(not that I'm bitter or anything.) God bless, Sensei
T-Top Gasket
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
From: Saint Louis Missouri
T-Top Gasket
I am somewhat new here. Just purchased a real clean 81. The back was loaded with new parts, my luck! Anyway the car came with two sets of t-tops. One set was a replacement and somewhat newer and the original set whereby one is good and the other is really cracked. Anyway the car came with a set of new rubber gaskets for the t-tops. The gaskets need replacing on the good set. I looked at the older cracked set and see where there are three screws on one of the four sides and the other three sides attach with some notched pins. It also appears that the gaskets (on both sets) are put down with adhesive. Can some one of you nice people tell me how to install, point me to a thread, or give some advice. Thanks and if I need to post this somewhere else, I will do so.
From St. Louis,
Thanks.
From St. Louis,
Thanks.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,246
Likes: 4
From: Bay Area CA
your lucky. I just did mine Wednesday. 3 hour job. Go buy some weather stripping adhesive. That's what it's called. They got it at Napa, in the isle with the RTV. One tube will do you. There called T-top weatherstripping btw.
Get a large cleared flat table and a large towel and many large rags, a butter knife, 2- 12oz bottles of the 91% or higher alcohol from the super or a drug store, Some blue painters tape, some duct tape, a washed green scotch scrub pad, a set of standard pliers and 3 sheep. OK, scratch the sheep, but you'll need everything else.
Get the T-Tops, get one and put it on the towel, on the table. Next, roll the weather stripping with your finger tips with hard pressure, both hands, to break the seal between the T-Top, Stripping and Glue, all the way around the T-Top. Every 3" or so there are these little palstic pins. Pull the stripping loose while leaving them in is ok, but try not to break off any of the heads on them. Use the butter knife as needed to pry between the stripping and top, and try to pull the stripping off as much as you can. You want to leave just the glue residue and pins. That's for the center, front and back.
On the outside, there is a channel. Remove the stripping from the outside channel ignoring the screws if you can.. Now, with all the stripping removed, use the pliers to remove the little plastic pins. Don't break them off as if you do, they will rattle around inside the top forever.
Next use the butter knife and a rag soaked in alcohol to clean the channel. USE EXTREEM CARE around the 90+ % alcohol. It is highly flamable,, burns yellow and hot and fast,, not blue and cold like the 70% stuff. Treat it like gasoline. I burns like it. don't ask me how I know, just keep a fire extigusher handy and be happy.
Next, take the scotch pad and buff out the rest of the area where the old stripping was, attempting to get out most of the glue, or sand the glue flat with no or minimal corners sticking up. Pay special attention to the horozontle channels, ~ 1/8" on the outside line. These MUST be free of all old glue and weather stripping. when done, use a alcohol soaked! rag to clean the area where the new weather stripping will attatched.
The hardest part of the install is to get the channel side of the new stripping to lay flat on the outside corners. That's what the tapes for. Test fit the weather stripping peice w/o any glue or installing any push pins, just test fit it in the outside channel. See where it doesn't want to conform to the bends. It must attatched correctly, or it is a waste of time.
Take note: The Glue drys FAST!!!,, 3 mins tops! lay down a thin bead of glue down the middle of the outside leg, the channel w/o the pins, and about 3" down both front and back faces. Install the weather stripping peice by moving it in directly opposed to the channel, and over press it in to the outside 1/8" channel so it sits completely in both channels, and set the pins into the front and back up to the glue. Now tape down the outside stripping as needed to ensure it dries flat. Use care here, this is a very important step. Now lay a bead around the other 3 faces, you don't really need that much, and install all the push pins on the new stripping. Let dry for 2 hours in the sun and your good to go. Chris.
Get a large cleared flat table and a large towel and many large rags, a butter knife, 2- 12oz bottles of the 91% or higher alcohol from the super or a drug store, Some blue painters tape, some duct tape, a washed green scotch scrub pad, a set of standard pliers and 3 sheep. OK, scratch the sheep, but you'll need everything else.
Get the T-Tops, get one and put it on the towel, on the table. Next, roll the weather stripping with your finger tips with hard pressure, both hands, to break the seal between the T-Top, Stripping and Glue, all the way around the T-Top. Every 3" or so there are these little palstic pins. Pull the stripping loose while leaving them in is ok, but try not to break off any of the heads on them. Use the butter knife as needed to pry between the stripping and top, and try to pull the stripping off as much as you can. You want to leave just the glue residue and pins. That's for the center, front and back.
On the outside, there is a channel. Remove the stripping from the outside channel ignoring the screws if you can.. Now, with all the stripping removed, use the pliers to remove the little plastic pins. Don't break them off as if you do, they will rattle around inside the top forever.
Next use the butter knife and a rag soaked in alcohol to clean the channel. USE EXTREEM CARE around the 90+ % alcohol. It is highly flamable,, burns yellow and hot and fast,, not blue and cold like the 70% stuff. Treat it like gasoline. I burns like it. don't ask me how I know, just keep a fire extigusher handy and be happy.
