TheSamba.com :: View topic

Mon Nov 20, 2017 7:49 am

I have an 87 Syncro tin top and purchased a complete window seal kit from Bus Depot. All windows went in fine except the rear hatch window. The rubber seal just doesn't have enough lip to cover the inside. I could get 3 sides but without flexing the glass we can't get the last bit and seems on the sides and top there is only a 1/8 overlap on the metal flange, not enough to catch and stay.
I returned the first one to Bus Depot and they sent me another with the same outcome. I had a professional glass installer come the second time and they could not get it on either. Do different years require different seals? I took all the windows out over 2 years ago and no longer have the original seal. Is the GoWesty seal the same as Bus Depot?

Mon Nov 20, 2017 8:02 am

Pictures might help us help you. What does Bus Depot say? I would think the gasket is the same for all variants

Mon Nov 20, 2017 9:13 am

The last rear window that I set I got the seal set on the sides and worked in towards the middle with the rope method. I tried setting the top first and the bottom first but I was always left with a huge gap on the opposite side.
My seal came from VC and it is just like the OG one that I removed once all set in place.
The rear window is my least favorite to replace the seal on.

Mon Nov 20, 2017 9:44 am

I am professional in this trade and those kick my ass for some reason. I like to lightly lube the seal and put 2 people on the outside and one person on the inside pulling the rope.
Once they start getting over the pinchweld I beat it ins with a Rubber mallet. It is tempered glass and will take a lot of abuse.
My personal experience is that no matter the seal they are tough. The only ones that have fallen in are the OE seals that had already been installed.

Good luck

Stacy

Mon Nov 20, 2017 9:27 pm

Atadloco, the one we sell is an OEM seal. There is no better. If you said it was too big I'd wonder if you got a side window seal that was in the wrong bin. If it was a Bus rear window seal it would be WAY too small, you couldn't even get it around the window. Especially given that you've had two already, I can't think of any possible way that this would be a product issue. I think it has to be an installation issue.

Mon Nov 20, 2017 11:19 pm

Stacy - thanks for chiming in. I had an appointment twice with a guy who was going to come and replace my scratched rear window with a good spare one I have. With winter arriving and the nonworking rear defroster bumming me out now, I was just starting to think I could handle this. Funny how there are certain vehicles and certain tasks/parts on them that are notorious. Thanks for the head's up. I'll wait for you to come up here and visit......

Doug

Tue Nov 21, 2017 5:41 am

IdahoDoug wrote: Stacy - thanks for chiming in. I had an appointment twice with a guy who was going to come and replace my scratched rear window with a good spare one I have. With winter arriving and the nonworking rear defroster bumming me out now, I was just starting to think I could handle this. Funny how there are certain vehicles and certain tasks/parts on them that are notorious. Thanks for the head's up. I'll wait for you to come up here and visit......

Doug

Doug I have done a couple of these. Not any harder in my experience than a regular side window. I do use a different rope technique.

I use two ropes and overlap them in the middle of the sides, not one rope overlapped at the top or bottom like most.

I have a helper outside apply pressure while I use the ropes to first set one side and about 4 inches of the top and bottom on that side, then I set the other side, lastly I set the top and bottom. I find that on curved glass like the rear window and especially the front windshield that if I set the top or bottom first it starts to flatten out the glass which then pushes the sides to where it is hard to seat the gasket. YMMV. (I also now use this technique on the flat side windows too).

BTW that rear window is very strong. Don't baby it. (Unlike the windshield)...

Tue Nov 21, 2017 5:56 am

I've never done this glass but I've done a lot of Type I glass.

Some pieces (74 Super Vert for example) it was MUCH easier to counter intuitively put the top in first then the bottom literally falls in....... Trying the bottom first beat me up big tine and I failed.

I think it has to do with the glass curve.

Dave

Tue Nov 21, 2017 7:05 am

Thanks for the replies, I think I'll try the sides first and work my way in. The gasket itself fits fine ON the window, just doesn't seem to have enough gasket to seat on the sides. Hopefully because of the curve, the side once done first will have enough.