I installed 3 of 4 seals and they fit fine. The other is waiting on a little rust treatment on the bottom channel that holds the seal. I'll keep them treated with 303 and find out how long they last. For the price difference, they're good even if they need to be changed every 5 or 10 years. I don't expect to change them especially if the 303 maintenance is done.


That brings up another issue. The 5 cars I've owned 126 & 123 including a parts car have all had rust in at least 1 door. All have been at the bottom of the inner door panel. This one is a little rough but the channel is intact enough to hold the seal without glue.



My intent is to use POR 15 and consider checking for rust a maintenance item for every couple of years. Floors and battery tray included of course.

__________________
85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

Thanks for posting. I replaced the driver's door seal w/ URO ($35). I definitely wouldn't pay for the M-B brand seals. It has worked OK, but perhaps is too soft. I once tore it a little by pulling on it to close the door.

I have seen no visible rust anywhere in my two 300D, other than the trunk where water was sitting in the wells (under plastic liners). The drain holes easily clog. But, water also shouldn't get into the trunk. When I had to replace the rear window in my 1985 due to a tree branch in a storm. I found rust in the center bottom of the window gasket channel, rusted off about half the lip. I wirebrushed it shiny and painted well. That seems to be a place where they rust even in California. The trunk leak is also exacerbated by the rear body curvature which doesn't allow much downhill slope for the trunk channels to drain.

__________________
1984 & 1985 CA 300D's
1964 & 65 Mopar's - Valiant, Dart, Newport
1996 & 2002 Chrysler minivans

I had to repair the rust hole under the rear windshield trim on the 85SD. The 84SD that will be for sale some time also needs the hole plugged. It showed as a very minor-looking bubble under the seal. Unfortunately a probe with a pick found the hole. It requires some skill to fix the hole with metal and it isn't necessarily easily accessible to repair with POR 15 and fiberglass. It will be someone else's problem. I have too many cars and can't drive them all.

Regardless, I'm glad the URO door seals fit. I need to track down the plastic nails that hold the metal and seal on the front of the door. They measure 5mm in diameter. They may be available from MBZ or I'll use a substitute from anywhere.

__________________
85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

I had the same rust issue on our 85 300D,
Decided to paint the roof and rear quarters. Popped out the rear window and

found 3/4 of the lower part was rusted pretty bad. It is actually a pinch weld
where two pieces are spot welded together. water can get between the two
and start the rust problem.


I use paint stripper to remove the paint across the bottom and 1/2 way up
the sides. Wired brushed the major rusted areas, then wiped it own with
Wax and grease remover. I order it on line, pay for it and pick up in store.

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/b/prep-all-4074/paint---body-repair-16614/paint-prep-25200/paint---acetone---pre-paint-cleaners-19852/e04efcc6216c/klean-strip-prep-all-1-gallon-wax-and-grease-remover/sw3621/4402352


Then treat with Phosphoric acid to etch the metal and attack the rust etc...
Keep it wet for at least an hour, I put Seran wrap on it to keep it from
drying and adding to it as needed. After it dries it turns white, wipe it

down with water, let dry. Then paint on the POR and let it run between the

pinch weld.


I have some paper thin fiber glass type cloth, maybe it for model air

planes. Cut it 4", strips couple in wide, lay it over the POR and soak with paint. Over lap ea piece and this seals the pinch weld and ends the rust
problems.


YMMV...




Charlie

__________________
there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

Can you do us a favour and come back and share if you're still happy in 2 years? Not to challenge your experience but my own personal experience has been quite the opposite. I had to junk my seals and went with OE after experiencing the fit/ quality issues firsthand. None of the garages I visit will touch URO parts.

It could be that they've changed their ways but I'm skeptical. Would be good to hear back from you after some time has passed.

__________________
Why I will never do business with "DieselKraut" again

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-benz-used-parts-sale-wanted/378935-why-i-will-never-do-business-dieselkraut-again.html

I won't buy anything from communist china

__________________
1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran, deutschland deutschland uber alles uber alles in der welt

door rust is normal in a zillion cars. I do the same repair but I use miracle paint which is equivalent. The repair is permanent. You can even use Miracle Paint to repair mufflers and battery trays and floors that are rusted out if you use it with fiberglass reinforcement. Better than welding which rusts out quickly unless you are a real pro.

I have 1 year on my first set of URO door seals with no issues at all. I'm also in mild Southern California, so that may help.

I'll try to remember to update in a couple of years. My intent is to keep them treated with 303. OE seals were expensive and installing these wasn't much trouble and I expect that for the 8 or $900 difference I'll install the cheap ones again.

__________________
85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

Putting the China thing aside, I expect that you'll be replacing them a few times before OE seals deteriorate. I get the cost is painful and agree. I just didn't see anything close to the same level of fit/ finish and sealing which is why I junked the URO seals and bought OE.

They may have improved the seals but I doubt it. I'd be very impressed if they last more than a couple years.

__________________
Why I will never do business with "DieselKraut" again

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-benz-used-parts-sale-wanted/378935-why-i-will-never-do-business-dieselkraut-again.html

FWIW, the original seals on my 300SD are 40 years old and are still intact and pliable. If the replacement seals from MB last that long, they'll be worth the price.

__________________
'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

Everyone has to make decisions about "worth it". OE seals on 3 SDs that I own (84, 85 & 85 parts car) all have something wrong. I've pulled several from yards and also ran into something wrong that prevented me from using them. There are a couple of weak spots where sections of the rubber separate. I've removed others and gotten to a section where the PO glued them on making intact removal in the jard without possible heat difficult.

As far as the China quality issue goes I have a close family member who imports aftermarket crash parts from China and Taiwan. He says that you can get any level of quality that you're willing to pay for. He buys some fenders landed for less than it costs to ship a single fender across the US. Adding options to a part is inexpensive. For example going from power to power heated to power heated with memory a mirror is only a few dollars if that much for each option.

I have a friend who used to work for Meyle. I asked whether he designed the parts. Answer: "No I design the machine that makes the parts." His take that once a part is designed and set up, each individual part's manufacturing cost is very small. They are of course priced at what the market will bear.

Until labor costs overseas rise those jobs will be staying where they are. We don't want to work that hard for those wages.

__________________
85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

Thanks for the feedback Junkman. Pelican doesn't appear to be offering these four URO Parts Door Seals, we'll let them know.

126 720 0178 (Front Left): Link TBD
126 720 0278 (Front Right): Link TBD
126 730 0178 (Rear Left): Link TBD
126 730 0278 (Rear Right): Link TBD

__________________
URO Parts online catalog: https://apaindustries.com/catalog

They should add the taillight seals while they're at it. I still haven't installed the set I have but they aren't readily available. We could also use some early 126 headlight bezels. They are NLA for 81-85 126 cars and the few OE parts available are old, brittle and expensive.

__________________
85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

...I suspect you'll find a some more rust after you remove the trim and glass. That was my experience.

__________________
84 300SD
85 380SE
83 528e
95 318ic