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Thread: HELP! Struggling with quarter window installation

  1. #1

    HELP! Struggling with quarter window installation

    I'm fitting pop-out quarter windows to a '79 SC. I've done my research, and done each step very precisely. Everything was going pretty well until I started fitting the seal to the glass. The smaller one between the glass and the inside of the frame. I got them on the glass and in the frame fairly easily, but then when it came time to fasten the straight section of the frame, it took two guys squeezing and pushing, and some clever loosening and tightening of the tiny screws at the corner to get the frame to assemble. Both were an incredibly tight fit. I followed up by fitting the larger seal to the outside of the frame. That went well. On to fitting the windows in the car I ran into a problem. The windows wouldn't fit. They would close just a little, then stop midwat towards the back of the car. Sighting from the front towards the latch end, I could see that the window frame was making contact about midway--the front by the B pillar and the latch end looked pretty good, it was just the middle that was hanging up. I lubed the rubber a little, and that helped a bit, but it was clear that the frame was simply too large for the opening. Took the frame out of the car and placed a clamp across the frame (top to bottom) about where it was binding. I put some tape on the glass to monitor the movement. With a squeeze I could compress the frame at least 1/8". I had the idea that since the end piece was so difficult to install, that the seal might be too large. Thus, the clamp squeezed the seal and allowed the frame to "get smaller". So I took and extra seal I had bought (it's unbranded--not labelled official Porsche) and compared it to a seal from an old window I had. I was surprised to see that the old seal, although shrunk with age and hard, was dramatically smaller and thinner than the new seal. See the pic below. The old seal is on top. I know it doesn't look terribly different, but the new seal is just so thick and tall. This is a side view, so the glass would insert from the top (in the direction of the red arrow). I'm now thinking that these seals are way too large, and are expanding the frame to the point that it won't fit in the car. I don't have experience with these seals, so if anyone can offer some experience here, I'd appreciate it.

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    Early S Registry Member #3291

    Still hunting for my dad's (Roger Abraham) '70T Coupe in Light Ivory
    Purchased new from Gruber Porsche Cedar Rapids, IA

  2. #2
    You're now learning the lesson of 'aftermarket parts' they ain't the same!
    Early S Registry member #90
    R Gruppe member #138
    Fort Worth Tx.

  3. #3
    From what company did you purchase the seal? under what part number?

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by edmayo View Post
    You're now learning the lesson of 'aftermarket parts' they ain't the same!
    When I ordered I spec'd "best quality you can get". I guess that wasn't good enough.

    Quote Originally Posted by 356hunter View Post
    From what company did you purchase the seal? under what part number?
    EBS. I've bought lots of stuff from them, but been burned by bad quality (not necessarily a fault of theirs) in the past. I used the part no's from the PET, as I always do.
    Early S Registry Member #3291

    Still hunting for my dad's (Roger Abraham) '70T Coupe in Light Ivory
    Purchased new from Gruber Porsche Cedar Rapids, IA

  5. #5
    Porsche Nut merbesfield's Avatar
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    Watching your results and info as I will be doing this very soon and I’m not looking forward to it.
    Mark Erbesfield
    2018 911 Carrera T 7spd manual 😊
    1973 911S #9113301282
    1957 356A #58648
    1966 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ45LV
    1982 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40
    1977 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40
    1972 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 FST (Factory Soft Top)
    1971 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 “Patina Queen”
    1979 MB 450SL "Dad's old car"
    2019 Cayenne "Wife's car"

  6. #6
    I've returned the seals to EBS and will be checking out some from Stoddard's at a friend's shop soon. I'll report back. By the sounds of it the genuine Porsche seals are the ones that will fit without issue. I'll report back.
    Early S Registry Member #3291

    Still hunting for my dad's (Roger Abraham) '70T Coupe in Light Ivory
    Purchased new from Gruber Porsche Cedar Rapids, IA

  7. #7
    So an update on this ongoing and very frustrating process. I returned the aftermarket seals and exchanged them for genuine Porsche seals. Price was a little different. I returned four seals, and got two in return, even swap. Here's the funny part. The packaging, labeling (except for PORSCHE on the sticker) size, texture and profile of the genuine seals were identical to the ones I returned. So irritating, so frustrating. I know about the "Porsche tax" but this is just insulting. Anyway, enough ranting. Here's some real details that I hope will help someone else, and that others with experience might corroborate.

