Split screen rubber......again

[davidpidge]

I know this has been discussed many times before. I'm really just looking for a link to the best thread or website that goes over the process of changing the splitscreen rubber. I'm not there to help but my friend and his dad have already tried and failed. He has gone straight in without any manuals etc to guide them. I've got a SII workshop manual but cant get it too him until next weekend. Is the workshop manual useful?

[mike.perry]

Is the workshop manual useful?

Not really!

[foofoournan]

i payed charles ware to do mine! they did the split screen and the back window! and they done leak!!!
however i could have done with out the damage that was done to the car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they scraped all the paint off the top of the dash board over the speedo
however they owned up.... after i pointed it out.... and they will be repaining the damge

[davidpidge]

Even the experts struggle. We decided to just use a normal universal seal. It won't have a slot for the chrome strip but I'll never find one of those anyway! This also means it might not leak....

[kennatt]

don't think that will make it any easier to fit,its not the rubber its the fact that you have two screen which ,doing it the approved BMC way,need to be fitted together with a dummy centre strip into the rubber ,then all fitted from the inside as one unit. then swap the dummy for the real one from the outside.Look up my thread on it I've done mine twice on my own using the strap solution,its realy not that bad a way to do it just takes a coup[le of days to get the glasses separated enough to fit the centre strip from the outside.Dosen't damage the paint on the window frame if you put plenty of padding on the straps,Did mine the second time after only about one week after a respray,didn't mark the paint at all.

[davidpidge]

They did say the tricky part was the fact that it was flapping around due to the two bits of screen. I'm not there to see what's going on so can only offer encouragement over the phone! At least a better rubber won't be as likely to leak.

[davidpidge]

Do you have any photos of the process? What exactly do you mean by straps? Ratchet straps?

[plastic_orange]

I assisted a window fitter with mine a few months ago - not really too difficult, but I'd done it before several times over the years and was able to advise fitter (experienced guy) on how it fitted. We just fitted glass to rubber, then using decent string (more like thin rope really) fitted rubber and glass from inside car. Once string was pulled gently to ease rubber over lip of window aperature (not easy as my new glass was 1mm thicker than standard), we used rubber suckers (what double glazing fitters use to handle glass) and a plastic wedge to separate the 2 halfs in order to fit centre pillar. Proper non setting window sealant was then applied around the rubber seal and in the glass area to ensure a watertight solution. I then fitted chrome surrounds and job done - took about an hour and a half.
The rubber used really requires there to be a bigger lip to fit perfectly - about 2mm too short I feel, but once trims fitted looks fine.

Pete

[kennatt]

The strap method Fit the rubber to the frame,with sealant ,fit both glasses,they just touch in the centre get four webing straps,with the self grab buckles,like on roof rack lugage straps,pad the window frame and put the straps though the glass two each side,and round the frame give all straps a slight tighten and the glasses start to pull apart at the centre and sart to push the rubber onto the frame. Leave for a day then do it again,and again if required untill the centre section can be fitted,then slide the straps (Carefully ) out ,leaving the centre section in place to be then tightened up.The second time I did mine,I just took the straps off after about three days and the glasses stayed apart long enough to fit the centre,but they were slowly creeping back together,so have every thing ready if you do it this way,just saves the risk of pulling the centre section out when the straps are being removed, I found that its wasn't the fitting that was the problem ,the new rubbers don't fit very well and the corners need sticking down.

[IaininTenbury]

I and a fellow Series 2 owner got stuck into this a few years back as between us we had a few cars to do!
Followed the instructions in the manual, made a dummy centre pillar (and old original one cut down slighty so it'll pass through the aperture would work) and it went pretty well. The new rubbers can tear when you're pulling the string out but plenty of lube and we got the hang of it quite well. Not up to production line speeds but under an hour for each one!
Now I'm a bit out of practice not having done one for a coupel of years but the prospect is no longer so scary!