installation of rubber door seals - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

frosty · #1 10-02-2003, 12:41 AM

car is a 1990 190E

How easy is it to remove old door seals and install new ones? Any special tools or adhesive? I need to install door seals for the front passenger side and rear driver side. The shop f'd it up, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! The dealer wants over $100 for each!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

frosty · #2 10-02-2003, 04:11 PM

sorry
bump!

haasman · #3 10-02-2003, 06:07 PM

This is not that hard a job.

This is what I would do:

-Remove the old seals carefully after noting their locations and positions

-Clean the old adhesive off by using a high quality product such as 3M adhesive remover.

***Be VERY careful if you use other products as they can remove paint as well. I recommend and have had great success with the 3M products***

-Once the locations are clean from the old adhesive and dirt and grime, dry install the new gaskets check for proper general location and specific fit issues. Ideally, use several pieces of masking tape to just hold the gasket in its relative position where, if necessary it can be easily relocated.

***This is done because some section need to be inserted into channels and you want to be completely sure of an even fit all the way around the door perimeter. If you rush this and start gluing and then checking, one often finds too much gasket material in one location and stretched in another leading to wind noise etc etc etc.***

-Use a high quality glue, again I have had great success with 3M, specifically the Interior Trim product (yellow, in a squeeze tube).

-I almost always start at the top corner section of the door and slowly progress across the top. I then do the bottom and then the sides (after being absolutely sure of the overall and specific section fit)

Hope this helps,

Haasman

speedy300Dturbo · #4 10-02-2003, 07:21 PM

3M also has a product called "Weatherstrip Adhesive". It's also yellow and comes in a metal tube, similar to the "Super Trim Adhesive". Both will work well. Be careful though - the stuff is nasty and is a real mess to clean up.

frosty · #5 10-03-2003, 04:26 AM

Do I take a hammer to the door pin so that I can remove the old door seal completely off the door? I'm having trouble taking the rear passenger door pin out! Yes, I removed the little brass pin holder. I'm afraid to bang too hard! What other tricks are there? Is it a screw? Thanks guys!

speedy300Dturbo · #6 10-03-2003, 10:52 AM

Yeah, after you remove the small circular clip, just use a hammer to knock the pin out. You'll find that once it's out, you can rotate the door strap a bit and open the door slightly more - definitely enough clearance to get the part of the strap with the "hole" through.

Ken300D · #7 10-25-2003, 09:43 AM

I have a general question on the new door seal rubber. When mine arrived I pulled it out of the bag to start planning the installation.

I noticed it is covered with a whitish-gray particle coating all over. Maybe it is new old-stock and has been sitting on the shelf somewhere a long time. I was expecting a black rubber door seal, and it probably is black once you rub off all the gray coating.

Should I take this seal and wash it with soapy water? I don't think adhesive will hold it well in its current condition.

Ken300D

RKreutzer · #8 10-25-2003, 11:21 AM

Hi Ken300D,

I wiped the talcum powder off where I intended to glue it. I glued only a few sections at the front of the seal, where it goes around the door stop.

I believe the talcum makes it easier for the rubber to slide into the channels. It seems to be very stable in the channel. I can always glue it later, should it not stay in there.

Later, I treat rubber with glycerin, and thus wipe off the talcum on the outside.

Good luck

Reinhard Kreutzer

Ken300D · #9 10-28-2003, 04:55 PM

Thanks - good info on the talcum powder.

I thought the rubber was dry rotting and shedding or something like that.

Does anyone know the part number / a source for the little plastic clips that run down the front of the door on a W123? I know I'm going to break some of those.

Just found out about them using the search feature here.......

Ken300D

RKreutzer · #10 10-28-2003, 05:27 PM

Hi Ken300D,

I picked them up at the dealer, I paid $ 7.23 for 11 fasteners. That was their whole inventory...
I broke 1 at one side and 2 at the other, but even the ones that come out in one piece weren't too great.
I don't have a part-nr. as their invoice printer was down and I didn't really bother for that amount.

You need to get the talcum off pretty good, otherwise the glue won't stick on the rubber.

Reinhard