bruce7

Hey Guys,

A few months ago I did the front and rear window sealing procedure on my car and took several photos documenting the task. I finally wrote up my notes and decided to post them in case someone else might want to try to do this procedure.

Just a couple of side notes. I bought my car in April 2011 with 43k miles on the odometer. I believe it has been located in Arizona and California it's entire life and was well cared for. I live in the Valley in L.A. so corrosion from the weather elements is not too big of a concern. Nevertheless, after reading about some of the nasty experiences some have had with corrosion around the window cowls, I decided to take the precautionary step of sealing the window gaps. I hope this will answer most questions about how to seal the gap, but if you have issues with corrosion, I will have to defer to others more experienced in that area.

-bruce




Concern

To prevent corrosion damage in the areas of the 993 front or rear window cowls, the gap between the glass edge and the car body should be sealed with an elastic polyurethane adhesive and sealant.

Tools and Materials

Wurth Bond+Seal, Wurth PN 890-100-2, grey, 300ml cartridge
(1 cartridge will seal 1 window, order direct from Wurth in USA 800-987-8487)
Front window outer seal, Porsche PN 993-541-925-00
Rear window outer seal, Porsche PN 993-545-225-02
Caulking gun
Painters tape
De-greaser
Q-tips
10mm socket wrench
Putty knife
Compressed air
Adhesive remover
Packaging tape
Nitrile gloves

See Also

Porsche 993 Service Manual
Porsche TSB 5106 9501 "Repairing Paint Damage Around Front & Rear Windows"

Introduction

On the 993 there is a large gap between the front and rear glass edges and the body which can collect and hold water. This can eventually lead to corrosion and costly body and paint repair. This article will illustrate how to seal the gap and prevent water from collecting underneath the outer seal and eliminate the risk of corrosion forming. Sealing the gap is a factory-recommended procedure.

NOTE: Repairing corrosion is outside the scope of this article. However, any corrosion found in the gap must first be corrected before proceeding with sealing the gap.

Photos and illustrations accompanying this article can be found at:
https://picasaweb.google.com/bruce.c...Y993WindowSeal.


See Figure 1 for a diagram of what the gap between the glass edge and the body looks like.

1. Remove 3rd brake light

Pull off cover and set aside. Remove 10mm nuts attaching light bar.
Set light bar on roof taking care not to scratch the paintwork.

See Figures 2-5.

2. Remove outer seal

Note aligning mark at top center. Loosen & remove the rubber seal.

See Figure 6.

3. Clean gap between window and body

Clean out the gap with Q-tips and a de-greaser. Then rinse out the gap with Q-tips and water.

See Figures 7-8.

4. Dry gap between window and body

Dry the gap all around the window using compressed air.

See Figure 9.

5. Mask off window and body

Apply masking tape around the window and body gap. The tape must cover the channel for the rubber seal on the window and the body must be covered where the rubber seal makes contact.

See Figures 10-12.

6. Apply sealing material

Puncture the cartridge seal and screw the application nozzle onto the cartridge. Insert the cartridge with nozzle into the caulking gun. Fill the gap between the window and the body completely with sealing material.

See Figures 13-17

7. Tool the sealing material

Wet a finger and drag it along the sealing material in the gap to create a smooth surface.

See Figure 18.

8. Remove masking tape

Remove masking tape from window and body.

See Figure 19-20.

9. Install new outer seal

Position aligning mark on outer seal at top center. Press the seal into the mounting channel.

See Figure 21.

10. Install 3rd brake light

Installation of the 3rd brake light is the reverse of removal.

Note 1

The rear window outer seal is extremely soft and easy to mark with fingernails or tools.
It is much softer than the windshield outer seal. Wear clean nitrile gloves during seal installation and press only with the finger tips. Do not stretch the seal during installation.

Note 2

Due to flex of the 993 body, you may find that a bottom corner of the rear window outer seal may pop up after entering or exiting a driveway. To solve this, secure the corner area with some of the sealing material. Tape the corner down for 24 hrs with packaging tape. When the sealant has cured, gently remove the tape and clean the area with adhesive remover.

See Figures 22-28.




The procedure to seal the gap between the windshield and the body is mostly the same as for the rear window with the following notes:

1. The windshield outer seal aligning mark is located at bottom center.

See Figure 29.

