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Thread: Inner Door Seal

  1. #11
    Senior Member Rich's Avatar
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    The seal might not have been too long. In any case you don't need glue to mend it although it does look good that way.

    Here's a gap-free and cut-free technique. Next time try starting with both ends together at the front door jamb, butted up to each other and mounted to the jamb flange. You'll have a huge loop of seal to attach starting from there. (Be sure there isn't a twist in the seal when you start.) Work your way back alternating the seal application between the upper and lower door sections.

    As you get toward the end of the loop of the door seal somewhere near the rear of the door it may look like you have excess seal material - it will create kind of a 'U'. Then pull off a foot or two of the seal near that loop and, while pushing the door seal so as to shorten each section as you re-apply it, you will get to the point where you have compressed the 'excess' seal material enough that the last bit goes on smoothly. If not, then keep working the loop along, pushing on the trailing bit while pulling up the leading bit. You will eventually get it all on there without trimming.

    What happens is that there is enough pulling or bending action during normal application that the applied seal seems to be too long. The idea is to keep the stretching to a minimum and make up for it by compressing a section or two if necessary. It comes out nicely.

    And it works both ways.....you can make a 'short' seal longer. In your case, Geoff, the 1/8 inch joint gap you ended up with will disappear if you pull off the seal off along the (lower) sill up to the joint, then make a good zero-gap seal joint at the ends and then work the seal back on from there along the sill. You'll be stretching it a bit along that section, which is fine.

    Quote Originally Posted by SoCalDMC12 View Post
    Yup... pretty straight forward job. Thanks for the tips. The rubber mallet was definitely helpful; trying to seat the seal by hand all the way around would have been torture.

    A couple of notes:
    - The replacement seal was about an inch too long, so I had to trim a bit off the end. Now, there's about an 1/8" gap between the ends. In a few days, after I'm sure the new seal is settled, I'll hit the joint with a bead of silicone to finish off the job.

    - Geoff
    March '81, 5-speed, black interior

  2. #12
    Not a DeLorean Guru
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    I prefer inner door walrus.
    -Mike

    My engine twists my frame.

    1981 DeLorean, Carb LS4 swap completed
    1999 Corvette, cam/headers/intake manifold, 400 rwhp
    2005 Elise, stock
    2016 Chevy Cruze

  3. #13
    Senior Member SoCalDMC12's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rich View Post
    And it works both ways.....you can make a 'short' seal longer. In your case, Geoff, the 1/8 inch joint gap you ended up with will disappear if you pull off the seal off along the (lower) sill up to the joint, then make a good zero-gap seal joint at the ends and then work the seal back on from there along the sill. You'll be stretching it a bit along that section, which is fine.
    Interesting... black silicone, or stretch the seal a bit. I'm almost afraid to pull the seal off again... now that it's settled for a day, my power door locks seem to be working again. On the other hand, it would be nice to not have a silicone bead. I guess either way is fine... it's only an 1/8" gap.

    But this is definitely good info for when I do my passenger side door. I have the new seal, but since that door doesn't get used very much, the original seal still looks very good.

  4. #14
    Senior Member SoCalDMC12's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by David T View Post
    Both latches must achieve 2nd locking position on both doors for the door locks to work. It may take an adjustment of the striker pins or just letting the seals "take a set". Often the striker pins are adjusted to compensate for old, tired door seals so when you put new ones on they must be readjusted. I like to cut the ends just a tad longer and then push the ends together so they stay tight. Use a touch of black silicone and you can hide the seam.
    Amazing... a few hours of pressure from the doors and my door locks are happy again. I wonder if this was a problem at the factory. Between the seals and everything else that needed adjusting, these doors must have been a major bottleneck on the assembly line.

  5. #15
    Not a DeLorean Guru
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    Get it?!?!?! Door walrus?!?!?!
    -Mike

    My engine twists my frame.

    1981 DeLorean, Carb LS4 swap completed
    1999 Corvette, cam/headers/intake manifold, 400 rwhp
    2005 Elise, stock
    2016 Chevy Cruze

  6. #16
    Senior Member SoCalDMC12's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by opethmike View Post
    Get it?!?!?! Door walrus?!?!?!
    Just got it. lol

  7. #17
    Senior Member SoCalDMC12's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rich View Post
    The seal might not have been too long. In any case you don't need glue to mend it although it does look good that way.

    Here's a gap-free and cut-free technique. Next time try starting with both ends together at the front door jamb, butted up to each other and mounted to the jamb flange. You'll have a huge loop of seal to attach starting from there. (Be sure there isn't a twist in the seal when you start.) Work your way back alternating the seal application between the upper and lower door sections.

    As you get toward the end of the loop of the door seal somewhere near the rear of the door it may look like you have excess seal material - it will create kind of a 'U'. Then pull off a foot or two of the seal near that loop and, while pushing the door seal so as to shorten each section as you re-apply it, you will get to the point where you have compressed the 'excess' seal material enough that the last bit goes on smoothly. If not, then keep working the loop along, pushing on the trailing bit while pulling up the leading bit. You will eventually get it all on there without trimming.

    What happens is that there is enough pulling or bending action during normal application that the applied seal seems to be too long. The idea is to keep the stretching to a minimum and make up for it by compressing a section or two if necessary. It comes out nicely.

    And it works both ways.....you can make a 'short' seal longer. In your case, Geoff, the 1/8 inch joint gap you ended up with will disappear if you pull off the seal off along the (lower) sill up to the joint, then make a good zero-gap seal joint at the ends and then work the seal back on from there along the sill. You'll be stretching it a bit along that section, which is fine.
    So today I noticed that the seal came loose at the lower sill. Since I had to tap it back into place anyway, I tried your procedure and it worked like a charm... seal fits perfectly now! Thanks for the tip.

  8. #18
    Senior Member SoCalDMC12's Avatar
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    Well this is a bummer. When I installed the new door seal a few weeks ago, I sprayed it down with silicone, as some suggested. But it's already damaged. :-( IMG_9297.jpg

  9. #19
    Senior Member DMC-81's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SoCalDMC12 View Post
    Well this is a bummer. When I installed the new door seal a few weeks ago, I sprayed it down with silicone, as some suggested. But it's already damaged. :-( IMG_9297.jpg
    Yes, that is a bummer. These "new" seals were the pre-2016 design, correct?
    Dana

    1981 DeLorean DMC-12 (5 Speed, Gas Flap, Black Interior, Windshield Antenna, Dark Gray)
    Restored as "mostly correct, but with flaws corrected". Pictures and comments of my restoration are in the albums section on my profile.
    1985 Chevrolet Corvette, Z51, 4+3 manual
    2006 Dodge Magnum R/T (D/D)
    2010 Camaro SS (Transformers Edition)

  10. #20
    President, DeLorean Industries
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    This wear issue requires either door adjustment or contouring of the fiberglass body to assist with seal fitment along some of doors tighter points.
    www.deloreanindustries.com Every Detail Matters

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