Author |
Message |
mightyart Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2004 Posts: 6188 Location: Portland, Oregon
|
Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2007 2:52 pm Post subject: Fixing slider window rattle |
|
|
Long ago when your Vanagon was new it left the dealership all nice and tight and rattle free, over time parts have become worn, worked loose, or have fallen off.
A simple part of soundproofing is finding and fixing the small problems, one of them is the slider windows.
When your Vanagon was new it had two small plastic pieces that kept the window tight on the track.
Over time these break, or fall out making the slider loose.
Does your slider windows look like this ? they are missing something.
This is the part, two go on the bottom track of each slider, I ordered mine from Bus Depot, they are relitively cheap, you may want to order an extra in case you "chew" one up to bad putting it in.
I used a pair of needle nose vice grips to compress it and slide it in, a shot of WD-40 helped also.
They put up a good fight going in. also make sure all the old one is out before trying to put a new one in.
All in and ready for another 25 years. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
RCB Samba Member
Joined: September 05, 2005 Posts: 4143 Location: San Francisco-Bay Area
|
Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2007 3:10 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Greetings mightyart.............Wow, you must have ESP. Today Im at the local park putting a coat of wax on Madam Helga (shes been acting OK so I felt the need to reward her) and noticed the small popsicle stick I fashioned to keep the sliders quiet had just wasted away so I whittled a few more to take their place.
This afternoon I log onto the Samba for the third time today (NO!!!! I am not an addict, I swear!!!!!!!!! ) and lo and behold I come by your timely posting.
Do you have a part number for that critter or the heading under which you found the part?
Bus Depot is a favorite of mine and Im putting together a "buy it list" and would like to order a few of those as well.
Best 2U,
RCB |
|
Back to top |
|
|
mightyart Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2004 Posts: 6188 Location: Portland, Oregon
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
tencentlife Samba Member
Joined: May 02, 2006 Posts: 10077 Location: Abiquiu, NM, USA
|
Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 11:11 am Post subject: |
|
|
I second that. Just redid one of my windows, and they are a very tight fit. One went in pretty smoothly, the other gave me a bear of a time, but I managed not to break it. Having extras would be good because of that risk, and they're pretty cheap. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
RCB Samba Member
Joined: September 05, 2005 Posts: 4143 Location: San Francisco-Bay Area
|
Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 5:04 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Thankx much art....I think I'll order up a few |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Pascal Samba Member
Joined: January 13, 2006 Posts: 825 Location: Fredericton, NB, Canada
|
Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 6:52 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I believe the only ones available are for the later vanagon. They have a small lock/barb (like you can see in the picture) that mecanically hold them into position. The earlier vanagons did not have this barb and they had to be glued into place. My '84 Westy had the glue inplace kind and I could not find them anywhere. I got the newer kind with the barb and then used a dremel to cut a small notch inside the window chanell to accept the barb so it would stay in place. I had to take the window out to do this. Gettign the window out requires you to remove the rubber felt channel and the window latch. I then used carpenters clamps to slightly spred the window fram appart and the window comes out relatively easy. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
slunk33 Samba Member
Joined: November 28, 2004 Posts: 326 Location: Tacoma, WA
|
Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 10:20 am Post subject: |
|
|
Would this fix a window that doesn't lock? My driver's side won't latch, its nice if I were to lock my keys in, but it also poses a security risk.
