A Pillar seal alternatives? *FOUND*!!!!!!.

[SteveB]

I cannot believe that there is not a profile somewhere in that lot that won'twork for us.

[donsladek]

Here's a US manufacturer of weatherseals, their website says they do custom and OEMs:

soffseal.com

The profile is the key!

Don Sladek

[theelanman]

well mine arrived today.....
its a complete one piece item that goes all the way over the header rail...
very sqishy as its a hollow design...just what we need....!!!
have taken some pics but theyre a bit U/S....

dromong
how did you fix yours????......loads of sikaflex or something else????
cheers
g

[Capman]

Any further progress guys?

[clemo]

maybe a daft question but..
can we "the collective" not purchase some a post seals and then get a firm to just copy it?


edit..
are a post seals still available ? if so where? ill buy some and take them to a local boat builder.. se if he can help.

[theelanman]

clemo
IIRC paulp has a brand new set......it may take a heck of a lot of persuading as I think theyre the only set on the planet and you cant blame him for not letting them out of his sight
also I think that it should be possible to do with just one as the other is handed.....
do we think that a hollow rubber thing would be better than a solid foam thing.....I think there is more play and 'sealability' in something hollow rather than foam
cheers
gareth

[Rogerf]

This is what Walker Rubber were going to do for me before Christmas,until Lotus got involved.
Now 8 months or more down the line with many samples to and froming to Lotus we're still no further in receiving any seals.
I wouldn't mind trying some of the samples that have been rejected!

As Clemo suggested,i'm sure there are plenty of rubber manufacture's who would be willing to help out.
Copy right may come in to it,but i'm sure there is a way around it.Having the seals hollow would probably be enough to waver that factor!

Roger

[GeoffSmith]

I would imagine that copyright would only come into it if you had them manufactured to Lotus specifications or to an exact copy. I can't imagine there being a problem if you have some strips of rubber made up which are about this by about that with this sort of profile that can be adapted for use as an A post seal.

[Rogerf]

Correct!
As long as they look good because its a sure fact they will work better than the originals!

Roger

[theelanman]

I reckon this lot could come up with something....

www.euroseal.co.uk/tpe_upvc-gaskets.pdf

I reckon we need a 'bubble gasket'....as to the corded or uncoded version...I'lll let them decided
just need a profile....

DROMONG....dont supposed youve got the bits you hacked off????

cheers
G

[clemo]

don't panic ..
got a new passenger side drop seal coming.
from here i will try to get a pattern made or get back in touch with walker's. this time we should be armed with an original as a template..

clemo

[Sy V]

don't panic ..
got a new passenger side drop seal coming.
from here i will try to get a pattern made or get back in touch with walker's. this time we should be armed with an original as a template..

clemo

Dave

By "drop" do you mean "falling" - if so I was under the impression that the falling pillar was the B post. Or am I in bollock-speak mode again?

[theelanman]

sod walkers.......(well if theyre the ones working in conjunction with lotus trying to make em at the moment)
I reckon we need a section of A post, B post and the bit over the door glass......get that lot done and its cracked it.....
still reckon its gotta be a closed bubble type...just for the flex

[clemo]

sy its me not being particularly clear..
i understand it's the passenger windsreen seal . ( that is the a post seal? i think)

all will become clear when it arrives..

have a nice holiday by the way..
clemo

[Oliver]

Hello gents,

I have been neglecting the forum of late, just read this thread. I used to work
for a Renault dealer in the parts department, and still have some contacts there. If the 19 / cabrio thing looks viable i will have a word with my mates in the dealership.

The Renualt Dialogys parts system is a bit complex to say the least, so they aren`t giving you the runaround when they ask you your inside leg measurement. Basically, you don`t need a reg. no., just the vehicle type number from the VIN plate, usually four digits, B56C for example.

Like most of you i need a new pair of `A` post seals. Mine look like a hamster has been chewing on them.

Oliver

[nickb]

This could have been answered else where but i'll ask anyway, can you still not get the Kia one's from Beegee????

I bought a set a 6 months ago.

Nick

[Gazza]

So did I

Gazza

[dermotbell]

This could have been answered else where but i'll ask anyway, can you still not get the Kia one's from Beegee????

This is true but I think the idea is to source something cheaper and sustainable.

[gtm100]

This is my bodgers solution to the A-post seal problem.
With water pouring over knees and seats into the footwells this was something needing urgent attention inthis amzing British Summer.
With standard items not available and replacements not even on the horizon, and a layer of black goo not curing the leaks this meant searching for an alternative solution. While searching, I bought a cover from Cover Systems (01933 4108551) for about £35 which has the side benefits of keeping cats off that lovely soft bed and also acting as a sun screen (when the sun actually does appear).
The original fitment is a complex "L" shaped moulding with metal and plastic reinforcement (which actually add to the deterioration by rusting/cutting the rubber). I decided to search for a standard profile for the long straight bit down the side of the screen and mould the corner piece and the lower end from two pack foam. The carrier for the seal is an aluminium trough with a 1" throat and 1/8" x 1/8" channels at both sides which was fixed by four rusted-in screws to the aluminium screen surround so it just had to stay in place.
I could not find a standard profile of that size so I eventually decided to use two from Woolies range (woolies-trim.co.uk) at about £3 per metre each. These I fixed at the upper and lower edge of the carrier with UHU glue, leaving the centre of the channel empty.
This has the side effect of leaving a drainage channel and also gives two different seal mechanisms, depending whether the window is up when the door is closed or lifted after the door is closed.
I have made plaster moulds for the upper and lower ends and tried some two pack foam rubber but I am not satisfied with the finish and have had to seal the surfaces with black goo which looks even worse but keeps out the water. Work continues.

[Gee0]

That sounds interesting,