911ist

I know this should be an easy job but i am having a hard time getting the rubber seal to stay in its place. everytime i press it in, it either pops back up or doesn't sit in all the way. any tips?

J.A.W.S.

most important: make sure it's the right seal for your my/vin!
there are 2 versions... uploaded the appropriate information for you.

click here

boulderbobo

This might be bush league for all the purists, but....I got tired of mine popping out evey time I washed my car so I used some high quality windshield sealant all the way around.

It is nasty stuff to work with, but mine has not moved since

Flame on!

http://www.technologylk.com/crl-wind...htm?src=nextag



Bob-

fineito

Hello All -

I am a new member of Rennlist with a 1996 Carrerra 2 owned since 1997 (Guards Red/Tan). Car is in winter storage (Chicago) and I will post pictures in Spring after I retrieve.

I recently repaired this exact same problem on my rear window last fall.

The rubber window seal has a lip on its underside that fits snugly into a plastic channel that surrounds the window. The plastic channel cracks over time due to engine heat; then the lip no longer fits snugly and the seal curls up.

My local Porsche dealer suggested trim adhesive as the first course of action. Adhesive worked on the left side of the window, but not on the right side. Yes, I tried and tried and tried the adhesive route but could not get the right side to sit flat (boulderbobo, good for you!). So, I went back to the dealer and they offered to do the repair but would not guarantee removal of the rear glass without breaking it. My car is stock and I really wanted to preserve the window, so I declined ("first do no harm"). Then I went to my trusted collision repair shop and was quoted $1,600 for an entirely new rear window. They said the channel is permanently attached to the rear window, and you have to replace the entire unit to really fix the problem. I declined that offer, too.

Then I took my C2 to an auto restorer well-liked by a friend. They ordered a new rubber seal, but missed ordering the plastic channel. I think once they removed the window they saw the real problem with the cracked channel (though I did point it out to them during their initial inspection of the problem). I got the feeling that the plastic channel may not be separately available, and that my collision guy might be right about the channel being an integral part of the window. However, things worked out just fine in the end as the auto restorer is a perfectionist and his glass guy found an alternative way of securing the rubber seal to my existing, original window - they glued the lip on the underside of the seal directly to the thickness of the window all the way around. Now it sits flat and tight. My auto restorer guy also assured me that they would not break the window upon removal or re-installation. Also, his fee for the repair was very reasonable. I am happy.

Good luck in your effort to repair, 911ist.

J.A.W.S.

of course he is right.
rear window comes in three parts:

- the inner cover frame/seal
- the glass/window itself inextricably linked with the plastic"channel"frame
- the outer cover frame/seal

and you're also totally right with the plastic"channel" getting brittle
over time. then it's impossible to fix/attach the outer seal tight.

been there - done that.

911ist

i took a closer look and it looks like some of the plastic channels are broken and now the rear seals flaps around making noises at highway speeds I may just have to find some sort of adhesive to make the seal stay in place...

KMASS993

I have this same issue and I am debating whether to do a temp fix or replace the rear window. My issue however is that I have some surface rust in the rear window corner now as a result. I will have to remove at some point to fix the weather seal, the question is does spending $800 dollars on a replacement window just to be factory worth it!

zechunique

Bob,
Looks like I need to do something like this, and I'd rather give a try with some sort of sealant/adhesive prior to paying through the nose. Can I ask you a few questions? (oops, that's a question!)

- did you do the whole thing at once (seal is a complete circle, well, actually more of a square...) or one side at a time without hitting the corners?

- did you put the sealant in the plastic channel, on the seal lip (touching the glass), or both? I presume you didn't put any that would touch the painted body.

- did you find the sealant (your link) to be removable off the glass/seal during clean-up, or do you have to make sure none gets on visible surfaces while applying?

- how long did it take to dry/adhere? How did you hold the seal in place until that time (to make sure the "bubbles" - seal lifting out of channel slightly - don't return and dry that way)?

I know I'm being pretty detailed here - sorry...

I really appreciate your idea, and want to make sure I don't get rust growth from this!

Thanks!

Greg Bell

I'd be wary about making the seal too permanent. After washing I lift the lower left and right corners with the tip of my index finger and use an electric garden blower to get a venturi effect to remove the water lying in the channel which will eventually cause rust.

boulderbobo

Hope this helps



Bob-

zechunique

Thanks Bob - just what I was looking for!

Thanks Greg - good point!

Leon993

MY FRIEND:

THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO WITH THE REAR AND WINDSHIELD RUBBER SEALS IS TO DETACH THEM, BUY NEW ONES (THEYRE CHEAP) AND SEAL THE LIVING **** OUT OF THEM WITH BLACK SILICONE.

I CANT TELL YOU HOW MANY CORROSION PROBLEMS HAPPEN IN THE CORNERS OF 993 WINDOWS AND WINDSHIELDS BECAUSE OF TRAPPED WATER. PORSCHE REALLY MESSED THIS DESIGN UP, SO JUST DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND SEAL IT COMPLETLEY TIGHT.