Windshield seal?
03-29-2005, 12:30 PM
#1
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Windshield seal?
Hi all - I'm a relatively new owner of this '95 993 (also have a '87 911 Targa). Last weekend was its first outing at a track (Spokane, WA DE). After running a couple hundred miles on Friday in the dry before the DE, on Saturday I was driving with my student in the passenger seat in a driving rain and he remarked that there was a stream of water coming at him. Looked like it was coming from the lower corner of the windshield. After taping the outside from the middle top of the windshield to the lower middle around the passenger side, it finally slowed down (until I had to come back to Seattle over the Pass in an even harder rain/fog/heavy traffic drive). Then is was still dripping a little bit.
OK, with that background. I see that the windshield has an inner and outer seal, but it looks like the real sealant is bonded to the windshield and to a flange on the car. The "seals" look like mostly trim items. My question is: Should I just get a new windshield installed ($100 deductible)? And a new outer seal?
It also looks like the rear window outer seal is coming apart, but I haven't seen any leaks in the rear. Get a new rear outer seal installed also?
The car spent 4 years in LA and about 4 years in the Bay Area before I brought it to the Northwest, so I expect the seal has been "cooked".
FWIW - I installed an H&R coil over set on the car, it has an Autopower roll bar, OMP sport seats, Schroth 6pt harnesses, MA Shaw 3.8 Wing and Euro RS splitters, Pirelli PZero Corsa track tires. It was real fun on the dry day! and quite different than my '87, so I still have some learning to do.
Thanks !
OK, with that background. I see that the windshield has an inner and outer seal, but it looks like the real sealant is bonded to the windshield and to a flange on the car. The "seals" look like mostly trim items. My question is: Should I just get a new windshield installed ($100 deductible)? And a new outer seal?
It also looks like the rear window outer seal is coming apart, but I haven't seen any leaks in the rear. Get a new rear outer seal installed also?
The car spent 4 years in LA and about 4 years in the Bay Area before I brought it to the Northwest, so I expect the seal has been "cooked".
FWIW - I installed an H&R coil over set on the car, it has an Autopower roll bar, OMP sport seats, Schroth 6pt harnesses, MA Shaw 3.8 Wing and Euro RS splitters, Pirelli PZero Corsa track tires. It was real fun on the dry day! and quite different than my '87, so I still have some learning to do.
Thanks !
03-29-2005, 12:53 PM
#3
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I just had a new windshield installed (rock chip). After the install, there was heavy rain here, and a few drops of water were coming in on the driver's side by the VIN plate. Took it back. Installer peeled back the outer seal and squirted some more polyeurethane sealer at the source of the leak. More heavy rain, no more leak. Installer also noted they are no longer using the rope fix, just a different kind of polyeurethane.
03-29-2005, 01:04 PM
#4
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Hey Steve, car looks great! Welcome aboard. Lots of great info here. I think if you visit a windsheild replacement operation, that is familiar with P-cars, they can probably do the fix like Terry is suggesting.
03-29-2005, 03:02 PM
#5
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Steve,
Welcome. Nice looking car.
You are correct that the inner and outer seals are really just trim items. The windshield with integral frame is bonded to the car body with the adhesive.
Terry's advice is good - if you can identify the approximate location of the leak, a window shop will remove the outer rubber trim (seal) and re-seal the area in question. There was apparently a void left in the adhesive (polyurethene) when the window windshield was bonded to the car. You should not have to replace the windshield.
Both the front and rear outer windshield trim (seals) are pretty inexpensive. If I remember right, less than $30 each. The underside of both have an 'arrowhead' molded in and this snaps into a channel (metal in front, plastic in back) that is part of the windshield frame. They are easy to install.
You mentioned the rear window seal is "coming apart". Is it coming out of the plastic channel or just torn and weathered? Torn and weathered is easy. but if it won't stay in the chanel, that's a problem. The plastic channel in the rear that accepts the rubber trim is plastic and cracks and breaks apart with age and engine heat. IMO a design flaw. The channel should be made of metal, not plastic. If the channel is breaking apart, see my post from a while back....
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...indshield+seal
Sorry for the length of this post. Hope this helps.
Welcome. Nice looking car.
You are correct that the inner and outer seals are really just trim items. The windshield with integral frame is bonded to the car body with the adhesive.
Terry's advice is good - if you can identify the approximate location of the leak, a window shop will remove the outer rubber trim (seal) and re-seal the area in question. There was apparently a void left in the adhesive (polyurethene) when the window windshield was bonded to the car. You should not have to replace the windshield.
Both the front and rear outer windshield trim (seals) are pretty inexpensive. If I remember right, less than $30 each. The underside of both have an 'arrowhead' molded in and this snaps into a channel (metal in front, plastic in back) that is part of the windshield frame. They are easy to install.
You mentioned the rear window seal is "coming apart". Is it coming out of the plastic channel or just torn and weathered? Torn and weathered is easy. but if it won't stay in the chanel, that's a problem. The plastic channel in the rear that accepts the rubber trim is plastic and cracks and breaks apart with age and engine heat. IMO a design flaw. The channel should be made of metal, not plastic. If the channel is breaking apart, see my post from a while back....
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...indshield+seal
Sorry for the length of this post. Hope this helps.
03-29-2005, 03:09 PM
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Mike - Thanks for the reply.
About the rear seal. I should have been more specific. It actually is just the outer trim seal that is torn (flat part has come apart from the bit that stays in the channel, kinda flaps in the breeze) in the passenger side lower corner. The more infomation that I come across, it seems like I should be able to just replace this outer seal. I called the dealer and the seals are a 7-10 day delivery away, so I think I'll get those ordered and when they come in, I'll get it into a glass shop and probably get a new windshield installed (the old one isn't "perfect").
About the rear seal. I should have been more specific. It actually is just the outer trim seal that is torn (flat part has come apart from the bit that stays in the channel, kinda flaps in the breeze) in the passenger side lower corner. The more infomation that I come across, it seems like I should be able to just replace this outer seal. I called the dealer and the seals are a 7-10 day delivery away, so I think I'll get those ordered and when they come in, I'll get it into a glass shop and probably get a new windshield installed (the old one isn't "perfect").
03-29-2005, 03:22 PM
#7
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Steve,
Glad to help. A torn seal is easy to replace. Use some soapy water in a spray bottle for lube and try not to stretch the seal when you walk it around the ws perimeter. Otherwise you'll end up with slack and will have to start over. I had my front ws replaced this fall with OEM Siglia glass for the same (not perfect) reason. Not a cheap proposition for these cars.
Glad to help. A torn seal is easy to replace. Use some soapy water in a spray bottle for lube and try not to stretch the seal when you walk it around the ws perimeter. Otherwise you'll end up with slack and will have to start over. I had my front ws replaced this fall with OEM Siglia glass for the same (not perfect) reason. Not a cheap proposition for these cars.
