Fitting New Seals - Tropical Top

[Bostonian1976]

So my project this weekend will be fitting new seals to the alpine windows in my newly acquired tropical top. Has anyone done this before? They're presently not installed and I'm wondering if there is a reason for this! (ie..hope they're not very difficult). If anyone has any experience with this, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

[Leslie]

BTDT. Not a fun job. You need the right tool. Picture a screwdriver, with a can-opener screwed onto the end of it, with a hole in the middle of the can-opener.... (I'll see if I can find a pic of one.)

Put the glass into the main piece of the seal, then put the seal onto/into the opening. Then you use the tool to spread open the channel in the seal, then feed the locking strip into the channel through the hole in the tool. The straights aren't bad; but when you get to the curves, it's hard to keep the tool moving onwards....

And..... good luck!

[Dav1550]

The seals can be changed out on the alpine windows using a screw driver to pry the locking bead back in place....... " But" ....it's slow going and will take a couple of hours a window to do in the best of circumstances, though Leslie is correct and would not recommend doing it without the tool.

Snap-On sells the tool for $20

and/or the below

http://www.houseoftools.com/product.htm?pid=169836

Dave

[Leslie]

Yep, that's the tool.... it's one of those that, you don't use it a lot, but when you need it, you need it. Also, I used a touch of Dawn to lubricate the rubber as I was getting it into place... it washes away well.

Also, don't trim your strip too short, or you'll have a little bit of a gap... leave the strip a hair long, then tuck it into place... I put the beginning/ending of the strip in the middle of the window at the bottom, logic being, that the place where the ends meet would be a touch more sheltered on the bottom than on the upper side of the glass. Enough to matter? Probably not, but... maybe it'll help, just a tad...

[singingcamel]

just finished doing this on a restoration.you'll need the right tool for the job,should take about 20 mins to do both sides.
go to any glass shop,they should have the tool,rent it ,borrow it whatever. ask for a fixed glass seal tool.
use wd 40 to lube it up,with the right tool its fairly straight forward job
cut the seal to fit after installation.,you'll get a better fit...

http://singingcamel.com

[Bostonian1976]

just finished doing this on a restoration.you'll need the right tool for the job,should take about 20 mins to do both sides.
go to any glass shop,they should have the tool,rent it ,borrow it whatever. ask for a fixed glass seal tool.
use wd 40 to lube it up,with the right tool its fairly straight forward job
cut the seal to fit after installation.,you'll get a better fit...
http://singingcamel.com

thanks Singingcamel! is the tool you describe the same one as what people mentioned above?

[lrdukdog]

glass tool

You can make one from a LARGE cotter pin and a piece of round dowel. Worked for me just fine and since you'll only use it once-in-a-blue-moon why spend the $$ for a pro quality tool.
Jim Wolf
Elvenwood Kennel

[Leslie]

You can make one from a LARGE cotter pin and a piece of round dowel. Worked for me just fine and since you'll only use it once-in-a-blue-moon why spend the $$ for a pro quality tool.

Now there's a fella who's thinkin'! Good idea Jim. I know I'd have ended up breaking the glass, tearing the rubber, etc., if I'd tried to do it that way, but, that's what you're doing is spreading the rubber enough to insert the strip then push along. In my case, David had one, so I borrowed his so I wasn't out any green...

FWIW, while I was past a part-store yesterday, I noticed they had the Lisle one hanging on the board, for $17.

More I think about it, though, you don't need the other three ends, only the one... ya know, with a pop-top opener welded into an old screwdriver, might just be able to make a nice tool that could work... hmmm...... Well, I worry about that when I cross that bridge again, if ever....