The trim on the W116 almost completely covers the gasket. You must pull the bottom trim off with a hooked tool (or it bends all to hell) -- clips are VERY tight, mostly evenly spaced. The two inner ones are a couple inches either side of the little cover at the center -- push that aside and you will see that the trim is in two pieces.

Look inside, and you will see the inside lip, goes over the body flange. Just pry it up and over the flange while pushing out on the glass, and it will lift right out UNLESS someone used hardening sealer in there. If that's the case, it gets much more complicated, as you will have to cut the gasket out without slicing up your fingers OR the trim -- it's very soft aluminum and gets bent and chewed up very easily.

DO NOT pry the trim out of the gasket with the window installed, you will ruin it.

The rear window defroster cables go through the seal at the lower corners. You must remove the wires form the connector blocks in the trunk before removing the window. Watch for the little seals for the wire holes, you will get water in the trunk if you leave them out.

If you find rust under the seal, you MUST repair it. Sand, prime, then use some feather fill to smooth out the surface, paint, allow paint to dry, then install new seal. Sorry, but if the surface is rough, it leaks. Worst case you will have to have some welding done to repair the flange -- on the W123 it can be amost completely missing on the bottom.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!