22 replies to this topic

[MRA]

the edges are quite rough where the joins are

 

no wonder they leak

 

some of the new screen seals are from straight rubber , extruded without corners so the inside is too big

 

any ideas how to get the bunching out at the corners ?

Have you tried heating it up to about 300 degrees.....  ;(  Mine was like that I found that a bucket of hot water then quickly fit it and fit the sealing strip sorts it out, but I'm no expert when it comes to body stuff :)

[sledgehammer]

will try it - thanks

 

I hate glass at the best of times

[tiger99]

Slit, remove little triangular slivers, and glue?

I know you were hoping for something better but you can't meaningfully use a shrinking tool on rubber as you can with sheet metal.

Maybe heating in a carefully designed mould could reshape it. Perhaps a rubber expert is around? Looks like it is going to be an on-going problem if no fix is found.

I am in favour of modern bonded windscreens which are not all that difficult to install, because they almost never leak. But you need an overlap, so larger glass or smaller hole. You could weld in metal to the inner dimension of the rubber to get an overlap without losing any use able area of glass. Has anyone tried that?

[MRA]

Slit, remove little triangular slivers, and glue?

I know you were hoping for something better but you can't meaningfully use a shrinking tool on rubber as you can with sheet metal.

Maybe heating in a carefully designed mould could reshape it. Perhaps a rubber expert is around? Looks like it is going to be an on-going problem if no fix is found.

I am in favour of modern bonded windscreens which are not all that difficult to install, because they almost never leak. But you need an overlap, so larger glass or smaller hole. You could weld in metal to the inner dimension of the rubber to get an overlap without losing any use able area of glass. Has anyone tried that?

Rubber expert you say ?  there is about as much rubber in a sealing strip as there is gold on a 50p piece...  they are made with synthetic elastomers, therefore hot water will reform them and the sealing strip will do the rest, don't cut them there is really no need and the corners would look rubbish

[sledgehammer]

https://en.wikipedia...ynthetic_rubber

 

quite interesting

 

I remember seeing something about ford having a rubber plantation , then abandoning it when synthetic was discovered

 

must admit I thought they were rubber ,- but I guess rubber isn't really rubber since the 40's

 

now off to melt a 50p   

Edited by sledgehammer, 27 February 2017 - 03:47 PM.

[Minivabnman]

sorry to hijack this post, there are two different rubbers available for the laminated front screen, what are the pros and cons of fitting the different rubber, it is said that the later ones hold water and cause rust and the narrower type cause wind noise, what 's best?

[sonscar]

My 1989 car had a larger rubber and it did retain water,after 3 months in my garage it was still wet underneath it when removed and rusty in the corners.I have now fitted a narrow seal and used Abromast sealer but it has not yet been driven.Wind noise from the screen would be drowned out by everything else I would have thought.Steve..

[GraemeC]

Never heard the claim of wind noise - its a Mini, its hardly a consideration.

 

The later, wider, rubber was introduce by Rover to provide a better seal.  Whilst it was effective partially effective, once the seal was breached it then holds the water in and promotes rusting of the scuttle flange.