Treatment for rubber seals on car
 

Was wondering what is good to apply on the seals around the window, top, under hood to keep everything in good shape. With the price of all this rubber I want to keep it as long as I can.
ALSO - I have never removed my top on my 2001 yet - when I do is there some type of trick to this and to replace it. I was told to push down from the outside to undo the latches

Di-electric silicon grease. :cheers:

you can get it at parts stores and probably even WalMart...

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I've read you want a 'silicone' grease, not 'silicon' grease. It makes a difference.

For the rubber treatment, I agree. A body shop may also have some stuff that you can pick up that would work just fine.

As for the top, no need to do anything from the outside except when you lift the panel off the car. Just roll down the windows, pop the three latches, and then lift off. If you have not done this before, you may want to have a helper until you get it down. The glass top is very light, but the fiberglass one is a lot heavier. Just be sure you have a firm grip on the top when you lift so it does not drop.

If you are in a hot climate, be warned, the frame gets super hot. I damn near dropped it the first time I went to remove the top after it had been sitting in the sun for a while on a hot day.

I've read where some guys carry mechanics gloves in the car to remove the top with on those hot days. I'll probably be getting some myself before summer comes again.

Would 303 Aerospace work OK on weatherstripping?

“I've read you want’silicone’ grease, not 'silicon' grease. It makes a difference.”

Silicone is often mistaken colloquially for elemental silicon, because of the similarity in pronunciation and spelling, but they are entirely different. For example, in the Shakira song "Objection (Tango)", the lyrics "next to her cheap silicon I look minimal" should be "next to her cheap silicone I look minimal."

“Was wondering what is good to apply on the seals around the window, top, under hood to keep everything in good shape. With the price of all this rubber I want to keep it as long as I can.”

Rubber Seals:
The seals on most vehicles are no longer made of natural rubber; vehicle manufacturers use a specialized synthetic material called ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM). Real rubber, or blends containing real rubber, just cannot endure the direct exposure to sunlight (ultraviolet light) and the harmful-to-rubber oxidizing gases in our atmosphere.

The soft seals around doors, windows, hood and trunk are constantly being flexed and compressed all the while being subjected to a hostile environment. Use a product that contains Glycerine (Zymol Seal), a natural plant anti-oxidizing agent, it will prolong the useful life of the seal by restoring the original moisture and resist tearing and sticking

All this talk about rubber and silicone…I gotta sit down :willy:
JonM

Jon,

I went over to Zymol's site and read about the Zymol Seal. Any idea where you can purchase this stuff other than their website??

303 would be great!

Don't know about the Zymol product, but Griot's Garage, www.griotsgarage.com, makes a non-silicone based product for rubber & vinyl products. It leaves a nice satin, non-greasy finish which doesn't attract dust. I've used it all over my cars for several years and I'm very happy with it.

So how about using 303 for all of these moldings and rubber seals?
 

[QUOTE=TOGWT]“I've read you want’silicone’ grease, not 'silicon' grease. It makes a difference.”

Silicone is often mistaken colloquially for elemental silicon, because of the similarity in pronunciation and spelling, but they are entirely different. For example, in the Shakira song "Objection (Tango)", the lyrics "next to her cheap silicon I look minimal" should be "next to her cheap silicone I look minimal."

“Was wondering what is good to apply on the seals around the window, top, under hood to keep everything in good shape. With the price of all this rubber I want to keep it as long as I can.”

Rubber Seals:
The seals on most vehicles are no longer made of natural rubber; vehicle manufacturers use a specialized synthetic material called ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM). Real rubber, or blends containing real rubber, just cannot endure the direct exposure to sunlight (ultraviolet light) and the harmful-to-rubber oxidizing gases in our atmosphere.

The soft seals around doors, windows, hood and trunk are constantly being flexed and compressed all the while being subjected to a hostile environment. Use a product that contains Glycerine (Zymol Seal), a natural plant anti-oxidizing agent, it will prolong the useful life of the seal by restoring the original moisture and resist tearing and sticking

All this talk about rubber and silicone…I gotta sit down :willy:

Is 303 protectant the answer to the above problems and to perserve moldings, rubber and seals?:cheers:

Use a product that contains Glycerine a natural plant anti-oxidizing agent, it will prolong the useful life of the seal by restoring the original moisture and resist tearing and sticking

Armadillo- I couldn't find the product you were referring to on the Groit's website.

L.S. Won- a vinyl protection (as far as I know) doesn’t contain glycerin and the protectant used is not formulated to penetrate ( the main reason you shouldn't use a viynl product on leather) as it only necessary to 'coat' vinyl to provide adequate protection)
JonM

Drivewerks

http://www.drivewerks.com/catalog/sh...Zymol5_pg3.htm

Preservative for Rubber Seals $19.90
PEL-ZY803

Soft seals, those around doors, hoods and trunk lids, present a number of problems. They are constantly being flexed and crushed while being subjected to hostile environments. Zymol Seal is derived from glycerin, a natural plant anti-oxidizing agent. Seal notably prolongs the useful life of rubber seals by releasing trapped solvents and restoring original moisture. Note: A properly treated seal will feel like a dog’s nose. Contains Glycerin, Avocado Oil, Glycerl Stearate (derived from Glycerin), Cetyl Esters, Cetyl Cocoamide (derived from coconut oil).
JonM

Jon, nice find !!

Is 303 a (Vinyl product)?
 

:cheers:

Is there any other place to buy this Zymol sealant
 

Like a store or some franchise auto store like Auto Zone, Pep Boys or high end parts store? As opposed to buying through the mail? :cheers:

Are there any products that come in disposable wipes?

Seals
 

You want to get some Vinyl and Rubber dressing from Griots Garage and liberally apply it, then use Dielectric Silicone grease GM #12345579. The rubber dressing will preserve the seals and the grease will keep it from drying out. My 96 has the original window and top seals and they are like new. Dont use Armour All!

I use the same on my door seals. I use it in the wipe form. It allows me to control the application so it doesn't get too messy. Dries in about 5 minutes.