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Sat Jun 21, 2008 4:33 pm

Just wondering what product is the best for getting older window and door seals flexible again, and preventing further drying...I use plain old armorall protectant on my car, but maybe there is something else that is better...I just love buying special stuff for my van; it seems I can somehow justify spendinging more money for it than my trusted subi :oops:

Sun Jun 22, 2008 10:17 am

I just replaced my old window seals, sooooo nice not to have wind noise, money very well spent. Todd

Sun Jun 22, 2008 1:47 pm

Where'd ya get 'em?

Sun Jun 22, 2008 2:18 pm

I whish I could buy bran new seals too, but, there are a few other things that are more crucial for now, and I busted my vanbudget a long time ago...

Mon Jun 23, 2008 8:59 am

is resealing windows tricky or is it simple for the do it yourselfer
DIYer???

Mon Jun 23, 2008 11:01 am

http://303products.com/

Go for the "aerospace protectant"

I've been using it for years now, and it holds up extremely well. It gets the rubber or plastic back to where it was when it was new, especially if used repeatedly.

I've only read bad things about armorall, and that it will eventually just dry out the rubber or plastic.

Mon Jun 23, 2008 7:32 pm

I was chatting with a guy at the Napa counter and he was suggesting vaseline (?) seems strange to me

Mon Jun 23, 2008 7:51 pm

Hmmmm, and I thought Vaseline was just for.... Oh, never mind. :shock:

Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:25 pm

oh my!

checked out the "aerospace protectant". I like the name...I"m gonna order some if the shipping isn't too much (nope, you can't buy that stuff up here...sigh)

Tue Jun 24, 2008 12:56 pm

Does anyone else apply Baby oil to the seals and to the dash board ??

Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:17 pm

silicone paste. I have used it successfully for the last 20 years. rub it on with the brush and rub in and on the rest of the way and globs back off. It is also good for minor water leaks. Don't use it on the surfaces that contact glass.

Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:21 pm

If they show any signs of hardening or cracks, replace them. No type of coating/application is going to bring them back.

Tue Jun 24, 2008 10:16 pm

Quote: Does anyone else apply Baby oil to the seals and to the dash board ??

I do, brother, on everything from Winston to Big Dodge, the '70 Dart, to a '93 Saturn SW2 and the results are always good. Use a rag you won't want back, because after you've put the baby oil on the window rubber, the rag you used to do it will be black with oxidation. But Winston's seals have regained some flexibility, and the window gasket I pulled for the first set of jalousies was in good enough condition to have been re-used, although we didn't.

I use baby oil on the rubber, the vinyl, and the plastic, inside and out. Winston's dash pad improves with every treatement. It does 'cook off' on the windows, but that is why God invented Windex.

Best!

Tue Jun 24, 2008 10:36 pm

Buck said it best--

If the rubber's or glass gaskets are dried up and weather checked--

NOTHING is going to reverse the UV damaged rubber.

Save yourself some time, money and aggravation.
There is no miracle rubber restoration product that's going to fill in the cracks in the rubber or get them to swell up back to their factory original, new condition.

It's an physical impossibility.

Replacing the dried up rubber parts is the only way.

Wed Jun 25, 2008 9:25 pm

Thanks guys,

I think that I am gonna try the baby oil (cheap-cheap!!!), and save up for some bran new seals...

Thu Jun 26, 2008 5:08 am

mariposa wrote: Thanks guys,

I think that I am gonna try the baby oil (cheap-cheap!!!), and save up for some bran new seals...

I'd save the baby oil for those Saturday night dates with the wife....

Thu Jun 26, 2008 8:09 am

As per the Bentley:
"To seal properly, weatherstrips around hood, hatch, windows, doors, etc., must be pliable. Spray with silicone or coat with talcum powder or glycerine to retain flexibility of the rubber and to protect against freezing in the winter."

I am not sure about using silicone since I have heard to keep it far away from vehicles, but I suspect that it might really be the best thing to do any reconditioning, assuming the rubber is not already decomposing. I believe scuba divers are known to use talcum powder on their mask rubber to keep it in shape, but I assume that is more of a preventative thing. Glycerine could be interesting though...?

Thu Jun 26, 2008 8:35 am

an old body shop trick is to use ATF. I apply it about once every two years. My seals are still OG and in very supple shape. I also live in a very dry climate. I have used ATF to bring back old ghia dash board covers, rubber mats, you name it. Some will say "oh that ATF petroleum based and that is bad for rubber", well 20 years later and my seals are still like new, you do the math :wink:

Thu Jun 26, 2008 9:02 am

Perales wrote: As per the Bentley:
"To seal properly, weatherstrips around hood, hatch, windows, doors, etc., must be pliable. Spray with silicone or coat with talcum powder or glycerine to retain flexibility of the rubber and to protect against freezing in the winter."

I am not sure about using silicone since I have heard to keep it far away from vehicles, but I suspect that it might really be the best thing to do any reconditioning, assuming the rubber is not already decomposing. I believe scuba divers are known to use talcum powder on their mask rubber to keep it in shape, but I assume that is more of a preventative thing. Glycerine could be interesting though...?

Why not silicone?? Are the properties of silicone bad for paint, etc.?

Fri Jun 27, 2008 6:41 am

Terry Kay wrote:
NOTHING is going to reverse the UV damaged rubber.

Don't be so sure of yourself, Oh Great Master of Mayhem. When I was a baby, my mom rubbed me down with baby oil every time she changed my diaper. It worked so well that I went on to have one of the go-go dancers I dated do it, too. Now, if I can only convince my Sweetheart that it's the way to go, I have a shot at looking like I did when I was twenty.

Whenever I wasn't being slathered with baby oil, I did manage to discover that rubber compounds are not compatible with all oils. It occurred when I told a motor rebuilder to fill a bunch of oil-filled submersible pumps with transformer oil as the final step in rebuilding them. The pumps ran great with the transformer oil, but their SO Type (rubber insulated) drop cords wicked up the transformer oil until they were about to pop. Damn cords looked like un-smoked kielbasi plugged into the junction boxes.

As usual, when all else fails, call the vendor. I was told that the correct oil for the application was vegetable oil. It was odd to pick up a case of Wesson at the food purveyor and drop it off at the motor shop.

Rich