Replacing plastic doorstrips

[schurch]

I have a problem. I'm trying to replace the plastic strip that sits where the door meets the window - I think its called a weatherstrip or something.<br><br>Its screwed onto the inside of the door. Unfortunately, when you take the door all apart you can't reach hlaf the screws cos the window is in the way (up or down). I asked Chris Foulds how to deal with this recently and he said you just have to drop the window slightly by unhooking it from the motor rack.<br><br>Anyone have any experience with doing this before? Tips? Advice? Instructions? (cookies?)<br><br>Cheers.

[Sy V]

The Deacon of Dudley will be along to impart his worldly wisdom shortly...<br><br>Oi Dodgemeister!

[Darren]

[quote author=schurch link=board=doors;num=1118912779;start=0#0 date=06/16/05 at 02:06:19]I asked Chris Foulds how to deal with this recently and he said you just have to drop the window slightly by unhooking it from the motor rack.[/quote]<br>Now there's a thought.<br><br>I replaced mine by removing the door glass completly as I needed to get the glass out to address a 'bobbin' issue. So taking Chris Foulds view, it may well be possible to disconnect the 'butterfly' and allow the door glass to drop to the bottom of the channel. <br><br>Mind you, it's going to be tight, as the 'butterfly' takes some removal from the glass in the first intance, you'd then need to maintain this 'pressure' to allow the glass 'past' the butterfly's lower limit, in order for it to reach the lower part of the track.<br><br>What my be easier, is to remove the motor completely, this sounds hard but in reality, it's quite a simply process, or be it, it requires a fair amount of 'wiggling'.<br><br>Now on the subject of removing the 'weather strip' this is a 'B**tard of a job, as 99% of the time, the securing screws have rusted away. What also makes it hard is that some of the screw heads are hard to reach i.e you need to remove a silicon 'bung' for one, move the window track for another, as well as moving the pad support brackets. Also, the screw to the right in the corner of the door is prone to catching the door glass, so if you replace the screw, be sure to make sure this screw head is no bigger than the one you've just removed.<br><br>Also, don't try and be clever like me and think you can simply cut the rubber strip, in an attempt to remove the 'tension' on the screw. The strip may look like rubber but it's actaually made of 1 to 2mm steel strip, that just so happens to be covering in rubber.<br><br>Now all said and done, with a good selection of philips head screw drivers, plenty of time and a s**t load of WD40, you should be able to remove them all ok. <br><br>The best method of removal I found was to apply a large amount of pressure to the screw driver, whilst applying a 'pulse' like turning action, then once loosened, they came out with too much of a problem. You'd better hold the outside of the door skin when doing this (yep, that amount of pressure).<br><br>When fitting the new strip, I found that a small amount of silicon rubber allied to the strip, helped get a better 'seal' to the door i.e the fixing screw alone don't give that greater fix (IMHO).<br><br>Enjoy.<br>Darren<br>~~~~

[schurch]

Thanks for the info guys! I don't think I'm gonna have too much of a problem with the screws for the weatherstrip - The ones I took out before realising I couldn't get to half of them came out easilly and weren't rusted.<br><br>On the flipside, I have no idea what a butterfly is, how it connects to the window or how I go about removing it or the motor. I don't like the sound of removing the motor - that sounds like someting I could muck up and break. Can you shed any light on this 'betterfly' thing?

[Darren]

The Butterfly is a plastic 'assembly' that fits onto the slider regulator i.e the bit that the motor moves up and down, which in turn moves the glass up and down (centre window track?).<br><br>The butterfly is so names as it shares a similar shape to a butterfly. On the butterfly assembly is a 'boss' that fits throw a hole in the window and also a 'tail' which folds back on itself and secures the glass by means of a 'U' clip that then connects onto the boss.<br><br>Now, 7 out of 10 times, you'll break the fixing tail off as over time, it becomes very brittle. So if I were you, I'd make sure you have a spare before contemplating anything.<br><br>As for motor removal, you do exactly the same as you're planning to do, you just need to take the window down to the bottom, unclip the butterfly, separate the glass from the butterfly, get you able boddied assistant to pull the glass upwards (and hold it there). Remove the two centre channels screws and the three motor mounting screws, fiddle with the plastic housing over the motor (inside of the door pannel i.e it's used to keep the water off the connector), remove the connector and remove the motor out of the front speaker hole (yep you'll need to remove the speaker).<br><br>Then get your man to lower the window to the bottom of the channel and the jobs a good un.<br><br>If you have the parts manual, you'll soon see what I'm going on about.<br><br>Darren<br>~~~~

[Sy V]

...and anyone who doesn't have a manual deserves no sympathy - being as they're practically free (the price of a couple of blank CD-Rs, envelopes and a few stamps.<br><br>

[schurch]

I think I have the parts manual, although I'm not sure actually!  ::)<br><br>I have the service manual, and some electrics manuals and whatnot on disk, but I'm not sure I have a complete partslisting on disk. If I don't, who do I [s]bribe[/s] pay to give me a copy?

[Sy V]

The parts manual is the biggest .pdf file on the disc and is basically alternate pages of annotated line drawings and part description/numbers.  If you've got that, you're as equipped as anybody.

[chkrd_flag]

Speaking of these weatherstrips..... where did you source the parts? I am having my M100 re-sprayed and the passenger side window weatherstrips are cracked and need replacing. Thanks!

[Sy V]

Got mine from paul Matty's ~ £40+VAT IIRC.

[chkrd_flag]

Thank you, I'll see if I can track down a pair of weatherstrips that way.

[chkrd_flag]

Update: I just rcvd. the seals from Paul Matty's - it was a long wait, but my Elan just left the paint booth yesterday, so the timing was spot on!

[petezipp]

£40 each wow
East Kent do a similar shape which can be modified to fit. about a fiver.

[petezipp]

£40 each wow
East Kent do a similar shape which can be modified to fit. about a fiver.

[DavidEJM]

£40 each wow
East Kent do a similar shape which can be modified to fit. about a fiver.

I'm going to need a couple of these as mine are cracked. Who/where are East Kent. Forgive my newbieness

[Alan_C]

Guide to making your own here: http://wikilec.9600.org/index.php/Door_ ... therstrips

Though do get some proper superglue and activator, not the rubbish you buy from the DIY supermarket!

I made mine following this guide, they're not perfect, but not far off. I'm happy enough with them.

[cyc0140]

Hi Alan
I am trying to download pictures of the weather strips on the web you reference. Does it belongs to you or Gordon? I just want to ask permission to
download those pictures so that I can eamil it to a fellow Elan owner to show him exactly what I need. If not yours, can you help forward to this Gordon guy?
Thanks Clive

[pjw12]

I just made my own and fitted them yesterday, the most difficult bit was getting the old screws out, access is difficult and 20 years of corrosion made the screw driver obsolete! Bought a stanly knife that came with a hacksaw blade attachment for £2! worked a treat to cut the heads off.
Drivers side done, Passengers to do next week

[Alan_C]

Hi Clive,

The article on making your own weatherstrips was photographed and published on this site by Gordon I believe. I'm happy, and I'm sure Gordon and the Mods will be also, for you to copy the pictures from LEC as you're using them to help another Elan owner, no problem at all with this, this is what LEC is all about, helping every Elan owner acheive the best support we can.

When I made mine I found some black plastic that was suitable, rather than clear. When supergluing them together, buy industrial superglue and a can of activator, the stuff you buy in the high street stores won't do, it's rubbish.

Where abouts are you?

[kenich]

This is what I have been doing today. Old seals are now off I just need to make up the new seals ready to be fitted. I was lucky with inly 2 corroded screws I think