The outer window seal experience...
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 14
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From: CA
The outer window seal experience...
For those who have not yet experienced the wonder of taking apart your door to install a new outer window sill, and who are not intuitive mechanics... here are some of the little delights that await you. This is intended to supplement your basic instruction sheet or manual--which does not tell you certain things. This is for a 1991 coupe, driver's side door.
- Lower window and disconnect battery.
- Getting the accessory plate and armrest fill off:
(the FSM calls it the "accessory plate", aka the "door handle bezel")
Unscrew the 2 armrest fill screws, and the one visible screw in the middle of the accessory plate.
Pull out the armrest fill and pull off the electric connectors.
Pry the light fixture out of the accessory plate.
Note that there is one hidden screw behind there. Take it out.
Pry the plastic slider **** off the manual lock rod.
Peer in there and behold another hidden screw, cleverly concealed directly behind the lock rod. Take that out too.
Now push the metal manual lock rod up and over, out of the slider slot, so it's behind the accessory plate. Now you should be able to wrestle the accessory plate out of there, and pull off the electric connectors.
- There is a about a 3 x 4 inch plastic plate that will fall out when you remove the accessory plate. This goes behind the door handle. It has tabs which fit into two holes in the sheet metal, one above, one below the door handle hinge. You will place these tabs in, and put the plate in behind the door handle, just before you reinstall the accessory plate. See below.
- Take out all the obvious screws from the edges of the door panel (there are 7--5 at the bottom edge and one on each vertical edge). Pull the door panel up and off. You may have to rock and wiggle it a bit. Disconnect the hatch release wires, which should be the last thing holding on to the door panel at this point.
- Detach both ends of the weatherstrip (two 7mm screws at each end). This would also be a good time to replace the weatherstrip.
- If it so happens, that your inside door handle is broken, now is also the time to fix that. Most likely, the down-hooking end of the latch rod has simply popped out of the handle lever. Look in there with a flashlight and you can see the hole, and the rod. Grab the rod and try to hook it on the small door handle lever (inside the door) until you can feel the hook engage the hole in the handle lever (as opposed to hooking the edge or other parts of the lever mechanism). Look in there to confirm that the hook got down into the hole where it sposed to be. Voila, your handle is fixed. Operate the handle to confirm that the rod doesn't pop out again.
- Drilling out the old rivets. A 3/16" bit should do. You can lever the rivet heads out of the sill by lodging a pointy metal tool at the edge of the drill hole and prying carefully. If not, drill some more til the head does come off. Then take the largest diameter Phillips screwdriver that will fit and poke it into the hole and bang it with the heel of your hand; this should pop the rivet tube remnant through and out of the hole.
- Getting the new sill on there. It's not that hard to get them clips to poke into the holes, even though you can hardly see down in that narrow space with a flashlight. But the sill won't want to go on as tight and straight as you would like. Nothing you can do will really help, as far as I know. But the sill will look OK anyway, and it snugs up a little bit once you raise and lower the window a few times, after you are done. The aftermarket sills aren't really identical to the factory ones; the lip is convex rather than flat, which doesn't quite work perfectly (on a 91 anyhow). But it's way better than a disintegrating, brittle remnant!
- Rivet the new sill on. 3 rivets should have come with the sill. Secure the ends of the weatherstrip again with the 7mm screws.
- Getting the door panel back on. Observe the nature of the underbelly of the top edge of the door panel. Determine where the metal top edges of the inner door structure are supposed to fit in.
Reconnect the hatch-release wires.
Feed the window wires and mirror-control wires through the appropriate opening in the door panel--the smaller, lower opening in the door panel near the front of the armrest fill. If you feed them in thru a higher opening, there won't be enough slack to reconnect the window wiring. Then lift up the door panel and push it in and down on the top edge of the door. It should snap down on there eventually.
- Reinstalling the accessory plate and armrest fill--reconnect their wires then slide them into position. Note the various tabs on the armrest fill and where they need to go. Preplace the little plastic plate from hell, prior to reinstalling the accessory plate, as mentioned above... make sure it matches its hole to the screw hole in the accessory plate, more or less. You may have to open the door handle to get the accessory plate back into position, and you will have to poke the manual lock rod up and over and down into the proper plastic slot where it belongs. Meanwhile the little plate will probly dislodge itself... but eventually after several tries it will all magically fall into place. Put back the two hidden screws and the one visible screw and the light fixture and the plastic lock slider ****, to secure the accessory plate. Then do all the other door panel screws: grats you're done.
Last edited by Rep07; Nov 23, 2007 at 01:51 PM. Reason: terminology
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 862
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From: Lewisvlle NC
I have replaced the outer window seals on both of my c-4's and thought it was rather simple. Try replacing your heater core or maybe something simple like spark plugs. You'll be more than happy to do outer window seals again........
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 14
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From: CA
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: CA
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From: Exit 89 GSP,Lakewood,NJ The Land Of Mojo
Cental/South NJ Events Coordinator
CI 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12 Vet
CI-II Burnout & Drag Champ
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07
I've found through experience that you are better off using GM parts rather than any of the aftermarket stuff.
There is a huge difference in quality(and of course price).
There is a huge difference in quality(and of course price).
I just completed my install on my 85. The GM parts were much better than aftermarket..... Thanks for the info MOJO!! 
Drifting
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From: CV ca
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13
That's what I felt like doing about half way through.
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