 1934

[barnfind08]

Is it just me or are these repro weatherstrips for the 33 and 34 fords made for the repo windshields. I am having a hard time putting one in a original early take-off windshield with script glass. If this task is as hard as I am making it the guys at the ford plant in Michigan at the time were not paid enough. Any body have some tips for me as my fingers and hands are cramping up. Thanks

[David J]

You're not alone on the pain installing one on a real WS frame . No tricks to make it easy that I'm aware of other than making sure the grooves are CLEAN and free of old goop or bits of rubber . Best way seemed to be catching the rearward lip initially and then pushing the front lip into the groove with a skinny dull putty knife .

[barnfind08]

That's what I have been doing and in 2 hours of doing this I am 1/3 way around. started in one corner and worked across the bottom. done. going up side was very tough and only got a few inches before quitting for the night. the grooves are very clean. It certainly could not have been this tough in 1933-34. When drake or Harold made the extrusion die they must have measured a repo windshield. I am afraid to use any lubricant for fear of the strip coming out right behind me. HELP

[Terry,OH]

I used a light bead of black RTV in the frame channel it will not only act as a lube but once hardened it will lock the seal in place. Look at the end of the rubber seal on the frame side you can see the seal has to not only go straight in it also has to lock into the frame. To lock in place the channel in the frame for the seal has a second channel at the bottom. The old seal is usually still in the lock channel, I use right angle picks to clean out the small lock channel.

[Kube]

The advice you've been given thus far is right on the money. That groove must be CLEAN! I use Windex to lubricate the seal when installing. It can be re-applied later if you don't get the job done in one sitting and find you need to move the seal a bit. Plus, it dries up and leaves no traces that can't be removed with a piece of newspaper.

[barnfind08]

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The channel was clean I used a roof shingle cutter and used the hooked end to get in the channel. Believe me there was nothing in there. I will try some windex. Thanks.

[Kube]

Originally Posted by barnfind08

The channel was clean I used a roof shingle cutter and used the hooked end to get in the channel. Believe me there was nothing in there. I will try some windex. Thanks.

It sounds as if you are doing everything as well as possible. It is not a pleasnt job by any means. Good luck and maintain your patience

[Gary/WA]

I've used linseed oil. Stays in liquid state for a day or so and can be cleaned up with generic paint thinner which won't harm the paint. Apply to groove area with q-tip or small artist brush and work seal in with a plastic putty knife. If repositioning is required after the oil has set up, mineral spirits will soften the bond so it can be moved.

[JM 35 Sedan]

I am wondering who's seal you are trying to install? I recently installed some WS seals in some of my '35's. I had a new gasket that I had purchased maybe 5-10 years ago. The rubber had become somewhat hard from aging on the shelf. I tried installing it anyway by coating the gasket with baby powder and pushing it in place with popsicle sticks and a dull ended flat blade screw driver. After what seemed like many hours to get it in place I found it would not seal properly against the window surround, so I ripped it out of the frame and purchased a new one with corners premolded from Bob Drake. This was more expensive than their gasket w/o molded corners, BUT it installed very easily and sealed nicely against the window surround. I also bought one from Carpenter around the same time and installed it in another frame. It did not install as easily as the Drake gasket and does not fit that well around the window opening.
Another thing I have used to help install these into the frame was liquid hand or dish soap. This seemed to work as well as baby powder.

[Mart]

I'm just about to install one myself, I just came in from the garage after removing the old seal. What a pain!. I need to clean and paint the frame before attempting to fit the seal.
Thanks for all the tips above, I'll be using them too.

Mart.

[rotorwrench]

I've never tried doing this particular job before but I worked in a boat window manufacturing plant in Tulsa back when I was going through aviation school. They had every sort of rubber extrusion a person could imagins since they build all sorts of windows & hatches from small boats to cruise ships. They always kept their rubber extrusion rolls in a very hot room. We had to go in there and get new rolls several times in each shift because the stuff would cool down and start getting hard to install. When the rubber is heated to a certain point, it gets very pliable and much easier to work. FoMoCo may have even done this during the manufacturing process and likely had some wood or rawhide tools to aid in installation. When a person gets the right combination, extrusions can be installed very quickly but most folks would probably not like to get that familiar with a task like this. We used a solution that was a lot like windex on some jobs and Ruglyde on big jobs. After I got good at it, I didn't need lubricant at all.

[34coupe]

yes spray it down good with windex, after you get the rubber in the frame and the frame in the car, the rubber will be cupped and not want to let you crank the windshield closed, I used a hair blower,baby powder and some mussel to help with cranking the windshield tightly closed. let it set a couple days closed, now its sealed tight and works fine

[JM 35 Sedan]

While rereading some of the earlier posts about making sure the frame channels, where the rubber fits into, are completely cleaned out, reminded me about one of my frames. I thought for sure I had all the old rubber cleaned out, and was about to begin installing the new rubber gasket, when I remembered I had some special dental picks that have hooked ends with a sharp scraping edge. I decided to make one last pass through those channels with these picks and could not believe how many slivers of rubber came out after I thought they were totally cleaned out. So, again, make sure you have all of that old rubber gasket completely cleaned out of the frame. Check and double check.

[Terry,OH]

You need a very small diameter tool or one with a right angle to get to the bottom of the first channel and then into the second channel, adjacent to and at the bottom of, the first. A right angle pick works well, as John mentions above. Look at the profile view of the rubber seal to see where the second channel is located.

[barnfind08]

Well it got done and is in the 3W. Kube wins he was first on the Windex idea, that was a big help. I will be taking the car for it's second trial run and this time with a windshield in place. Should be a good barometer on the feel of how it is going down the road. First time out all the wheels were in balance and it stayed straight. I may have to cover the trunk floor with some blankets or such to muffle the dual 36 ford driveshaft exhausts. thanks guys for your help.

[Rustyspokes]

Hi Guys I put in a New Windshield seal with not any problems, after cleaning out the groove ; I spread in some what they call KY Jelly on the new seal and along the cleaned out groove and the New seal was installed in about an hour, fit good and looks good , JMHO............. My Windshield seal was the Original 34, 4Dr. Sedan , the glass was replaced a few years ago but the windshield seal was an "Original Seal ", very hard and came out in dry pieces..

[barnfind08]

curious as to your windshield original 34 ford or repo 34 ford?