way to renew weather stripping?

[J__]

for my firend's mr2 ttop. the weatherstripping isnt 'bad' like how they turn on our old Z cars. it was a bit tough when he bought the car and leaks. so he rubbed some vaseline on it and it became very soft and stopped leaking for a bit, but when it rains heavily, the car still leaks. is there any products out there or tricks to renew worn weatherstripping? its $150 each side for those from dealer, but he doesnt wanna spend $300 on 2 weatherstripping. tia!!

[mom'sZ]

most weatherstrips take a 'set' after some years of use. In other words the shape of it conforms to the opening it's in. Once this has happened I doubt anything is going to cause it to change shape much. Readjusting the panel to press slightly tighter against it can sometimes help it seal better, but this may not be possible or desirable in your particular application.

[naviathan]

Pull the TTops and apply a heavy coat of parts cleaner. The chemicals in parts cleaner will make the rubber expand. Leave it on there for an hour then wipe it off and apply either baby oil or vaseline to keep it from drying out.

 

EDIT: You may have to this several times depending on how bad the weather stripping is. I did this on my 81ZX. It took three times because the rubber had shrunk so much, but it worked. My seats aren't wet anymore when it rains.

[Guest Mike]

I say buy new seals. Just look for a better price than what the dealer offers... they're ALWAYS overpriced. I've tried some of these fixes and, though they "may" work for awhile, they always fail again. Either the leak comes back or the seals crack or they tear apart... just not worth the effort, IMHO. I "may" have a link to what you need. I'll look and post my findings.

[mom'sZ]

I agree with Mike, new weatherstrip is really the only proper cure. Soaking rubber with parts cleaner can't be good for it and probably will cause it to eventually crumble. And Naviathan. I'm sure it really does work, and on your 208K daily driver it is better then sitting in a puddle everyday.

[Guest Mike]

Look here... http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/CTGY/SWR02E

 

... as low as $47 per side.

[bschiltz]

A MR2, like a toyota? These any good? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Toyota-MR2-T-Top-Weatherstrips-Brand-New-85-89_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6755QQihZ016QQitemZ260057070793QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

[DavyZ]

I would not use parts cleaner....but I would try some ATF or power steering fluid. It may actually work on the rubber. The vaseline is too thick IMO. Plus you never know who went into the jar last and for what reason.

 

Davy

[J__]

i'll get him to try the atf or parts cleaner, i'll let him knw what you guys mentioned and he can decide if he wants to do that or not because of the consequences. apparently even new factory weatherstripping will leak. its a common problem on those mr2's. a few ppl bought the car new from the dealer back in the days and it already leaked..... they took it back and had the rubber changed under warranty and it STILL leaked.... i guess it's one of those things that's like a gamble. sometimes it works, other times it wont. i told him to just stick a few thing pieces of rubber in the gap for the winter and take em out for the summer, lol. the previous owner to that car just siliconed the leaky area. thnx for all the imput guys!

[Guest Mike]

Buy NEW seals... I've tried the cheap short-cuts. They DON'T work!!!

[Cruez]

Parts washer will work... it will also cause it to expand (don't leave it in there too long) but also makes it easy to tear while its still wet from the the cleaner..

In a pinch, it is better than using the old stuff that is falling apart..

 

BTW... won't petroleum products cause rubber harm anyway ?? like ATF ???

 

I would use some type of silicone to seal it..