passenger side vent
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 807
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From: VIRGINIA BEACH VIRGINIA
passenger side vent
Down by the kick panel on my 79 on the passenger side is the vent that lets in air from the outside. I was replacing the vacuum hoses and noticed that the seal around the vent was rotten and missing quite a bit of the "foam". I took the vent out and separated the two pieces. I am not sure what to use to replace the seal. It is like a soft rubber. I can't find it anywhere on line. Any ideas?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 889
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photo???
Down by the kick panel on my 79 on the passenger side is the vent that lets in air from the outside. I was replacing the vacuum hoses and noticed that the seal around the vent was rotten and missing quite a bit of the "foam". I took the vent out and separated the two pieces. I am not sure what to use to replace the seal. It is like a soft rubber. I can't find it anywhere on line. Any ideas?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2010
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From: "ɹǝpunuʍop", Adelaide, South Australia
Team Owner
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From: Crossville TN
Michael's Craft stores carry an item called "craft foam" which comes in 8"x10" sheets. They cost about a dollar each and are identical in thickness and composition to the original seal material. When you cut the seal, make sure it is big enough to fill the entire opening; the one you removed is well worn and is much smaller than it was. Use Pop-rivets [and semi-flat black paint] to put it all back together and it will look almost exactly like new.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2005
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From: Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
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From: Southbound
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Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 807
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From: VIRGINIA BEACH VIRGINIA
That is exactly why I like this forum. Outstanding help. Thanks a lot guys and appreciate the help. I will try Michaels and if that doesn't work, I will get it from ZIP. Thanks again.
Dan
Dan
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,683
Likes: 34
From: Working on the car NY
Michael's Craft stores carry an item called "craft foam" which comes in 8"x10" sheets. They cost about a dollar each and are identical in thickness and composition to the original seal material. When you cut the seal, make sure it is big enough to fill the entire opening; the one you removed is well worn and is much smaller than it was. Use Pop-rivets [and semi-flat black paint] to put it all back together and it will look almost exactly like new.
Thanks 7T1vette for your info
.The Michaels craft sheet that I got yesterday was much larger than 8X10 (maybe 12 x 18?). The 8 x 10 size in my store was adhesive backed on 1 side. My larger is non-adhesived backed and was still under a dollar and I had a 40% off coupon. Total outlay was less than 60 cents
.It seems extreamly close to the original composition material. When you reassemble (rivet) the door, make sure
you don't forget to put in the bottom rod assembly. I forgot and had to grind off the rivet, repaint the section, put the rod in and then re-rivet.Original door with old seal - the bottom rod I mentioned above is off at this point and not in the photo
Rivets ground off - I find it's easier to grind off than drill out
Old door apart ready for paint -note the old torn seal
Done with new seal
I have the nose off so there is additional access from the outside
Inside view with door on and new seal
Outside view with door on
Last edited by TWINRAY; Feb 28, 2012 at 11:26 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,683
Likes: 34
From: Working on the car NY
Ok,. now the bad news
. Yesterday I went to hook up the spring and lever mechanism - now it turns out there is a gap all along the top of the seal
and a small gap about an inch at the bottom. So the door comes out (again), I grind off the rivets (again) and disassemble the door, etc.etc. Now I don't like the way the foam bounces back (or doesn't bounce back) when the door opens and closes. I have a flat piece of rubber about the same thickness of the Michaels foam and am about to try that. This time I've wised up and bought #8 screws and nuts to assemble this thing so if the rubber doesn't work out to my licking, I won't have to do any more grinding of rivets.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,683
Likes: 34
From: Working on the car NY
. But in any event, I got the rubber seal in there now - took forever, cause I intentially made it even bigger than my 1st replacement but this time, kept fitting it and about after the 6th trim, it fits perfectly now. And, like I said, if I ever get the inclination to replace it again, it's gots screws instead of rivets.