    Check the comparison pics. The genuine seals are huge in comparison. About 2mm thicker, so 4mm total over the height of the window. I did end up fitting these to a window and assembling the frame with great difficulty, but the seals were so fat that they bulged out the frames---the windows wouldn't fit in the car as a result. You can see the bottom of the channel on both seals is completely different. On the originals there is almost no extra material. On the new ones there is a very pronounced ^ shape hump that further expands the frame. Its probably 2mm thick at least.

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    Today I took two of the old seals I have and washed them in hot soapy water. They are not as flexible as new, but still relatively soft and pliable. I installed them around the Porsche branded Sekurit glass and fitted them to the frames, then installed the outer seal and fit them to the car. They fit on the first go! So the original seals did the trick. I don't honestly know how anyone is using these new seals and fitting the windows. Unless of course the car I'm fitting these to is an anomaly and the window openings are themselves small. But I don't think that's the case since I fit some other original pop outs (with original seals) and they fit fine. I do think the culprit here are these overly fat seals.

    So I went to fit the passenger side and ran into another problem. The tinted glass I have for that side says "Sekurit" but is missing the "P in a triangle" Porsche parts logo. I went to fit it in the frame with the other original seal I cleaned and prepped and I couldn't get the frame assembled. It seemed like the glass was too large. So I compared it to a clear Sekurit glass (with P logo) from another set of pop outs I have, and lo and behold, the non-logo Sekurit glass is quite a bit larger--almost 1/4 on the long side! So now I have a seal that fits, but glass that's too large. Really feel like I'm chasing my tail on this.

    Here's a couple videos showing the non-logo glass on the bottom. It's larger on the long side, but a little smaller as it reaches the rounded end (where I point my finger)

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/h5JcrTAUn2wrBYUj1

    So if anyone has experience to share on the seal issue, and the non-logo glass sizing, love to hear from you.
    Early S Registry Member #3291

    Still hunting for my dad's (Roger Abraham) '70T Coupe in Light Ivory
    Purchased new from Gruber Porsche Cedar Rapids, IA

  8. #8
    I just did this job for a customer 3 months ago, seals fit perfectly, but they didn't have that little paper tag around the seal. I didn't measure them,,,wasn't any need to. I don't have any in stock to show you however.
    Early S Registry member #90
    R Gruppe member #138
    Fort Worth Tx.

  9. #9
    Senior Member NZVW's Avatar
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    This may be a really stupid question but hey,,,
    Jameel, Are you "retro" fitting pop out 1/4's into your 79 SC that originally had fixed rear 1/4's.
    If so what car year were your pop out ones you are putting in sourced from. ???
    Or maybe it is a glass sizing issue.
    Mark

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by edmayo View Post
    I just did this job for a customer 3 months ago, seals fit perfectly, but they didn't have that little paper tag around the seal. I didn't measure them,,,wasn't any need to. I don't have any in stock to show you however.
    Thanks anyway Ed. Appreciate the feedback. Maybe I'll try and order them from yet another source.

    Quote Originally Posted by NZVW View Post
    This may be a really stupid question but hey,,,
    Jameel, Are you "retro" fitting pop out 1/4's into your 79 SC that originally had fixed rear 1/4's.
    If so what car year were your pop out ones you are putting in sourced from. ???
    Or maybe it is a glass sizing issue.
    Mark
    Yes. Retrofitting. Not sure what year the windows are from. Shouldn't matter though, right? The pop out glass part numbers from 70-73 are the same. The only option in the PET is clear or green. The body shape in this area didn't change over the year. They used the same dies to stamp them out. That's why the "c" pillar well into the late 80's has the three holes punched for the pop out latches, even though pop outs ended around '74. Heck, even the 959 bodies had the holes for the pop outs. So I don't think its a "later year" fitment issue. Lots of people have done this, seemingly without issue. It just seems like everything is going wrong for me on this.
    Early S Registry Member #3291

    Still hunting for my dad's (Roger Abraham) '70T Coupe in Light Ivory
    Purchased new from Gruber Porsche Cedar Rapids, IA

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