TR2/3/3A Installing botton rubber on windshield

[Tinkerman]

Afternoon, windshield for my 1960 post 60,000 TR is now all assembled except for the stanchions. How do I get the bottom rubber flap started into its groove?

Your thoughts and ideas greatly appreciated.

Tinkerman

 

[Marvin Gruber]

Dick
There is a long thread here on BCF about doing that. Lots of soap and water, two people, one to hold and one to pull. I put one in about a month ago. I took the bottom frame which the rubber goes in to, locked it in a vise and pulled the rubber thru that way. Then reassembled the frame. A lot of the new rubber seals are too thick and are very hard to pull through. Hopefully you will have a thinner seal.

Marv

 

[martx-5]

Yeah, that's a tough job. Don't cut it to length until it's in and settled for a day or two, and don't put it in backwards. The angle should face towards the BACK of the car when installed. Intuitively, it looks like it should angle forward, but that's wrong.

 

[CJD]

I bought from Moss, and it was a very nice seal, molded to the shape of the frame. I learned there was no way I was going to "pull" it through, though. I wound up started in the middle, hooking in the front edge and stuffing the rear with a smooth tipped screw driver. It took a good hour to finish it.

My last seal was from TRF, and it slid in with no problem. It was not molded to shape. I like looking at the Moss seal. I like installing the TRF seal!?!

 

[Tinkerman]

Hi John, are you refering to the top seal or the bottom seal?

Thanks, Dick

 

[CJD]

I'm referring to the bottom seal, that stretches from the lower frame to the cowl. The Moss seal appears to be molded rubber...very nice, but very hard to install. The TRF seal was more of an extruded, less rubbery type of rubber.

My upper seal, hood to upper windscreen...slid in relatively easily. I did have to remove one stanchion to slide the upper seal on, though. The groove for the top actually starts at the bottom of the frame sides.

 

[Tinkerman]

Thanks for the info John. All of that is my next task so the info is very timely!

Cheers, Dick

 

[mgedit]

Missed this thread when posted. Yes, there has been lost of discussion before. Few points: rubber won't slide into grove, has to be pushed in from side; don't cut in advance, wait a couple of days; use a lubricant (like K-Y Jelly), soap is not supposed to be good for the rubber; make sure the orientation of the rubber is correct (sort of looks backward when correct); use some sort of metal device to ease into place (I used a stable remover); protect the windscreen and work on a solid table; and use masking tape to support the extra length (and mark centre) as you work to make it possible to do job yourself if you take your time. Maybe this picture will help a bit. There are a few other pictures on the TR3 link in my signature. Cheers, Mike