968 rear hatch seal replacement snag...
09-26-2004 | 04:30 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 398
Likes: 7
From: San Jose, CA
968 rear hatch seal replacement snag...
Hi,
I just started to put in new hatch struts and the new rear seal. Ran into a slight snag with the seal.
The rear hatch of my 94 968 has wires (window heater and rear wiper) emerging from the C inside of the c pillar area on drivers side and then going through a steel tube to the wiper motor. I don't see any simple way to disconnect these wires so that I can put the hatch seal on with cutting it.
Cutting the seal is not the end of the world, but if someone knows an easy way around this I'd appreciate it. If there was a plug right there life would be simple...
Thanks,
Phil
I just started to put in new hatch struts and the new rear seal. Ran into a slight snag with the seal.
The rear hatch of my 94 968 has wires (window heater and rear wiper) emerging from the C inside of the c pillar area on drivers side and then going through a steel tube to the wiper motor. I don't see any simple way to disconnect these wires so that I can put the hatch seal on with cutting it.
Cutting the seal is not the end of the world, but if someone knows an easy way around this I'd appreciate it. If there was a plug right there life would be simple...
Thanks,
Phil
09-26-2004 | 05:48 PM
#2
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 398
Likes: 7
From: San Jose, CA
Quick update,
After staring at this thing for a little while longer I decided to go ahead and cut the seal at the seam. However I thank another Rennlister for the insight into the fact that the the seal should not be shortened in any way.
Sure enough I got to the near the end of the install and it really looked like I had too much seal/gasket even tho I had tried hard to make sure I was installing it tightly all the way around. So, I stopped what I was doing and then started at the end of the sealthat was remaining to be installed and worked backwards. Said another way I got 3/4's the way done going in one direction, then stopped and took the as yet uninstalled end and installed it up against the other end, and then worked backwards. For a brief period I had a big bubble in the seal and it looked like it wouldn't all fit and then after working it a bit it snapped into place.
I also took this opportunity to install new rear hatch struts. The person who wrote that the combination of new struts and a new rear hatch seal turned the hatch into a catapult wasn't too far from the mark. It's so nice to have the hatch spring open when you twist the key instead of having the oopening of the hatch be a two handed operation. As others have also remarked it takes a pretty good effort to get it closed now.
Cheers,
Phil
After staring at this thing for a little while longer I decided to go ahead and cut the seal at the seam. However I thank another Rennlister for the insight into the fact that the the seal should not be shortened in any way.
Sure enough I got to the near the end of the install and it really looked like I had too much seal/gasket even tho I had tried hard to make sure I was installing it tightly all the way around. So, I stopped what I was doing and then started at the end of the sealthat was remaining to be installed and worked backwards. Said another way I got 3/4's the way done going in one direction, then stopped and took the as yet uninstalled end and installed it up against the other end, and then worked backwards. For a brief period I had a big bubble in the seal and it looked like it wouldn't all fit and then after working it a bit it snapped into place.
I also took this opportunity to install new rear hatch struts. The person who wrote that the combination of new struts and a new rear hatch seal turned the hatch into a catapult wasn't too far from the mark. It's so nice to have the hatch spring open when you twist the key instead of having the oopening of the hatch be a two handed operation. As others have also remarked it takes a pretty good effort to get it closed now.
Cheers,
Phil
09-26-2004 | 06:00 PM
#3
Nordschleife Master
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 5,748
Likes: 3
From: Toronto
Do it yourself post response? Couldn't you have unfastened the wires, or are the connectors too fat to pull through the tube?
You can get rubber glue to reconnect the cut ends.
New struts can exacerbate a glass to frame attachment problem. Make sure that isn't already a problem.
You can get rubber glue to reconnect the cut ends.
New struts can exacerbate a glass to frame attachment problem. Make sure that isn't already a problem.
