Stu Brennan wrote:
> I finally received my rear window gasket for the hardtop today. As
> expected, it was covered with that waxy stuff. I think, however, that I
> have found the easiest way to remove it.
> I just dipped a
> few inches for my test, but I'll bet if you put the whole thing in a pot
> and put it on the stove (while your wife is out, of course), the wax
> would melt away and float to the surface. Then you let it cool and the
> wax will solidify, and you are done.
>
> Stu Brennan
Steve Laifman wrote:
Stu,
That 'wax' is an assembly lubricant intended to allow you to squeeze all
that
high friction rubber over those tight edges. If you remove it BEFORE you
install
the glass, you're going to be fighting friction all the way. I suggest
removing
it after installation.
Steve
Stu and Steve,
I'm not normally in the habit of disagreeing with Steve, but here is my
thought on the wax removal subject.
When I received my rear window seal from SS last summer, it had an
excessive amount of the wax lubricant attached to it. So much that any
attempt to fit it around the rear window was hindered because the channel
that the window resides in was full of the stuff. If the wax was there as a
lubricant, the seal was definitely well lubricated. I decided to remove the
wax before installation. Boiling water did not have any significant effect
on the wax. I then tried using a hard plastic squeegee to scrape away the
excess. This method worked OK. When I had most of the wax removed, I used a
PPG product called ACRYLI-CLEAN DX330 to clean up the remainder. After all
this the seal still had a waxy feel to it, but the caked of white residue
that was on the seal when I received it was gone. I installed the seal
around the window and then used the "string in the groove trick" install
the window in the hard top. I did not have a problem with friction during
the installation.
One last thought, If you don't remove the wax coating before the
installation, you WILL damage your rear window and possibly your headliner
when you do attempt to remove it post-installation. I have a new plastic
window from SS and I know that if you do an excessive amount of rubbing on
that plexi, you're going to scratch it. And its going to take a fair amount
of effort to remove that wax. Also, if you do leave an excessive amount of
the wax in the window channel portion of the seal, You will be able to see
it "through" the window after installation.
My two cents.
Mike Sutter
'66 Tiger.
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