Boot seal

[AUSMHLY]

Is anyone using another rubber seal for the boot, other than the "correct" ones sold by the usual suspects. I currently had a Moss boot seal and water was getting by it and leaking into the boot.

Recently I've had in my hands the one from BCS which is 3/4" wide and one from Moss which is 1" wide. Both are solid foam and compression is a bit harder than I'd like.

Now that I'm addressing the leak issue, seems the body shop used Bondo to help recreate the shroud channel lip shape. I'm spending a lot of time trying to reform the channel lip. I'm afraid that if I keep trying to reform it, the Bondo/paint will start to crack.

If the channel lip is too low, water get by the seal. If the lip is too high, it pushes the boot lid up and it doesn't line up with the shroud. Not acceptable.

I'd like to find a bulb style seal. That type will be more flexible and forgiving of the gap between the channel lip and the boot.

I'm searching the local car parts stores, Pet Boys, Auto Zone, Kragen, Vic Hubbards, etc and they don't carry much in generic seals.

Online I've looked at JC Whitney, but their description leaves some things out. Like how tall is the base on item number 3 (total height 11/16") in the photo below. I need a thin base, for one that's high will take away from the compression of the bulb. Their number 4 is not high enough, being the total height is only 3/8"

Attached is a photo of the bulb seal I have from Auto Zone. It's base is too high, and I'm considering cutting all of it off, cut sample on the right. But then there will not be much of an area for the glue to attach to the boot lid, being it will now be round.

Is anyone using a soft compression rubber seal? If so, would you provide a link and part number.

As always,
Cheers,
Roger

 

[Keoke]

If the channel lip is too low, water get by the seal. If the lip is too high, it pushes the boot lid up and it doesn't line up with the shroud. Not acceptable.

Hi Rodg, This problem may resolve itself after the seal beds in abit,---Fwiw--Keoke

 

[AUSMHLY]

If the channel lip is too low, water get by the seal. If the lip is too high, it pushes the boot lid up and it doesn't line up with the shroud. Not acceptable.

Hi Rodg, This problem may resolve itself after the seal beds in abit,---Fwiw--Keoke

All words of wisdom Keoke. Thank you.

However, finding the correct height for the lip is showing paint cracking and I'm hesitant of pursuing this course of continuing to move the aluminum channel. I've removed the seal completely and laid the boot lid in the channel. The meeting of the edges, boot lid and shroud are not as constant as I would want, or any other perfectionist out here would be happy with.

I can not do anything about the curves of the boot lid and shroud not being flush. I have to move the channel lip up and down to fit the "correct" seal. Or slice some off the back of the seal and add filler in other areas. I've spent way to much time on this exercise already and I'm looking for another way to solve the bad body shop attention to detail in creating the lip. (Don't get me started). I've even bribed the neighbors small son to get in the boot with a flashlight and shammy to tell me where the leaks are coming from.

The foam is too hard to seat itself, in my case. There are too many areas where the lip is off because the boot lid is curved incorrectly. So when that area is down as close as possible to mating to the shroud, then the area a little farther away has hardly any thickness for a rubber seal that's as thick as the "correct" firmer seal has.

Hence I'm back to either bending the channel lip some more and possible cracking the paint, or shaving some rubber off the rubber seal. Keep in mind I'm trying to figure all this out without having the seal glued in place, but being held in place with double sided scotch tape. The thinest tape I could find.

Man I'm having fun. Or is it, am I having fun yet?
r

 

[John_Progess]

You might consider buying a seal that is a bit thin then using a urethane type sealing compound put enough in the shroud lip so the seal is a bit high, wait a while to let the compound set up a little so it won't flow out when you install the seal, install the new seal then close the lid and see if you get a proper seal. Good luck and have a good day!

John

 

[bighealeysource]

Hey Roger,
On a BJ8 I had a while back, had a similar problem in that the seal from Moss
made the boot lid sit a bit high. Finally gave up and used a foam rubber
strip from my local hardware store. It was about the same size as the
one you get for sealing the top to the windshield frame, maybe 3/8 inch tall
by 3/4 wide. Boot lid closed down properly and seemed to seal up pretty good
but never had it in the rain ! Not exactly original but worked. Can't recall
what it was actually intended for but was in the same place with all the
foam/rubber seals for weatherproofing.
Regards,
Mike