OK, one of my Christmas wishes was granted and I got new weatherstrip for the hatch. Any suggestions on the install? Seems to be fairly straightforward from what I've been able to find online, but it never hurts to hear from someone who's actually done it.
AJM '93 40th Anniversary coupe, 6 sp (both tops)
I've done many doors and windows but not a C4 rear deck seal but I'm guessing that it is glued in place. The basics with any seal/weather strip is to start with clean surfaces. Mark the deck lid for center both front and rear on masking tape out of the glue area. Do the same with the seal but use chalk to mark the rubber, masking tape will sometimes pull the face of the seal off, not a good thing.
Start at the top and glue down the first 1/4 of the length on one side, then do the other side. Check each time you glue it down to see if the centerline marks still line up and you're not developing to much slack or to little. If not correct by slowly pulling the offending part free enough to correct the centerlines by compressing or slightly stretching the seal.
The seal can be held in place with masking tape that you have put another piece of tape on it glue to glue so that it has the back of the tape on the seal so it does not stick to the seal. Pressure point can be accomplished by cutting a piece off the old seal and putting it under the masking tape.
Use the 3M adhesive in black or yellow for the best results.
Good luck
Dad is exactly right. Ensure that the entire lip is clean, dry and free of debris. C4's are notorious for collecting dirt and grime especially in the corners. If you have any globs of remaining adhesive from previous installation carefully remove with a putty knife. For the final prep use a clean lint free cloth and some 70% isopropyl alcohol. Don't get ahead of yourself or it will come back to haunt you at the end. If you have to reposition lift straight up then push straight back down at the new position. Do not attempt to pull or slide the seal. The 3M adhesive will remain pliable long enough to ensure the correct positioning. It's not super glue. Just ensure that the ambient air temperature is around 70F so that the adhesive will cure properly. Using painter's tape to hold in place works wonders without leaving residue.
Thanks to you and Dad for the good advice. I wasn't sure how sticky that glue would be, and I can see a lot of the effort might be in getting the old glue off so the surface is clean. Certainly getting the top and rear centers marked on both the car and the new w/s will be key. I probably won't mess with this until a nice weekend next spring. Thanks again.
AJM '93 40th Anniversary coupe, 6 sp (both tops)
3M also makes the adhesive cleaner 08984 and the adhesive I use is black number 08011 adhesive. About $25 for the pair. You may want to mark off quarter sections of your seal. I got to thinking about the seal you will be working with and realized when I do a door I have 4 location marks, so to speak. Both ends are witness points and I mark the lower corners by measurement, plus some seals come with pegs that do the same for location checks.
You will find the adhesive very stringy and you don't want to use to much or too little. Take a clean piece of the old seal and do a wet run to determine your bead width.
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