Front Door Gasket

[Stuart M. Cohen]

So the gasket on my front passenger door tore off. The top was loose and on the way home from the show, the top got stuck in the rear door so when I opened up the front door, it pulled off.

Need a new one, pictures attached.

[action]

And everyone knows you have a 1971 4 door Comet wagon

Steele Rubber may have what you want.
https://www.steelerubber.com/front-door ... 70-4181-72

Action

[papawayne]

Aww, Stu, and that's the one that's impregnated with steel. isn't it? Wayne

[LithiumCobalt]

Not cheap, but better than not available.

https://www.steelerubber.com/front-door ... 70-4181-72

[Stuart M. Cohen]

So I'm gonna order it from Steele, but have a few questions:

How do I remove the white pins that the rubber hooks into on the top part of the door? I see there are some black ones, but I can twist them and they'll come out. I don't want to just pull them because I'm sure that if they break, they are not easily found.

It looks like the rubber goes from the top of the door on the B pillar side all the way under and around and up the other side to the wing window. How difficult is it to remove & replace?

Does anyone know if installation instructions come with the rubber?

Thanks!

[Stuart M. Cohen]

Bump

[Dan Szwarc]

So I'm gonna order it from Steele, but have a few questions:

How do I remove the white pins that the rubber hooks into on the top part of the door?

You just pry them out. They are Xmas tree pins. They can generally be reused a few times before they are trashed and fresh new ones aren't brittle like the old ones.

New weatherstripping comes with those white T-clips.

I did some searching and found them in black. It actually has dimensions, too, so you can confirm.

https://www.dkhardware.com/1963-gm-and- ... 14349.html

$10 for a box of 50pcs + shipping.

[Stuart M. Cohen]

Great, thanks.

On a business trip and I think the gaskets are sitting at home. Will check when I get back.

[Stuart M. Cohen]

So I got them in and have to tell you, Steele Rubber Products exemplefies the "we got you by the short hairs" attitude. Before I placed the order, I specifically asked if it came with instructions and was told yes. The part came in with no instructions. I emailed them asking about it and was basically told sorry. The woman told me there was a guy who I could email (one of the employees) who could help me. Well, after 3 emails and a month later, I'm still waiting for a reply.

Luckily, my mechanic does know how to install it and will take care of it in the spring.

I realize it's not too difficult to install, but it's the point; why can't they just give me the right answer up front instead of bulls!!tting me?

Oh, I know why, because they got me by the short hairs.....

[Solid]

I'll make a peanut gallery comment here. I have the windshield gasket and roof rail seals made by Steele (Though I bought them through Rubber The Right Way, and I know that Liana sent them a gasket so they could reproduce it). My car current has the windshield gasket and the door seals you are replacing that was available before through Classique or whoever it was that had them a few years ago. The difference in quality is considerable. The one on the car has all kinds of obvious texture weirdness and surface holes from bubbles that were present in the rubber as it cured. The Steele gasket is just so obviously better rubber. My door gaskets look bad, fit poorly, and are disintegrating after just a few years on the car. So... it could be a lot worse if Steele hadn't started making non-crap Lincoln rubber after a decade+ of us all suffering with weapons grade garbage made by "Best Rubber".

[George W]

Stu, the new gasket “should” simply snap into place once you’ve removed, but not discarded, any of the fasteners that are still in the door. Sometimes the very ends of the weatherstrip may be glued on it’s back side surface to secure it the door metal. I’m sure someone here on the Forum can check their 63 to confirm or deny that it may be glued or not. 3M makes weatherstrip adhesive in a squeeze tube for this purpose. It’s sold in both black and yellow colors. Just about every chain auto parts stores carry it. From my experience with these door gaskets/weatherstrips you start attaching at one end and work your way around. While I can’t say for sure on your Lincoln, I’ve found that the spacing of the attaching pegs in the rubber is slightly closer together than the holes in the door. This is intentional so that the weatherstrip has to be stretched slightly as it’s snapped into place to keep some tension on the rubber so it will stay tight against the door’s surface. I’m sorry to hear that your “customer service” experience from Steele was not satisfactory. Maybe they have a “how to” video on YouTube that shows typical installation steps for a door gasket.

[Stuart M. Cohen]

George,

Luckily, my mechanic does know how to install it and will take care of it in the spring.