How To Replace Mustang Weatherstripping
1. Remove the door handles and window cranks from your front doors. Keep one crank handy to help move windows during the repair.
2. Remove the door trim panel by pulling the panel clips from the door trim panel removal tool. Care should be taken when using this tool near painted surfaces. Wrap the head of the tool in a shop rag, if necessary, to protect your paint, Remove the weather shield.
3. Inside the bottom of the door is a rubber regulator isolator (arrow). In the full down position, the window regulator and glass sit on the rubber rest. Roll the window up and pull the rubber isolator from it’s holder. With the rubber rest removed from the regulator’s path, roll your window down to gain access to your window and door weatherstrips.
4. Remove the retaining screw that attaches the rear edge of the weatherstrip to the door.
5. Pry the weatherstrip and felts from the leading edge of the door assembly, being careful not to score your paint. You may wish to cover your prying tool with a soft cloth.
6. After the weatherstrip and felts have been removed, it may be necessary to tap the clip retainers back into their original positions.
7. For a secure hold, carefully squeeze the retaining clips to raise their “high” point, to the point where the clips contact the lock and the sheet metal. If this is not done, the felt may pull out when the window is rolled up.
8. Install the new felt strip on the inner half of the door assembly. Begin in the center and work your way towards the ends.
9. Install the weatherstrip on the outer half of the door assembly. again, work from the center outward, then reinstall the retaining screw at the end of the door. Spray the window regulator isolator with WD-40 or silicone to aid in reinstallation, and return it to it’s metal retainer in the inside bottom of the door.
10. Before removing the door weatherstrip, remove the five screws from the window end gasket and remove the gasket. Notice that one of the screws goes through the weatherstrip. The door weatherstrip is glued to the sheet metal and must be scraped or stripped from the door.
11. After pulling the weatherstrip, carefully clean the old glue and rubber from the surface, then prep for the adhesive by lightly sanding the area that will be hidden from view.
12. Super Gasket Adhesive by 3M will work well for installing the weatherstrip onto the door. Use as directed.
13. Apply a six-inch adhesive bead to one end of the weatherstrip to affix it to the door. Continue to install the rubber in six-inch intervals to prevent the adhesive from drying permanently.
14. With the door weatherstrip in place, reinstall the window end gasket with the five retaining screws.
15. the rear quarter window weatherstrips are more difficult to remove that the front pieces, especially if you are working on a convertible.
16. the new weatherstrips can be easily installed by snapping them into place and carefully working around the tip of the rear quarter glass.
17. Replacing the rear felts is more difficult. These are held to the inner quarter panel by strong sheet metal staples. To replace the felts you will have to remove the quarter panel from the car and do the replacement procedures on a work bench
18. With the trim panel removed, prey the old felts with a small pry bar or flat blade screwdriver. Again, you may wish to protect your paint by covering the pry tool with a cloth. If there are any staple remnants in the panel, remove them with needlenose pliers. Do not run your fingers across the stapled area or you may slice a finger.
19. After removing the felts, use a small ball peen hammer, or body hammer and dowel, to straighten the lip of the quarter trim panel.
20. Place the new felt strips against the quarter trim and scribe the position of the felt retaining holes onto the trim panel.
21. Drill the new felt retaining holes large enough to fit a 1/8x1/4-inch steel rivet. Place a piece of wood under the ledge to keep the drill bit from damaging the outer side of the quarter trim panel.
22. Rivet the felt to the quarter trim panel and reinstall the panel in the car.
23. Moving to the front of the car, pry the old cowl seal from the cowl panel. Be sure to remove all of the retaining clips as you go.
24. Remove all of the retaining clips from the old cowl seal and set them aside.
25. Line up the new cowl seal to the cowl and mark with a grease pencil the location of the retaining clips.
26. Use a razor or sharp knife to make slits in the cowl seal that are large enough to accommodate the retaining clips. Don’t make the slits too large or the clips will fall out. Install the clips, then the new cowl seal, onto the cowl panel.
27. Begin work on the trunk weatherstrip by scraping the old seal from the trunk lid. Prepare the sheet metal by removing the old glue and rubber, them roughing the painted surface with sandpaper.
28. Install the new trunk weatherstrip a few inches at a time, around the trunk lid, and check the weatherstrip position every few inches. The rubber must be correctly seated to seal properly.
29. Trim your remaining weatherstrip end with a hose cutter or a fresh razor blade. Scissors will also work, but they most be sharp. Cutting the rubber with a dull tool could tear the weatherstrip.
E-mail dt@dtmn.com for more details Return to DT Mustang Ltd