Sunshine roof seal

[Jack PeppiattParticipant]

I have tried TOC Spares for a sunshine roof seal, but it is not available. Does anyone have a source of the correct profile please and any tips on fitting/ensuring a seal? I have looked through the magazine index and tried the forum enquiry route, maybe I have missed it?

Thank you Jack

[Paul BarnardParticipant]

Hi Jack

If you have any of the original seal that allows you to see the profile then these people may well be able to help. You can also download their useful chart which has many profiles on it allowing you to select the one you think will fit.

http://rubbertrim.co.uk/download.php

I have used them from time to time for over 40 years and they have found me everything from windscreen rubber for a 1942 Dodge Ambulance to all the seals I needed for an Austin Healey 3000.

Good luck

Paul

[Jack PeppiattParticipant]

Thanks Paul, I will take a look

Regards Jack

 

[David FaulknerParticipant]

I was talking to James Geddes (Traction Repairs) this morning and as far as he could remember (there wasn’t a Slough car to look at) there isn’t an actual ‘seal’ on the sunroof, it’s more of a trim piece ‘nailed’ on the side.

The sunroof when it leaks is normally down to blocked or more likely failed drain tubes.

It will be interesting to see confirmation/pictures though.

[Martin NicholsonParticipant]

David is correct. There never was a seal between the sliding roof panel and the roof itself.

The sliding roof support frame is of a “channel” section in four pieces and the front and rear pieces are slightly curved in length so that the rain runs to the sides. Each side piece has a short metal drain tube welded/brazed at the front and back. You then attach a length of PVC tube to each outlet, with hose clips. These discharge under the car.

There is a “U” shaped rubber seal fitted along the edges of the “side pieces” of the roof frame, which in theory stops the water running onto the roof lining.

As David says, If you have a leak, it’s generally because the drain tubes are blocked or rusted away. You can see the front two tubes as you open the sliding roof. Check these are clear. I use a length of fence wire, gently! The rear two will have to be done “upwards”, from under the car.

With the roof partially open, using a jug; pour water into the channel. You’ll soon see if the tubes are blocked.

Unfortunately, as I discovered to my cost, many years ago; the roof frames don’t last forever! The channel or the drain tubes can rust away.

My car had been sitting in a open barn for many years and I decided it was easier to have a new frame made. John Gillard from Classic Restorations was able to help. Obviously it was much easier to fit the frame before the car was trimmed, but one of the problems I found was that the four “legs” with which the frame is fixed to captive bolts welded to the underside of the roof; were not welded in the same positions on the production line. John had used the bolts on the car he had, as a template, but they were not in the same place on my car. It was much easier to re-weld the legs in the correct positions.

Generally if the drain tubes are kept free and grease applied sparingly to the runners; plus oil to the opening handle; the sliding roof works well.

However, sometimes in very heavy rain the channels can’t cope with the water flow and the roof lining will get wet. John Moon (TOC) has attached a thin strip of rubber to just the front edge of his roof panel. This helps deflect the rain into the channel and away from the roof lining. I have bought some rubber and hope to fit it to my Light 15 during this winter.

Hope that helps Jack?

[Jack PeppiattParticipant]

Dear Paul, David and Martin,

Thank you for your thoughts and ideas. I have probably mislead by calling it a seal, the piece of closed cell foam strip, or possibly rubber section is evident when the roof is closed across the back of the sliding panel. Fortunately there is not a leak (at present anyway) the drain tubes seem to work correctly and no draft. The issue is that with the roof has closed, when the handle is turned to release it, the back of the roof which should drop, does not. It seems that the seal across the back is sticking to the underside of the fixed part of the roof. If I get out and give the sliding portion a firm smack with the flat of my hand it drops and all works correctly thereafter. I have not wanted to delve into the sliding roof assembly too much, since it is sealed when closed and I am using the car on the better days we get. This then is working towards curing the problem, when I have the right materials to hand. I could I suppose try to cure the stickyness of the rubber seal in some way, perhaps powdered graphite or even french chalk would serve?

Thanks for your ideas, it all helps understand the issue

Regards Jack

 

[Martin NicholsonParticipant]

Hi All

Jack, if I have understood the mechanics of the sliding roof correctly; there should not be a seal along the back edge of the roof panel, nor roof edge. I guess that someone has added this at some stage to try to stop leaks.

