[Zmagnette] Vent Windows

[Steve Hanegan]

As promised, I have tried to document the bits and process I have successfully used to install those pesky quarterlight seals into our beloved Mag-neats. The process is basically the same for both the ZA and the ZB, though the part numbers for the main front seals themselves are different between the two - the vertical bits are the same, just the Metro Molded Products P/Ns are different... (and the names are changed to protect the innocent...)

On Vent window Seals…

 The front vent window seals as supplied new on our cars were a one-piece molding that included all three sides of the triangle around the window. We are not quite so lucky today!


Lou & John sell a quarter light seal that is in two parts. The “main” part that forms the base and the hypotenuse of the vent window triangle is made by Metro Molded Products and is a very good bit of kit that, when properly installed, forms a very good wind and water tight seal. There are two types, one for ZA and one for ZB models, and the difference is in the location of the upper vent window pivot. The Metro Molded Products part number for the ZA is WR 6500 and the ZB is WR 6501. Lou has also sourced the vertical bit from MMP, but until I have a chance to excavate my storage area, I am not quite sure what MMP’s part number for this is.

In all normal instances, I would not hesitate for one second to advise folks to buy directly from Lou. The Vent window seal is one of the very rare exceptions. Metro Molded Products is in Minnesota, so, to get the bit from Lou, we are looking at two separate trips across the pond. This adds a lot of complexity and cost to what is already a rather expensive part. The other reason is that, in my experience, there is a bit available from NTG Motor Services that that forms the vertical portion of the quarterlight seals that is actually easier to use and install.

What I have done on the vent windows that I have rebuilt is to use the MMP kit (left and right hand) WR 6501 (for ZB and Varitone cars) that I purchase directly from MMP. For the vertical bits, I use P/N R482B from NTG (2 required).

There are a couple of tricks to making this restoration work well.

First, the lower vent window pivots are ALWAYS very rusty. Take care here as the center (critical) pin is not available new. As a matter of fact, this pin is not even called out in the Service parts list, though the springs, washers and nuts that make it work are (#83 through 91 in the SPL). Make sure that you soak this assembly in PB Blaster or some other quality rust penetrant/remover. Take your time and be patient! It is very important to save the pin! Also note that the upper pivot is NLA and should be guarded and protected.

When all is disassembled, clean all of the parts very thoroughly and wire brush/abrasive blast everything as required to get back to the underlying metal surfaces.  The main – fixed - frame of the quarterlight should be painted black - primarily as a corrosion inhibitor. I typically use Hammerite smooth black for this task. Be aware though, that the metal surfaces should have a bit of a texture from either sanding with a fine abrasive paper or through blasting – this will provide a “tooth” to ensure proper mechanical bonding of the paint. If you use Hammerite, absolutely allow 3 to 5 days for the paint to cure because the contact adhesive used to secure the WR 6501 into this channel will dissolve it if the paint is not fully cured. When all is properly clean and the paint is fully cured you can commence re-assembly.

If you look carefully at the WR 6501 (or WR 6500), you will see that they are “handed”. The lip that actually seals the moveable window is on the weather side of the quarterlight from the pivot points toward the front of the car and this lip will be on the passenger side of the moveable window from the pivots rearward to the vertical divider that is between the vent and the drop glass. This is designed to allow the window to pivot outward when opened.

The critical alignment points here are the hole for the lower pivot and the hole that allows a 10-32 screw to pass through the quarterlight frame into the door at the top near the upper pivot and a spacer and sheetmetal screw on the bottom between the pivot and the vertical seal.

Dry fit the WR 6501 into the fixed frame ensuring that these points line up.

At the rear of the window opening, make note of the position and shape of the 6501. Take the R482B and place it into the slot on the vertical part of the fixed frame. The lip of the R482B should be on the passenger side of the frame. What needs to happen is a very tight miter joint at the top where the WR 6501 and the R482B meet, and again at the bottom rear corner where these bits meet. Use a very sharp – new – single edge razor blade to make these cuts. The joints should be under a very slight compression fit and should form “nice” corners. The lower point is easy as it is a 90 degree angle, the upper one, not so much (30 degrees) Trim just a sliver off of each rubber piece until you are satisfied with the fit.