Thanks! _________________ Current VW's:
'70 Standard Beetle Convertible, '89 Vanagon Wolfsburg (Bluestar) "Gonzo", Peg-Perego Magica
Former VW's:
'72 Bus, '75 Bus, '78 Sunroof Bus, '87 Vanagon GL, '00 Jetta TDI (Gas companies don't miss her, but I do), '04 Passat Wagon |
|
Back to top |
|
|
shizzon Samba Member
Joined: July 25, 2006 Posts: 596 Location: Boulder, CO
|
Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 11:32 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Does this help seal the sliding window into place better? My sliding window whistles when I'm driving with a crosswind, and I'm wondering if I need to replace this guide piece (which is missing), or pull the window and change the felt. _________________ 1989 Bostig Syncro Westy |
|
Back to top |
|
|
FNGRUVN Samba Member
Joined: October 27, 2007 Posts: 2237 Location: Fort Collins, CO
|
Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:04 am Post subject: |
|
|
I thought I got really lucky the other day when I saw these plastic pieces offered at Van Cafe. I thought they were NLA. I remember seeing posts from people that were carving them out of plastic, so I bought a bunch of them.
Since none of the vendors sells a "kit" to rebuild the slider windows, I went looking for alternative replacements. The felt strips I found at Home Depot. They come in a 17' roll for about $5. Made by MD and referred to as storm door & window replacement weatherstrip(item#04267).
I noticed that the upper felt channel that the slider rides in is the same as the felt channel for the front edge of the front window. GoWesty sells the front window channel but not the channel for the slider. I called GW and asked them why couldn't their supplier just cut some a little longer and they could sell it for the slider. Well, there's no way that could possibly be done according to the guy I talked to, so I went on a hunt for a decent replacement. I think I found something that might work pretty well. JC Whitney sells it. Item# 18-4879. You can request a free sample(item#665557) to see for yourself if it will work. _________________ "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin |
|
Back to top |
|
|
MarkWard Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005 Posts: 17115 Location: Retired South Florida
|
Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 10:17 am Post subject: |
|
|
Art, thanks for sharing. I too thought these were NLA.
What slider guide? Kidding.
Replacing the guides seems much easier. mark _________________ ☮️ |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Saguache Samba Member
Joined: December 28, 2009 Posts: 360 Location: Gunnison, CO
|
Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 1:04 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks MightyArt,
I've been looking for these guides forever. Just ordered a few for Zeno and I'm excited because the right side slider won't wiggle open any more. Its cold out there! _________________ Matt Thyer
http://zenoswagen.wordpress.com/ |
|
Back to top |
|
|
AbqWesty Samba Member
Joined: November 10, 2011 Posts: 6 Location: Albuquerque, NM
|
Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 1:14 pm Post subject: |
|
|
FNGRUVN wrote: |
JC Whitney sells it. Item# 18-4879. You can request a free sample(item#665557) to see for yourself if it will work. |
I'm only getting a brake caliper when I search for the 18-4879 number and nothing found for the 665557 number.
Do you have a link to the rubber channel? |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Saguache Samba Member
Joined: December 28, 2009 Posts: 360 Location: Gunnison, CO
|
Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 2:42 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Saguache wrote: |
Thanks MightyArt,
I've been looking for these guides forever. Just ordered a few for Zeno and I'm excited because the right side slider won't wiggle open any more. Its cold out there! |
Got a call from Bus-Depot and they don't have these any more (even though the part number is still in their catalog). Anyone have one that they might lend to me so I can make a mold? Seriously NLA part. _________________ Matt Thyer
http://zenoswagen.wordpress.com/ |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Altoona Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2011 Posts: 505
|
Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 2:56 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Saguache wrote: |
Saguache wrote: |
Thanks MightyArt,
I've been looking for these guides forever. Just ordered a few for Zeno and I'm excited because the right side slider won't wiggle open any more. Its cold out there! |
Got a call from Bus-Depot and they don't have these any more (even though the part number is still in their catalog). Anyone have one that they might lend to me so I can make a mold? Seriously NLA part. |
NLA no longer! Not as cheap as they used to be, but at least they are available.
http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=22666&category_id=&category_parent_id= |
|
Back to top |
|
|
FNGRUVN Samba Member
Joined: October 27, 2007 Posts: 2237 Location: Fort Collins, CO
|
Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 6:54 pm Post subject: |
|
|
AbqWesty wrote: |
FNGRUVN wrote: |
JC Whitney sells it. Item# 18-4879. You can request a free sample(item#665557) to see for yourself if it will work. |
I'm only getting a brake caliper when I search for the 18-4879 number and nothing found for the 665557 number.