If you decide to remove the seal; the sliding roof panel is secured by a grub screw at each front corner of the panel, on the underside; ie. in the car.

If you can’t see them, it’s probably because the roof panel trim has covered them up. I can send a pic if you like?

If you decide to try to remove them; be careful! They are slot headed screws and if they have been in position for many years, could have rusted up. It is difficult to spray WD40 on without soaking the roof lining and even more difficult to apply heat. Mark the brackets so they go back in exactly the same place.

However once removed, the front of the roof panel simply lifts up and the two lugs on the rear of the panel (hidden at this stage), once located in the appropriate cut-outs in roof frame will ensure that the panel can be lifted free.

Bonne chance!

Martin

[Jack PeppiattParticipant]

Hi Martin,

On the basis that information is never wasted, then yes please, I would be grateful for a photo.

Cheers Jack

 

[Martin NicholsonParticipant]

Jack

I will try to venture out when the rain in “sunny” Normandie, has stopped!

Martin

[Jack PeppiattParticipant]

Ahh, I can save you the trouble, armed with your info, I ventured out to the garage in the British rain and with a bit of diligent searching have found the two screws, which appear to be countersunk, raised head screws or set screws, about 45mm back from the front edge and were hidden just behind the opening edge trim, brown with corrosion, they had perfected the art of camouflage against the headlining light brown colour.

With this additional knowledge of the inner workings I now discern that the closed cell neoprene strip which is stock to the moving portion of the sunroof, is simply a rectangular section, which has adhered to the under side of the roof at some point, in turn tearing the outer skin off. This has allowed the inner foam to become stuck to the roof, until percussive persuasion is administered.

I will remove the strip and replace it with a similar item, since it probably has done some good, the head lining being unmarked to date.

Thanks all for your help, problem solved

Regards Jack

 

[Martin NicholsonParticipant]

Jack

Good to hear you’ve sorted it!

I did take a few pics but even though they are JPEG files and less than 64MB, in total, the Forum won’t accept them.

So if anyone else wants pics, please use this posting and I’ll try to send them by email.

Martin

 

 

 

[Paul BarnardParticipant]

Hi Martin

Apologies if I’m attempting to teach Grandma to suck eggs!

If you need to resize your pics down and use Windows this is a really useful utility…

 

https://download.cnet.com/Image-Resizer-for-Windows/3000-12511_4-75937402.html

and if you’re an Apple man there is this app..

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/image-resizer/id437497330

Cheers

[Martin NicholsonParticipant]

Hi Paul

Many thanks for the advice and Grandad here probably doesn’t know how to suck eggs!

The pics were taken with my phone, then shared to my laptop. They were saved as Jpegs and the total size for 3 pics was just over 10mb. The first pic loaded Ok, but the second was rejected as it ” was not a jpeg or was more than 64mb”???.

I did try loading them onto Dropbox and copying the then compressed files to the forum. Also rejected!

So I don’t think it’s the size?

Another annoying feature is that after a while the page you are trying to complete on the forum will time out, thus losing all the info you have just written!!

I’ve spent enough time today so I think I’ll leave it for anyone interested to send me an email address and I’ll forward the pics that way.

…Now… to search the web for “sucking eggs”??

Bon weekend

M

[David FaulknerParticipant]

Off Topic (but for reference) Martin 10MB is probably to large as it takes up far to much server space (which costs money) and why they would be rejected and ‘timed out’. Sites usually set limits at around 2-3 mb for uploading files, though I don’t know what this boards limits are.

For displaying pictures online in forums etc then 1024px – 1200px wide and ‘good’ quality is all that is required of a jpg which would equate to around 150-180kb per image using a simple online tool like http://www.picresize.com/#

[Martin NicholsonParticipant]

David

Many thanks for all your advice, but this is a bit too much for an old paysan in the wilds of Normandie, particularly on a Saturday night, after a day of “gilet jaune-ing”. I’ll have a look at compressing the files further tomorrow, but in the meantime I’ll pass the problem to the President; no, not Macron nor Trump, but Bernie!!

Bonne soirée

M

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