Next, take the scotch pad and buff out the rest of the area where the old stripping was, attempting to get out most of the glue, or sand the glue flat with no or minimal corners sticking up. Pay special attention to the horozontle channels, ~ 1/8" on the outside line. These MUST be free of all old glue and weather stripping. when done, use a alcohol soaked! rag to clean the area where the new weather stripping will attatched.
The hardest part of the install is to get the channel side of the new stripping to lay flat on the outside corners. That's what the tapes for. Test fit the weather stripping peice w/o any glue or installing any push pins, just test fit it in the outside channel. See where it doesn't want to conform to the bends. It must attatched correctly, or it is a waste of time.
Take note: The Glue drys FAST!!!,, 3 mins tops! lay down a thin bead of glue down the middle of the outside leg, the channel w/o the pins, and about 3" down both front and back faces. Install the weather stripping peice by moving it in directly opposed to the channel, and over press it in to the outside 1/8" channel so it sits completely in both channels, and set the pins into the front and back up to the glue. Now tape down the outside stripping as needed to ensure it dries flat. Use care here, this is a very important step. Now lay a bead around the other 3 faces, you don't really need that much, and install all the push pins on the new stripping. Let dry for 2 hours in the sun and your good to go. Chris.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,246
Likes: 4
From: Bay Area CA
The rubber has little slits, If you take them out and screw them back in through the stripping, they just bypass and push the rubber out of the way anyway. install over them. fill up around the head of the screws with adhesive, but don't over do it. You can use 1 as a position locator if you need to.That being said, mine is a '73 and yours is an '81, and I know they some what changed the T-Top design along the way, so if you have large screws, or deep ones through the rubber, do what you need to, to get it to work, common sense. My method works, well. I just finished the rest of the weather stripping on the car, yeaterday too. Really not that hard. I used the same method and tools I pointed out above. Not really that hard. The T-Tops were by far, the hardest.
I just finished the rest of the weather stripping on the car, yeaterday too. Really not that hard. I used the same method and tools I pointed out above. Not really that hard. The T-Tops were by far, the hardest.
Last edited by RunningMan373; Jun 23, 2007 at 04:24 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,126
Likes: 0
From: Hudson Falls, N.Y. 76 Vette Modified L-48
Yup...went thru the whole ordeal as well and "still got wet"
Being mine is a (clear weather) weekend driver only and not garaged, I've resorted to watching the weather man and if rains a comin' I plastic trap the roof and close the doors on the tarp...bandaid?...yup, but the inside stays dry..
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,246
Likes: 4
From: Bay Area CA
Yup...went thru the whole ordeal as well and "still got wet"
Being mine is a (clear weather) weekend driver only and not garaged, I've resorted to watching the weather man and if rains a comin' I plastic trap the roof and close the doors on the tarp...bandaid?...yup, but the inside stays dry..
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Cruising
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
The rubber has little slits, If you take them out and screw them back in through the stripping, they just bypass and push the rubber out of the way anyway. install over them. fill up around the head of the screws with adhesive, but don't over do it. You can use 1 as a position locator if you need to.That being said, mine is a '73 and yours is an '81, and I know they some what changed the T-Top design along the way, so if you have large screws, or deep ones through the rubber, do what you need to, to get it to work, common sense. My method works, well. I just finished the rest of the weather stripping on the car, yeaterday too. Really not that hard. I used the same method and tools I pointed out above. Not really that hard. The T-Tops were by far, the hardest.
I just finished the rest of the weather stripping on the car, yeaterday too. Really not that hard. I used the same method and tools I pointed out above. Not really that hard. The T-Tops were by far, the hardest. I'm going to do my t-tops at the end of the Summer.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,246
Likes: 4
From: Bay Area CA
These guys. http://www.cssbinc.com/ The T-top weather stripping they got is the best I've seen, really first class quality. The stuff I have pictured isn't near as good, it's for the front window uppers, it's OK but the T-top stuff they got is first class. diff manufacturer.
Looks like they got some pretty good prices on brake kits too.. to bad I just did mine. Nothings more fun then getting a heavy box from UPS.
Looks like they got some pretty good prices on brake kits too.. to bad I just did mine. Nothings more fun then getting a heavy box from UPS.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,246
Likes: 4
From: Bay Area CA
Yea, we should have a get together some time with all the members who live here in the extended bay area. That would be quite a car show in it self. Keep your ears on about it, I will too. C.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 842
Likes: 3
From: Woodruff SC
St. Jude Donor '10
your lucky. I just did mine Wednesday. 3 hour job. Go buy some weather stripping adhesive. That's what it's called. They got it at Napa, in the isle with the RTV. One tube will do you. There called T-top weatherstripping btw.
Get a large cleared flat table and a large towel and many large rags, a butter knife, 2- 12oz bottles of the 91% or higher alcohol from the super or a drug store, Some blue painters tape, some duct tape, a washed green scotch scrub pad, a set of standard pliers and 3 sheep. OK, scratch the sheep, but you'll need everything else.
