Windscreen rubber seals

[samiul100]

I've written already about my search for rubber seals in a previous topic and unfortunately, I still haven't sorted the problems out. 

My front and rear windscreen rubber seals allows water in to the car on very wet days.  I have been sourcing the parts (which i have now found but cannot afford it for this month! The credit crunch has caused a few problems). Anyhow, my question is whether it is advisable (only as a temporary measure) to put some type of sealant to prevent any more leaks or just spend the money now to get the whole thing sorted out once and for all? If a sealant is ok as a temporary measure, what type of sealant should one use and should it be done by a professional?  I should point out that the water only appears to leak in the bottom corners of the front and rear windscreens.

Any advice is appreciated

Thanks

Sam

[nathan]

Hi Sam,
  dont know what its called but you can just use that black crap the window sealer guys use...i would personally recommend replacing them (they cant be too expensive on autohausaz.com??) as often they will be letting water into the footwells and the first thing you will notice several months after winter is increased road noise as there is a huge flippin hole rusted through your firewall or footwell!
best of luck

[CraigS]

I agree that it is better to replace them, but you could use Selastic sealer as a temporary measure. Just means a bit more clean up when you do eventually replace the seals, but you can remove it reasonably easily with Kerosene. You can do it yourself. Just use a fine tip and slide it under the seal and squeeze smoothly as you move along. Wipe off any excess with Kerosene as well.

[WGB]

You can use Silastic as a temporary measure but the windscreen guys use some sort of sealant that is Lacquer based. I have a tube at home and will put up the name when I next see it.

Whatever you use it should be easy to remove when you do finally do the correct job but a temporary job will get you through the budget restrictions until a more appropriate time - just clean up the excess so it doesn't look too daggy.

When I installed windscreens for Ford Motor Company as a Student in the late 60's early 70's they cleaned off the excess sealant with a Mobil product called "Pegasol" which was less greasy than Kerosene and was probably more petrol based but didn't attack the paint.

Bill

[samiul100]

gentlemen, thank you for the advice and tips.  Certainly, I see the huge benefits from replacing the seals rather than patching up.  However, as a temporary measure, your advice will hopefully prevent any rust issues down the line.

Thanks once again

sam

[Bandolero]

DON'T USE SILICONE........I repeat, DON'T USE SILICONE!!!!!!!!

Silcone causes RUST. Even the neutral cure silicone WILL cause rust.
My local windsreen guy "freaks" when he sees silicone.
Also, if you use silicone and later on you want to replace the windscreen, it is a pig of a job to clean the area up that had silicone on it.
Use the black windscreen sealant instead.
However, if you pile that on, remember that you will have to clean it up when you want to put the new rubber in.

[samiul100]

Please excuse my ignorance but is this black sealant you talk of not silicone?

Regards


Samiul

[oscar]

116benz recommended "sikaflex" ages ago which I bought a tube of but haven't used yet.  It's a polyurethane.  Silastic is a silicone.

So this is what I was going to use, just haven't got round to swapping in and out windscreens just yet.

[Bandolero]

No, the black windscreen sealant is not silicone.
In fact the stuff like Sikaflex doesn't go hard but stays flexible.
On a very, very hot day it can ooze out from under the rubber. (If you used too much)
It cleans up easy with Prepsol or a hydrocarbon cleaner, like Shellite.

[samiul100]

I am very grateful for your advice.  I am now slightly wiser but now I need to source this in the UK! I am sure it's available somewhere.

Thanks

Samiul

[CraigS]

http://www.sika.co.uk/tech-elseal-bond

[craigb]

'Mastic' is the product description I have always used. I bought a cartridge of it made by Bostik last week for about $8. I think 'sikaflex' is like a brand name, the '227' may well be 'mastic'. I thought it was another 'sikaflex' that i used where you want a sealant, eg in between the firewall and innerguard under the bonnet, where you want something flexible and also to be able to paint over the top, just like they did in the factory. There are probably other manufacturers that produce the same stuff.

But in the UK, I reckon if you went to halfords or somewhere like that and said I want 'Mastic' for sealing the windscreen, I am sure they would have a product there, but just have a read of the container in case the teenager assisting has no idea!