installing the vent w/s inner to outer seal...

It took a couple of hours, but was finally able to get around 15 inches of seal installed. I'm not sure what the trick is quite yet, but thus far I 've found that using a heat gun set at about 3/4 of max on the top and bottom of the seal will work. However, it goes in around 3/8 of an inch at a time. And the curved edges are even more fun. I can't imagine trying to do this on a used inner...

I've got to do this again since I have one more inner to install glass in, but NEXT time I'm going to install the seal before I have the glass installed. That'll leave me two gaps on the sides of the gasket, but I'd rather fight two one inch gaps than endure yet another 120 inches of "gasket installation purgatory". I think that I can more easily slide that seal whilst the frame is apart.

We'll see...

 

You know the rope trick? Although maybe it would be in reverse for your situation, would it help?

http://beranek.agrrmag.com/2013/01/rope-in-installation/

Have you tried wetting the rubber to lubricate it?

 

I used dish soap to no avail...

Tomorrow I'm going to try some transmission assembly lube. Not sure what the heat from the heat gun will do with that, but we'll see....

I'm sure there is a trick to this -- I'm betting that the technique is to slide it on before the glass is installed, but we're beyond that point now...


So transmission assembly lube is the order of the day tomorrow.

 

I just found a cj3b related page saying the trick is NOT to slide it in but to hook one side of the gasket and use like a dull putty knife to get the other side of the hook pushed in

Heres the link I found it at http://z4.invisionfree.com/CJ3B_Bulletin_Board/index.php?showtopic=3976

its almost half way down the page and it was posted by zambonimb

 

After a few more hours pushing, pulling and cursing I'd estimate I'm two thirds done. The transmission lube (judiciously applied) and the heat gun work too. But it aint fun at all.

Had to cut the seal -- by the time I'm done it will be in four pieces. One from the side joint in the frame and down and around the bottom to the corresponding joint in the frame. Second from the joint up and around to the windshield wiper mount. At that point there is around a 1 inch tang on the w/s won't allow the seal to be installed since the seal has to be installed at an angle, however with the trans lube the seal can be slid over that mount once it is in the track. Third is across the top from wiper mount to wiper mount. Fourth is the same as the second but on the other side.

I haven't measured it yet, but I suspect that the 'new' seal is a tiny bit larger than the original -- I have an original to compare it with and I'll do that tomorrow.

It goes in 1/4 of an inch at a time with a screwdriver, and about a third of the time it pops back out and has to be reworked. One technique that helps (a lot) is to periorically pull ahd strech the latest installed section of the seal. It puts a nice finishing touch on the seal and I think it helps to get it seated in the track.

It also helps that I put the frame on a cart with a wooden top and put screws through the wiper mount holes to hold the frame in one place whilst pushing on the seal / screwdriver, etc.

When done I'm going to put some caulk to seal the joints and a little in each corner just to make sure it doesn't pop out. The corners are the very worst part of this task.

Some repairs on old jeeps are hard, and some are simply tedious and frustrating -- this task is the second