When you are satisfied that all is in order, it is time to adhere the rubber seals into the fixed portion of the quarterlight frame. Use a good strong contact adhesive to do this. I would recommend 3M formula 30F (available from Grainger’s) for this task as it is less toxic, water clear when dry and stable to higher temperatures than DAP or other similar contact adhesives. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, start with the R482B and adhere it into place, centered from top to bottom, in the channel on the vertical portion of the quarterlight frame. Follow this with the WR 6501, ensuring that the holes for the pins align with the frame, the ends make a tight miter fit with the R482B and the hat shaped portion of the seal is fully home and bottomed out in the fixed frame (and with your OTHER hand…). You should ensure that no adhesive is applied to the WR 6501 other than the "hat" that sits inside the fixed frame  - the "lips" just sit snuggly on the painted surfaces of the door frame when all is assembled and installed in the door and use the fixed frame's location and the two securing fasteners to hold it all in place. Set this aside to fully cure.

After this is fully cured, take some black RTV sealant and place just a bit into each of the mitered joints to adhere the edges. RTV will harden as it cures which will adhere the miters, and, can be molded to clean up any discrepancies in shape. Work the corner joints until the miters give the appearance of uniting the two parts of the seal into what appears to be a single piece. Allow to fully dry and cure before you assemble the remainder of the quarterlights

Now is the time to turn your attention to the moveable part of the vent windows. Make sure that the channel that the glass fits into is nice and clean – this is a chrome bit, so maybe a trip to the platers is in order? The glass is held into this chrome bit by a 1/16” thick piece of malleable rubber seal. This seal is available from any reputable auto glass shop in strips and is also used to seat the drop glasses into their channels to raise and lower the glass. I have had good luck by just going into the glass shops and asking for “seating rubber” and have rarely been charged more than a couple of dollars for more than enough to do the entire car.

When all is ready (glass spotlessly clean, chrome done etc.), place the ever important pin through the moveable frame with the angle pointing toward the front of the car and the “T” shaped head seated in the frame. Fold the seating rubber around the hypotenuse and the base of the glass. Place the moveable frame around the glass and press and pull/push until the frame is seated tightly onto the glass and the pin feels snug. Using an Xacto knife, trim the excess seal from around the frame on both sides.

When all is complete to your satisfaction, it is time for final assembly of the quarterlight.

Apply some white moly grease to the pin and insert it through the hole in the fixed frame making sure that the flat washers (item #91 in the SPL) are in place. Apply just a touch of moly grease to the cup on the upper pivot. Put the upper pivot up to its’ locating spot in the seal and the fixed frame and put screws (#93 in SPL) into place and are just snug.

Assemble the springs and washers onto the pin (items #84 through #90 in SPL) and tighten until there is enough resistance on the swing of the moveable glass to hold it open whilst driving, but not so much that this binds or is difficult to operate.

Close the vent and latch it to ensure that the seal in the fixed frame is touching the moveable frame on the weather side of the quarterlight from the pivots forward and on the passenger side of the vent window from the pivots rearward and that the vent glass forms a seal where it abuts the R482B along the vertical edge of the glass. On some cars, I have had to add some RTV at the lower rear corner to make this a tight seal. If necessary, add a bit of RTV, shape it (wet finger tip and/or a rounded bit of 1/8” wooden dowel work well here) and ALLOW IT TO FULLY CURE before testing again. When you are happy with how all of this works, it is time to install the quarterlight into the door.

On the doors, it is important that you install the latch mechanism FIRST before you assemble the glass!

Place the quarterlight assembly into the door towards the rear of the door slightly from where it will eventually fit. Once the whole thing aligns with the slot in the door frame, slide (you may need a bit of gentle persuasion here) the quarterlight frame forward until the outer lips of the WR 6501 touch the painted portion of the door frame (inside and out) and flex into position. This is easy to see when it is right – this is also WHY it is very important to tightly secure the WR 6501 into the fixed quarterlight frames…

When the fixed frame is fully home in the door, the seal will form a nice even lip between the frame and the painted portion of the door and the two holes that fix the frame into place (item #95, 97 & 98 on the lower bit and item #96 just up from the upper pivot in the SPL) will align. Install items #95 through #98, and you are done with the quarterlight and ready to finish assembling the doors.

For the rear quarter window, the procedure is very similar. I usually end up replacing the metal channel that frames the glass due to corrosion. This frame is available from John & Lou. I also use Lou’s curved section seal, though here too I like to use a vertical bit from NTG. NTG’s item number for this bit is R483B. The rear quarter windows do not need the fussy bit of mitering the corners where the R483B meets the curved section. In assembling this bit, I install the seals onto the glass, then press/pull the metal frame onto the seals then install the whole assembly into the door, making sure that the lips on the seals conform smoothly to the painted parts of the door frame. The vertical seal (R483B) is then placed onto the glass and sandwiched into place when you install the drop glass tracks.

Easy Peasy!

 Steve H.



 
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