Get the T-Tops, get one and put it on the towel, on the table. Next, roll the weather stripping with your finger tips with hard pressure, both hands, to break the seal between the T-Top, Stripping and Glue, all the way around the T-Top. Every 3" or so there are these little palstic pins. Pull the stripping loose while leaving them in is ok, but try not to break off any of the heads on them. Use the butter knife as needed to pry between the stripping and top, and try to pull the stripping off as much as you can. You want to leave just the glue residue and pins. That's for the center, front and back.
On the outside, there is a channel. Remove the stripping from the outside channel ignoring the screws if you can.. Now, with all the stripping removed, use the pliers to remove the little plastic pins. Don't break them off as if you do, they will rattle around inside the top forever.
Next use the butter knife and a rag soaked in alcohol to clean the channel. USE EXTREEM CARE around the 90+ % alcohol. It is highly flamable,, burns yellow and hot and fast,, not blue and cold like the 70% stuff. Treat it like gasoline. I burns like it. don't ask me how I know, just keep a fire extigusher handy and be happy.
Next, take the scotch pad and buff out the rest of the area where the old stripping was, attempting to get out most of the glue, or sand the glue flat with no or minimal corners sticking up. Pay special attention to the horozontle channels, ~ 1/8" on the outside line. These MUST be free of all old glue and weather stripping. when done, use a alcohol soaked! rag to clean the area where the new weather stripping will attatched.
The hardest part of the install is to get the channel side of the new stripping to lay flat on the outside corners. That's what the tapes for. Test fit the weather stripping peice w/o any glue or installing any push pins, just test fit it in the outside channel. See where it doesn't want to conform to the bends. It must attatched correctly, or it is a waste of time.
Take note: The Glue drys FAST!!!,, 3 mins tops! lay down a thin bead of glue down the middle of the outside leg, the channel w/o the pins, and about 3" down both front and back faces. Install the weather stripping peice by moving it in directly opposed to the channel, and over press it in to the outside 1/8" channel so it sits completely in both channels, and set the pins into the front and back up to the glue. Now tape down the outside stripping as needed to ensure it dries flat. Use care here, this is a very important step. Now lay a bead around the other 3 faces, you don't really need that much, and install all the push pins on the new stripping. Let dry for 2 hours in the sun and your good to go. Chris.
Get a large cleared flat table and a large towel and many large rags, a butter knife, 2- 12oz bottles of the 91% or higher alcohol from the super or a drug store, Some blue painters tape, some duct tape, a washed green scotch scrub pad, a set of standard pliers and 3 sheep. OK, scratch the sheep, but you'll need everything else.
Get the T-Tops, get one and put it on the towel, on the table. Next, roll the weather stripping with your finger tips with hard pressure, both hands, to break the seal between the T-Top, Stripping and Glue, all the way around the T-Top. Every 3" or so there are these little palstic pins. Pull the stripping loose while leaving them in is ok, but try not to break off any of the heads on them. Use the butter knife as needed to pry between the stripping and top, and try to pull the stripping off as much as you can. You want to leave just the glue residue and pins. That's for the center, front and back.
On the outside, there is a channel. Remove the stripping from the outside channel ignoring the screws if you can.. Now, with all the stripping removed, use the pliers to remove the little plastic pins. Don't break them off as if you do, they will rattle around inside the top forever.
Next use the butter knife and a rag soaked in alcohol to clean the channel. USE EXTREEM CARE around the 90+ % alcohol. It is highly flamable,, burns yellow and hot and fast,, not blue and cold like the 70% stuff. Treat it like gasoline. I burns like it. don't ask me how I know, just keep a fire extigusher handy and be happy.
Next, take the scotch pad and buff out the rest of the area where the old stripping was, attempting to get out most of the glue, or sand the glue flat with no or minimal corners sticking up. Pay special attention to the horozontle channels, ~ 1/8" on the outside line. These MUST be free of all old glue and weather stripping. when done, use a alcohol soaked! rag to clean the area where the new weather stripping will attatched.
The hardest part of the install is to get the channel side of the new stripping to lay flat on the outside corners. That's what the tapes for. Test fit the weather stripping peice w/o any glue or installing any push pins, just test fit it in the outside channel. See where it doesn't want to conform to the bends. It must attatched correctly, or it is a waste of time.
Take note: The Glue drys FAST!!!,, 3 mins tops! lay down a thin bead of glue down the middle of the outside leg, the channel w/o the pins, and about 3" down both front and back faces. Install the weather stripping peice by moving it in directly opposed to the channel, and over press it in to the outside 1/8" channel so it sits completely in both channels, and set the pins into the front and back up to the glue. Now tape down the outside stripping as needed to ensure it dries flat. Use care here, this is a very important step. Now lay a bead around the other 3 faces, you don't really need that much, and install all the push pins on the new stripping. Let dry for 2 hours in the sun and your good to go. Chris.
Screwed up one side already!
Thanks!
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,246
Likes: 4
From: Bay Area CA
