Windscreen seal Spit 1500

[wimpus]

Hi all.

Where can I best buy the right size seal for the windscreen for a spit 1500 ?

 

When I rebuilded Fox (my daily Spit 1500) I had bought one from the usual suppliers, pain to fit and the seal isnt fitting good in the corners.

Now it seems mine is leaking for a long time, the screen itself (original) has maybe 10 stonechips and moisture is getting between the laminated screen

 

Regards, Wim

[Pete Lewis]

old school and years of screen sealing ,  if the corners were not formed it will go skinny on the corners  

 C O Baines co do a lot of seals and many they do form the corners you need to ask them 

and cheap black bostic gutter seal is all we used for years   easy to pipe in the glass and under  flips  and cleans off with white spirit 

Pete

 

[chrishawley]

I've just had a new seal on my GT6 screen (same as 1500) . Bought form COH Baines. No problems with fit and good enough that no sealant was required.

[Pete Lewis]

something i was involved in with trucks and dunstable rubber co who then made  most industry seals was dry sealing 

we invented the slots in the outer flip which allows any water in the gap between seal and aperture to drain out from the lower section   we found 3 smal slots cut in the outer flip worked well 

based on...if you cant stop it getting IN  then find a way to let it OUT  

a small slim slot near  the lower  corner and one in the centre  is easy to add.

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

Isn't there a risk of making the seal split? I've seen so many Heralds where the corners have split and cracked; what's the technique for split prevention?

[Pete Lewis]

we made a nibbler with a shoe and slice blade the rubber should not split , unless its 50 yrs old or eastern rubber

co baines mould/ vulcanise ?   the corners ,if splits occur suggests its a straight extrusion folded tight round the corner making a tight stretch 

the flips collapse and it leaks 

pete

 

[Badwolf]

Baines pre made Spitfire screen rubber appears to be one of the cheapest around. Whether its any good or not.... ??? I will be ordering one in due course along with other seals.

[JonLow]

I have had a Spit 1500 windscreen surround bought from Canley Classics, so thought it would be a good fit knowing Canley's good reputation. However, finally needing to get the screen in I checked out the surround and was not sure how it fitted, which way round in fact to get the plastic trim to clip on. The rubber had set with a couple of twist in it and I had great deal of trouble getting it to fit inside the frame. The join did have a small split in the join, which came apart whilst trying to get it to fit the frame. I ended up getting a professional windscreen company to come and have a look at the task. Engaged the same firm that does the Faversham Classic's Stags. First issue was to get the rubber seal in the frame. Due to the twists it was decide to leave the rubber in the frame for a week or so to set the rubber straight, take the twists out. Second attempt by two guys from the windscreen company managed to get the screen mostly in, bottom and sides. That took about an hour and a half, but they were not happy that the top would pull down enough without breaking. 

Read in this forum about COH Baines rubber surrounds and so contacted them. They confirm that their mk4/1500 rubber is formed on a frame and left to set the shape and then the join is vulcanised - not glued! They sent me a few pics, showing below. I have not used them before, but have ordered a rubber surround and will update when I get to evaluate it.

COH Baines have been dealing in all sorts of interior mouldings, etc, for over 80 years and in fact supply some of the major parts suppliers. They seem to sell a lot of items for Spitfire/Herald range, although most items do not show up just by clicking on Triumph model. Did seem more shown when I looked for the type of item first, then by model, so try to hunt around their website.

[JonLow]

Bought the 1500 screen rubber from COH Baines and it looked good straight away, the join properly done - vulcanised, not just super glued. Easily fitted in the frame and I left it there for a few days to make sure it stayed formed in the corners. I had arranged for the screen to be fitted by a windscreen firm, the original guys there do the Stags for Faversham Classics. With this rubber they pulled it out and fitted it around the glass and then fairly quickly fitted it into the frame and it looked a good fitment. They also warned me that the plastic "chromed" surround would be a pig to do. But they did get it done but the new surrounds did not seem to want to follow the frame corners very well and could only be fitted by cutting the surround a bit shorter. But although it is in, it does not look too good a fit, looks like the preformed corners do not line up perfectly! However it is in and I am in two minds whether to leave it there and see how it looks or can be fettled when it gets warmer, or take it off altogether like most people seem to end up doing.

