PorscheDoc

Yup, Scott and I have a few under our belts. Do the hard work of separating and prepping the frame yourself, then pay a professional glass guy to come out and reseal it for you. It use to cost us $50 to have it sealed, but it has gone up to $100. Most glass shops won't touch separating the hatch, but if it is already separated, and you can find a mobile guy to come out to your house and seal it up in the garage, you are money ahead. A $100 bill and a few beers after hours will go a long way, and is a hell of a deal to have a professional who knows what he is doing do it. You will spend the bulk majority of that just buying the proper chemicals. And by the time you get the glass separated, you will be worn out and that $100 to finish the job will look like a hell of a deal!

Oh and the hatch frame will need to be installed on the car (without the hatch pins) when the glass is installed. Then it needs to stay inside in a warm garage for 24 hours. If it is cold in your garage, plan on longer. I usually wait to do hatch reseals until the spring or summer when it is warmer.

PorscheDoc

A few in my writeup from a few years ago. I haven't ever finished it, because it is just too easy to let the professional glass guy finish the job.

http://karl.wilen.us/images/944HatchReseal.doc

ELLSSUU

Thanks Doc, I've read that write up a few times now and have it printed and saved. I really want to attack this thing before I install CPR's tail but am too worried about the glass to begin.

JohnKoaWood

In hindsight, strip off as much of the old sealant as possible BEFORE removing the hatch from the car, Off the car this SHI-POOP is as tough as nails, I have broken 3 gourats trying to cut the sealant, only thing working for me is a putty knife and WD-40, the sealant laughs at MEK (you know, the stuff that will strip the blueing off a gun barrel).

Almost done, but breaking for lunch, Would have been farther along but had to take the wife to the DR for an earache... Quit taking pics just after I cut myself.. Sorry but nothing really different between last pic I took and now...

As far as paying someone to seal it for me, are you kidding me? Sealing the window is the easiest part.. You cant use too much sealant, any extra gets cut off after it cures... Most car parts places carry the 3M 08609 Window Weld sealant, you just have to be ready to put the glass on when you start putting on the sealant as it sets quickly, but goes on easy enough..Pump it on, set in the glass, tape it down let sit for a few days...

PEvans

Some people say not to use new hatch struts because they put too much tension on the frame when the hatch is closed. I have bought a few sets of used struts here as replacements - I want struts that hold the hatch up in cold as well as warm weather, but will not lift it.

JohnKoaWood

Well, the new struts were to replace the completely blown out struts on the car when I bought it.. I have some other work to do and wanted to not have to continualy hold the hood and hatch open.. I decided on the new struts to try to take care of a hatch squeak (the delam wasn't caused by the struts, they just opened the gap so I could see where the squeak was coming from, they did however stop the squeak). My 88 struts work great, cold or warm they hold the hatch, and just bump up when the hatch is popped.

Now, with my 50-5 hindsight, I would have allowed myself more time to do the hatch, would have waited until spring, and would have waited until I am i the new house w/2+ car Garage. Working in the driveway SUCKS.

OT..I hate my house, I hate my house, I hate my house..BTT

Weather is not my friend for the next 2 days, but is looking good to finish it up next weekend, Se-La-Vie, do what you can with what you have and make up the rest... I should have a nice week of taking my time to finish the hatch right, and never have to do it again, and this week I will get my new rotors, cat back, WP, TB, Tie Rod ends, hatch and SR seals, and be back this time next week where I am now, with a car in pieces, WP-TB first on the N/A (that is all that is needed there) and then to RIP the guts out of the 951 and have a go at building the car into what I want. Hopefully this time next week I will be almost ready to dump the TT for something for the wife, Have the N/A back for a DD, and be building up the Turbo into the car it should be...

Hatch Sealing SUCKS, if you don't NEED to do it, don't. If you don't have a Garage to put the car in, don't do the hatch. If you have more time than you think you need to finish your hatch, and you have a garage to put the car into, and you don't mind hitting yourself in the face with a hammer (figuratively) then dive right into the hatch reseal, otherwise find someone to do it for you... If the hatch on the N/A ever needs to be re-sealed, I will pay someone else to do it, or buy a whole new one, whichever takes longer and is more expensive, but at least I will be able to say I did it once...

On another note, I believe the hatch has been re-sealed before. I have NEVER seen this kind of deviation in seal quality (1/8 inch in some spots, 1" in others, HUGE seal gap in some spots, Nil in others (most corners and some spots on sides have not enough sealant thickness to fit a razor blade into) but the conditions do not match up together (some NIL gap spots only 1/8" seal width, some HUGE seal gaps have 1" seal width) I have a hard time believing the factory sealant application was this sloppy, but do believe this is 100% 3-M window weld sealant, it is tough as nails, and damn near impossible to slice through....Pics will come at a later date, after I am finished and have licked all my wounds, Maybe put everything together into one massive write up... Sort of history of the car type thread...

JohnKoaWood

Well, at long last the glass is back on the frame on the car, Tomorrow I will peel all the tape off, and re-install the spoiler and the hatch re-seal will finally be finished....





Yay...

tone3721

If the material isnt soluble in MEK, try acetone, it is another ketone, and most things are soluble in it. Only way to know for sure(without experimenting) is if you know the compound of the sealant.

ehall

There is a write up on Pelican

F18Rep

One of mine was done by someone who evidently knew how to do it well. The one interesting thing though was that he painted a band (about 2 inches) across the top. It sounds ricey to describe it but the satin black color is not really even noticeable. Maybe a little UV protection, just a thought. Bruce

User 41221

Bruce, did you get one of ones I resealed? I think I am the only one doing that, and as far as I am concerned, yes, its a mandatory step. UV exposure is the single leading cause of hatch seal failure, and that simple precaution, if taken by the factory, would have likely saved us ALL a lot of hassle. Its just rattle can spray paint that took me about 30 secs to apply.

Regards,

ELLSSUU

That's exactly as I had planned to do mine.

F18Rep

Scott, I dunno, here are some pics though - bought the car from Bret in Wildwood Mo - in pieces....Bruce