2. The outer seal is extremely hard to press into the mounting channel. It may be helpful to use the smooth
handle of a putty knife to help press the seal into the channel, taking care not to mark the rubber seal.

4. A putty knife blade can be used to help press the seal into the mounting channel. In a problem section, lift up
the seal slightly and use the knife edge to push the seal into the channel and then press down the seal to
smooth out any irregular areas.

5. The outer seal is the exact length required, do not stretch during installation.

See Figures 30-31.




There a couple of common sources of squeaks or creaks in the 993.

1. Front and Rear Outer Window Seals

A creaking sound may be heard when entering or exiting a driveway. As the body flexes the front and/or rear outer window seals may rub against the body and cause a squeak. This can be alleviated by lifting the seal and spraying all around the glass under the seal with 3M Silicone Lubricant (Dry Type) #08897 or a similar product. Periodic lubrication may be necessary. See Figure 32.

2. Door seals

In a similar situation, the rubber door seals around the top side of the window can squeak against the body when the car is moving. Spray these seals with the 3M Silicone Lubricant and eliminate the squeak. This spray can also be used to lubricate the window channel where the glass slides in the window frame. See Figure 33.

FlatSix911

Bruce, thank you for the great write up and photos

Knight

So with this sealant in place, I'm assuming no water can even sit at the bottom corners now?

I'm actually going thru the rear window rust repair now, wow the damage it can do is actually quite shocking.

zechunique

Fantastic!

Anyone else done this?

I have bad rubber in the back window, and never drive in the rain because I get tired of removing it and blowing it out with compressed air everytime it get any water on it. Ive been thinking of doing something like this, and would like to make sure there are no long term downsides.

Thanks a lot for the write up.

DanL993

Jesus--this absolutely rocks

This problem and fix has been threaded here before, though not with such detail and clear instructions and photos. I was spooked to try this before (fearing I'd slop the sealant on wrong or screw up the paint or some such other crime), but now even though I have a certified Garage Queen, I'm probably going to dive into this. I'm sure it applies to car washings too, not just rain on DDs.

Thanks.

Stealth 993

I was just thinking about replacing my window seals, now I made a small job bigger!!

mike cap

Bruce,

Thanks for the writeup and photos. Well done. Looks like a project for the next winter hibernation.

Roche993

Great job and write up!
Has been on my to-do list for a while. Having to park outside makes me now want to do it even sooner.
Thanks for spending the time to take pics and explain everything so well.

e9stibi

Thanks for the write-up. If you never have to replace the windshield again, I think you should be fine. However, getting it out for the next one will be much more difficult and the chance to cause damage (to the paint will be higher. It depends on the quality of the job and how they repair ANY damages caused by getting the old sealing out (this is described in the Porsche Manual, too). In practice, this is generally not being done because the problem can be hidden for years by the installer ... I always tell them: If you cause damage or see any existing issues, do not "cover up" and I PAY EXTRA to have it fixed properly. For due diligence, I asked them to give me a call to show me the frame, before the new windshield goes back in. It is a shame to do this but looking at all the issues, it is reality.

BradB

This is a great post. But does anyone know how the REAR SIDE QUARTER windows are removed? I can't seem to find anything with my searches. Thanks!

AOW162435

Yep, removed the driver's side a few years ago to replace the outer black trim strip. You'll need another person with their hands on the outside of the quarter window. Contort yourself into the rear of the car and slowly start prying away the rubber seal around the perimeter of the glass while pushing outwards (I seem to remember removing the inner trim piece under the window). Keep working your way around until the window starts moving outwards. It will pop out.

Installation is a bit more involved, but I'd be happy to give some pointers.


To the OP - excellent write-up!



Andreas

BradB

Thanks Andreas!

berni29

Hi

I squirted Tectyl ML under my window rubbers. The stuff is an anti corrosion penetrating fluid so I reasoned that it would sit where the water would sit. It cures to a waxy finish.

Berni

nine9six

Brad,
Its all in the Porsche 993 workshop manual that has been linked previously in pdf format.

EDIT:
Here is the link...It was originally provided by one of our rennlist members...I think "E_T" may be his screen name.
http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=825...er=asc&start=0

Bruce7,
Thank you, thank you, thank you for a wonderful write up!

PelicanParts.com

Well done - nice work!