Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 06:49:08 -0700
Reply-To: Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Mildly-strong adhesive for slider window rubber?
In-Reply-To: <A817922C9DAF504580C0D892C34367760208A0E5@GNBEX01.gnb.ca>
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You're right -- only the loose trailing edge of the fuzzy rubber channel
needs to be adhered otherwise it droops when the slider isn't open. The
rest of the channel kinda/sorta gets held in place due to its shape and
by the slider glass.
Since re-installation of the rubber channel requires it to be slid back
above the slider glass after that glass has been squoozed into the the
frame (and removed before the slider glass can be pried out of the
frame), an aggressive adhesive along its full length would probably make
rubber channel removal at a later date impossible.
VW used a small amount of a clear adhesive along the full length of the
fuzzy rubber channel from what I see, and it doesn't look like it was
"dragged" through the frame while the adhesive was wet, either. Their
method seems to have allowed them to install the slider glass after the
rubber channel was in place. Impressively big spreader tools or something.
I like your idea of opening the sliding window frame using big clamps.
--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
KG6RCR
Giasson, Pascal (DNR/MRN) typed:
> I used some carpentry clamps to spread my sliding window frame apart
> slightly, and after taking the rubber channel out the windows came out
> "easily" with no need to remove those two little plastic sliders...and
> no fear of breaking anything. I also found some of that fuzzy weathers
> tripping at Home Hardware...likely cheaper than VW. I used a spot of
> silicone to hold the rear most end of the rubber channel from falling
> down upon reinstallation because the window holds the rest in place.
>
> BTW, if you have an early Vanagon and are replacing the plastic sliders,
> I think only the latter plastic sliders are available. I used my
> Dremmel to modify the aluminium track to accept the new plastic slider
> which have a little locking mechanism in them. I tried modifying the
> plastic sliders the first time I did this and they only lasted a little
> while before I lost them when the silicone I used to secure them failed.
> The replacement ones have now been in place for 3 years because they are
> held in there mechanically...just like the latter Vanagon ones.
>
> Pascal
> '84 Westy
>