However, it occurred to me after the windscreen guys left that the screen was in with no mastic sealant around it. I have looked at various forums and there seems to be a lot of people advocating no sealant needed. However, the original screen and another spare one I have both have had sealant when fitted, showing original dried bead of black mastic as original. So now I wonder what other peoples thoughts are, as although it might be O.K. with no sealant, not needed, I worry that water must ingress into the rubber channels and in time must rot and mould to grow. Thoughts/advice please anyone? Thanks.

 

[Pete Lewis]

it will need sealing  dry seal rubbers tends to have more flips and some means of letting the water out at the lower seal flip

(thats only as i was involved with dry seal trials with trucks and dunstable rubber who made most seals in the day)

we only used black bostic , like gutter sealant  easy to pipe in under the flips and in the glass channels , cleans off with simple white spirit 

 used to keep cartridges  on the line side in a heated cupboard ( started with a flately drier..remember them  , its better warm than cold )

so it works its cheap and easy to clean excess 

Pete

[Mark B]

I've fitted a few screens, the last in a Vitesse. Prior to that a mk2 gt6. I used a windscreen rubber sealent on the gt6, but after a couple of years noticed rusty water marks around the seal. When peeled back on the edges the screen surround was festering with rust. The screen surround had been primed and repainted prior to installing the new screen rubber. The rust was exstensive and in a much worst state than before the screen had been fitted. I think the screen sealant I used had reacted with the paint, trapping moisture and allowing rust to fester under the newly painted screen surround. I used rattle cans, so cellulose or equivalent. I removed the screen, repaired, primed and painted again but this time didn't use any screen sealant, and it's been fine for the last five years or so, no noticeable leeks. When fitting the Vitesse screen a year or so ago, I decided to fit without a sealant, ad I was concerned about paint reaction. Seems leak free up to now. I am pretty sure the factory would have used a sealant as found evidence when removing old rubbers.

If I find that there are any leaks in future I would be careful to make sure whatever I used was compatible with the painted surface I was applying it to.

[JonLow]

I rang Faversham Classics, near me, who specialise in Stags. I asked them about screen sealant and they do not have anything in their screens, no mastic/sealant and they seem to think there have been no issues reported. Maybe I will just leave the screen in as it is and see how it goes. I think I will remove the new, poor fitting aftermarket screen surround as it does not satisfactorily follow the screen surround and in fact it holding the outer rubber off the screen in a couple of the corners. These small buckles will invite dust and water in around the glass, so hopefully it will settle onto the glass better with no plastic surround. Any more observations, chaps?

[Pete Lewis]

the rubbers do need sealer , to leak you have to drive a stag in the rain 

just read any body section of the work shop manuals and sealing is specifically quoted as needed 

applies to the whole triumph ranges the cars we get fun from do not have dry seal windscreen rubbers 

the acclaim might have being a more modern design 

as for inserts they  are generally there to lock the rubber to the glass   

or you can slam a door on a saloon   and out goes the glass 

Pete

 

 

[PeteH]

I have only ever fitted one screen (to a mini van) back in the 60`s. bitch of a job and IMV better left to the guys who do it daily for a a living!!. However, ref; sealant, Leaking screens back then where regularly "treated" to a bead of bostick under the lipping to stop leaks. Never saw it used as a "factory" option though?. Perhaps on "production" it would have added time and cost?. Dad`s 1948 Hillman only survived a leaking screen by copius aplication of Bostic.!!.

[Clive]

1 hour ago, PeteH said:

I have only ever fitted one screen (to a mini van) back in the 60`s. bitch of a job and IMV better left to the guys who do it daily for a a living!!. However, ref; sealant, Leaking screens back then where regularly "treated" to a bead of bostick under the lipping to stop leaks. Never saw it used as a "factory" option though?. Perhaps on "production" it would have added time and cost?. Dad`s 1948 Hillman only survived a leaking screen by copius aplication of Bostic.!!.

Having fitted a screen to a mini, I can concur it is a tricky job, at least for me. On the other hand Triumph screens are much easier, although my last spit one was without father. I think the rubber is poorly made/pattern/size or whatever.