window & door seals

[dwsfca]

I have decided to replace the rubber seals around my windows and would appreciate any comments on where to get the replacement rubber.  MBZ parts would be nice but not required as this is not a show car.  Good quality at a reasonable price is what I have in mind.

If anyone has any experience in this area I would appreciate any feedback.

PS: It is a 68-250SL with both tops.

Thanks,
Dan

[mdsalemi]

I bought all my rubber seals in a complete kit from Miller's which I believe was very reasonably priced.  I believe it contains a mix of some aftermarket and original parts.

If you look at some previous posts on seals you'll see that the aftermarket ones sometimes are just slightly under or over sized, causing a bit of a fit issue--nothing that can't be overcome however.

Michael Salemi
1969 280SL
Signal Red w/Black Leather
Restored

[isofast]

Hello Dan, it has been my experience that the only one to get for the driver and passenger door glass, (glass to windshield post) is the original cloth covered variety. The aftermarket vendors will often sell you either one. The cheaper non cloth covered one is no bargain. Your windows will not roll up and down as easily. That is the one seal that is worth getting the better cloth covered one. Another seal that I like to have  in the cloth covered ends is the hatch seal. maybe it is just me but I think that these look nice and fit/seal better. I have looked at many 113 and only a select few have the trunk rubber fitted correctly. It was my pleasure to see one 113 with the original weather seals on the whole car! I was able to see just how the factory fit the seal on the trunk for instance so that it sealed out the weather! But Dan make no mistake always spend the extra money for the  door window seals. It is very much worth it. I am sure many on this site would agree.

First Place AACA Show Winner 350SL July 2003
I love low mile Mercedes.
First Place AACA Show winner for 2004 280SL
1969 280 4spd Papyrus White

[Douglas]

Please tell us about the trunk seal and how it should be fitted. I still haven't figured out how some of them can be so invisible when the trunk is closed while on others a bit of rubber is always peeking out from the top of the lid.

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

[mdsalemi]

quote:Originally posted by Douglas

Please tell us about the trunk seal and how it should be fitted. I still haven't figured out how some of them can be so invisible when the trunk is closed while on others a bit of rubber is always peeking out from the top of the lid.

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

I don't know if you were asking this of me, but I'll be happy to answer to the best of my abilities.  My Miller's trunk seal does not appear to poke its head out; however it isn't without issues.  The restorer, Dave Payne, didn't like it; required a little too much glue to hold it in place around the lip of the "boot".  It also hasn't flattened out at all, so that it really requires a "slam" to get the trunk closed and latched.  Then, this summer, all of a sudden (after I picked up my car from Dan Caron :?: ) the trunk started popping open while underway!  It had never done that before, and Dan had his head in the other end of the car--not the boot.  I adjusted the latch a little bit and started slamming a bit harder when closing and the problem was solved enough to put it to the back burner.

Unfortunately I fear that if I invest in a new, factory seal, I might just get the same part and have the same problem--and I hate when that happens. Miller's you see, supplied a mix of MB and aftermarket parts in their complete seal kit.  This I could tell because of the way they advertise their individual seals.  Some of the parts still had remnants of the MB part label on them (some indicated they came from Caliber[:0]) What it probably needs is a careful adjustment of the latch.

There's nothing like a good seal, installed at the factory, and maintained over the years--that's for sure.

Michael Salemi
1969 280SL
Signal Red w/Black Leather
Restored

[knirk]

Door Seal

I am replacing the door seals and have a question:
How is the top aft seal end secured to the door?

On the old seal there is a screw in the middle of the seal end with a corresponding hole in a metal lip behind. On the new seal there is no hole. Should I make one and secure it here?

On both the old and new seals there are a hole all the way to the right in the picture which looks like a nice position to secure it – but there is no corresponding hole in the door. Should I drill a hole?


Download Attachment: door seal.jpg
80.21 KB

Per G. Birkeland
69 280 sl aut 834
Norway

[George Davis]

Trunk seal fitting.
Post deleted because I'm an idjit...

George Davis
'69 280 SL Euro manual

[waqas]

George- from my understanding of your cross-sectional drawings, the seal channel is not U-shaped... is this different across the different models (230/250/280) ?   My '65 230SL is U-shaped all the way around...  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the L-shaped seal was supposed to sit directly in the channel, with the thick side lying flat against the channel bottom? (and the thin lip of the seal protruding up and out of the U-shaped channel)

Waqas in Austin, Texas

[knirk]

George, I am confused too. I have a '69 280sl (US) with U-shaped channel all the way around.

Per G. Birkeland
69 280 sl aut 834
Norway

[George Davis]

Waqas,

now I'm starting to doubt myself.  Fairly sure in my car that the channel is not simply a u-shape, but is a square "u" with a lip that hangs back over the channel, as drawn.  My proportions may be off, but that's how I remember it.  Car is a 280 SL.  The flat part of the seal goes against the wall between the channel bottom and the lip.  If you think of the seal cross-section as an "L", the L is on it's side, with the long leg of the L on top.  I'll try to double-check next day or so, but I installed my new seal just like the one I took out, which I'm guessing was the original, and it popped in beautifully.

George Davis
'69 280 SL Euro manual

[waqas]

My trunk seal channel looks very similar to the photos posted in the head posting in this thread: http://sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=3274

Waqas in Austin, Texas

[George Davis]

OK, I'm probably screwed up about the extra lip over the channel.  Pics on Thursday if I can get decent resolution with my cheapo digi-cam.

George Davis
'69 280 SL Euro manual

[J. Huber]

Hey Knirk. Just looked at my door seals. Not sure how this helps but my drivers side has a screw (squarely in middle section) and my passenger side has no hole or screw.

I am pretty sure I replaced these seals with OEMs somewhere along the way.

James
63 230SL

[knirk]

Thanks James, I will use the center screw. I fiddled with it yesterday and it seems that the seal needs to be secured here to get a tight fit.

Per G. Birkeland
69 280 sl aut 834
Norway

[Naj ✝︎]

Per,
Sorry, no help here as I haven't got round to doing the seals yet.
Can you check if you have a small extra plate on the underside of the front corner of the door when you fit the new seal?
It seems as though the seal runs on the inner edge of the door, but just round that front corner it is further in towards the door jamb and supported by this plate.
A picture would be appreciated.
Thanks
naj

65 230SL
68 280SL

[knirk]

Naj,
Yes there is a metal lip where you described it.


Download Attachment: door lip.jpg
78.49 KB

Per G. Birkeland
69 280 sl aut 834
Norway

[Naj ✝︎]

Thanx Per,

Now, I just need to get the 230 back so I can finish the doors  :oops:

naj

65 230SL
68 280SL

[George Davis]

OK, I was seriously wrong about the trunk seal channel and seal fitting.  No excuses, and thanks to those who called me on this.

A pic or two of installed trunk seal, plus a drawing.  The only real trick, if there even is a trick, is to be sure the lower corner of the seal is pushed fully into the corner of the channel.  The corner is indicated by the arrow in the drawing:

Download Attachment: TrunkSealRight.bmp
7.45 KB

Photo of installed seal:



George Davis
'69 280 SL Euro manual

Download Attachment: TrunkSeal2.JPG
68.43 KB