Do you have a link to the rubber channel? |
I'm looking at the packing slip that came with the sample. In the column named "MFG part#" they have 6655561 and 184879. Try that. I hope those are good numbers otherwise I'll have to look through all their weatherstrip cross sections again. _________________ "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Jon_slider Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2007 Posts: 5091 Location: Santa Cruz, Crowdifornia
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
SCM Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2011 Posts: 3115 Location: Bozeman MT
|
Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:31 pm Post subject: |
|
|
rsxsr wrote: |
What slider guide? Kidding. |
Mark, is that something that used to be offered for Vanagons, did you adapt it from a bay, or is it even more complicated than that? I would love something like that (albeit, with black window frames and tinted glass) that would give more airflow than the stock small sliding windows. _________________ '91 Westfalia GL Automatic (GTA "Turbo" Rebuild w/Peloquin) and 2.3L GoWesty Engine |
|
Back to top |
|
|
70coupyel Samba Member
Joined: September 06, 2006 Posts: 1657 Location: So.Cal
|
Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:32 pm Post subject: |
|
|
What happens with a part like this is that Classic VW parts makes a run of parts and it goes through down the parts chain. You just have to catch one of our favorite vendors with it on the shelf. I had to make mine because I could not wait.(Windows out at the paint shop .) Fuzzy felt I got at Ace hardware and the rest of the seals I got from Ken at Van Again.
Window rebuilding step by step is here:
http://www.griffco.ca/interest/vw/slider.htm _________________
TheAndante wrote: |
Saying that specs are different than dimensions doesn't make sense. Porsche specs/VW specs/engineering specs are nothing but a series of dimensions,sizes,percentages,measurements, etc. |
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=338946&highlight=
70 KG Coup
83 Westy Waterboxer |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Saguache Samba Member
Joined: December 28, 2009 Posts: 360 Location: Gunnison, CO
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
MarkWard Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005 Posts: 17115 Location: Retired South Florida
|
Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 8:11 am Post subject: |
|
|
SCM wrote: |
rsxsr wrote: |
What slider guide? Kidding. |
Mark, is that something that used to be offered for Vanagons, did you adapt it from a bay, or is it even more complicated than that? I would love something like that (albeit, with black window frames and tinted glass) that would give more airflow than the stock small sliding windows. |
No, it was a combination of Samba Members that figured it out. I think if you search jalousie in the vanagon section a couple threads come up. You are correct they are from a Bay. If you intend to go this route, get the best windows you can find/afford. I spent hours trying to refurbish these. Parts are available, but these windows were never designed to be disassembled easily. Only the early vanagon can readily accept the jalousie into the slider. The later slider has a slightly smaller window opening. It could be solved, but others are putting the jalousie in the R/R window.
Essentially, you are attaching .063 aluminum strips on both sides of the window frame to enlarge it to the dimensions of the slider frame and thickening it to match the Vanagon seal. There are some easier solutions using rivets on just one side. The directions that were published are really vague until you try to do one. In the end, I used my own dimensions rather than the published ones. Let me search for the link.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=283728&highlight=jalousie
We live in the south and the vanagon windows let rain in when open. It used to soak everything. Now we can leave the windows open in a pretty good storm and the cross ventilation is superior. Dan from NY provided a link for new winders. I relocated the winder on r/s forward so that both windows can be opened and closed from the front seats. Left and Right winders are available. The seals came from GW, but BD and others have them. I tried to replace the seals the glass sits in, in the frame, but gave up. The hardware came from my local hardware store.
I have to admit, personally coming from a 68 Bay Camper, I like the look, add the chrome bumpers and the round headlights, I have a classic look on steroids. mark _________________ ☮️ |
|
Back to top |
|
|
|