Has anybody had problems aligning their doors with a new weatherstrip? I totally assembled the drivers door while I had it on the bench because it's much easier to get at everything. The problem I'm having now is I can't get the door to go in far enough so that it is flush with the other body surfaces...by 1/2" at the handle end...and 1/4 at the hinge end. I have the striker plate moved in as far as it will go without modifying the mounting holes.It's almost like the weatherstrip is too thick..I'm sure it isn't, but that's the affect I'm getting. I believe I have the new rubber installed correctly, but there is one area below and forward of the wing window I have to compare to another '57 to make sure I'm on the correct step. It's where the weatherstrip fattens out for about a foot or so right at the corner of the door.
I think when I do the passenger door, I'll leave the weatherstrip off until the door is on and adjusted, then add it. Maybe that's the way it's suppose to be done.
Anybody out there got any tricks for this?? I think I've got the door fairly close to where it should be up and down and in and out as far as the hinges go, but as I said it just seems like the new weatherstrip needs to be squished a bit.
hi Rich, i'm sure i' ve seen this posted before, the weather strip seems to thick!!!!!!!!!!!!!, iif i remember correctly, it has to settle in, might take awhile, someone will probly be able to tell u where the post is at, and you can get a better idea of whats happening, jerry
Rich,
For show purposes they shave new door seals with a razor blade to enable the door to fully close. Or, you can do what most people do and leave it like it is. You should still be within an 1/8" of closing correctly. I was able to get my doors fully closed after 2 1/2 years. Jim PS. You'll periodically adjust the door for the next 2 years. The BIGGEST difference comes early.
I recently did the door weatherstrip on my 70A. It was very difficult to shut the door for quite a while. The first 2 weeks you have to leave the door closed as much as possible, the weatherstrip will eventually collapse in the tight areas.
Intitially, leave the striker out some, then keep moving it in as the weatherstrip seats,
The repo(carpenter) weatherstrip is actually made wrong. Too thick in some areas and too thin in others and some almost solid foam in areas that was soft from the factory. I have several original cars so I was able to compare what it should have been.
I have considered sectioning in a thicker section near the vent window, as that is made too thin, and can still wind leak. The really firm area is on the horizontal area of the dogleg and it has one really rigid section molded in by the door handle area. Just anothe rareawe have to be glad at least they tried to make something for our cars.
I did my doors 9 months ago and now they close and sound just right.
I always make sure the doors are fully closed when I park them so it continues to form and does expand back out.
Rich yeh those door seals can be a problem alright ive seen it many times over the years usually on older type cars,we would normally fit the doors first then put the seal on and be back to the problem, but you know then the problem is the seal. I have seen them put on wrong many times (done it myself),check they are not on back to front, meaning they should be on the opposite door. lots of them are just not soft enough. try some type of spray to soften them up. maybe some other members have got some from a different supplier that are softer. good luck, Harold
I had the same problem when I was doing my ranchero, with the door panels and stricker plates off I attached a ratchet strap to the inside of both doors and slowly pulled them in till it was about an 1/8" farther in then it needed to be and left it for about a week.Then I put the stricker plates back on and adjusted the door to shut where it should be.It was still a snug fit but at least it shut ,it gets easier with time.
good to know
Great replies....This is the kind of thing this website is so great for. In the 2 years I've been on this website, I had never seen anything posted on the problem, so my first thought when I realized what I thought was happening was that it must have been something I was doing wrong. Thanks for all the input.
Pat....It is the heavy horizontal area of the dogleg you described better than me that appears to be the main problem.
Regarding the striker, I'm thinking I have it pushed back too far...I got to thinking the starwheel probably should be grabbing the second "gear tooth", and it's only grabbing the first. I can push in on the door 1/4" or so after it grabs the first tooth, but not far enough to grab the second, so later today I'll try moving the striker outboard a little, and if that doesn't let it grab the second tooth, I'll use the ratchet as '57chero suggested, then readjust the striker after the seal conforms better.
Thanks guys.
Rich
some of the problem could be the weatherstripping itself. On the 61 to 66 trucks we have found the imported stuff to be to stiff. Everybody that has used the dennis carpenter made seals have had no door problems. Dont know if this applies to the 57s or not.
Mine are Dennis Carpenter. Also, if I was aware I was going to have this problem, it sure would have been easier back when our daily temps were in the 100's...we all know how rubber is when it's cold.
On the 57 I used Dennis Carpenter and I used Dennis Carpenter for my 63 Galaxie. On both cars you couldn't get the door shut at first. The 63 has really surprised me, I can almost get the door where it suppose to be after three months. I thought Dennis Carpenter made all rubber products for early Fords. In fact he holds the tooling rights on a lot of his products. I've ordered from Jerry's Classic Cars, Greg Donahue, Dearborn and other places and the rubber products come in a Dennis Carpenter box. Some are even dropped shipped from them. I ordered some floor plugs from Dennis Carpenter the other day and it came in a Dennis Carpenter plastic bag with the words "made in China" written on it. I guess plugs aren't that important or it could mean the wave of the future is now in the present. Jim
At car shows when someone said " your door isn't adjusted correctly" I'd always tell them " I'm sorry, it's not for sale". In fact, I've used that line numberous times. Jim
I also used a rachet strap like 57chero,tightened just enough to flush doors and left on a week,pushing car out in the sun day to day,tighting if necessary.Now she shuts like a new car,no air leaks or whistles when driving or water leaks when washing her. On Dennis Carpenter,if you have one of his new catalogs,he states that some of his parts are being made in China so that he can stay competitive if he didn't hefeels that no one would buy them at the prices he'd have to charge! I guess I'd rather modify a part to get it to work than not have one at all,kinda how hot rodding started. KID
Forgot to mention a company called soffseal makes the best seals by far, dont know if they make them for 57 fords, we have bought them for lots of other models,web site is www.soffseal,com. If not maybe they will consider making them if it looks like theres enough interest.
I put mine on about 2 years ago and I'm at the point where I can close the door from 3 inches away with a gentle push. They do get better with age. How did they get them to close nicely from a factory fresh 57?
:iamwithstupid:
if someone told me that my door wasnt aligned corectly, they had better be a good friend or they should show me something that they did themselves better. as in where is your 54 year old car that is nicer ?
Rich, when we repainted the ranchero we spent hours adjusting body lines. I had installed the seals in the spring, then my body guy took them off to get the door lines right. After paint I reinstalled them, worked out ok. Hard to close at first, but a day in the hot sun settled them pretty good. I agree that the horizontal fat part below the wing window is a bugger to squish. This is why I was questioning you guys painting a disassembeld car. :003: Mark
Not sure I can figure that reasoning...I assume you wouldn't paint a car completly assembled with the new weatherstripping in place, so at some point you have to get the seal to conform anyways..in other words, no different than if I had painted the car with the door on or off, the only difference being whether or not I should have installed the seal before I hung and adjusted the door. Anyways, with a soft face clamp at the wing window post, and a strap ratcheting the door in, it's pretty darn close now...I'll just need to tweek it a little after the seals compressed a little.
I am going to leave the seal off the other door until I get it in place and adjusted.
Also as far as painting the car assembled...I think if I were single staging a paint job, that would work fine, but for me to try to color seal,basecoat and clearcoat...there's just no way blend it all in..at least with my skills.
Rich, you have to go with what works for you, my point was I would have damaged the paint for sure,given the hours we spent getting the lines good. Mark
3M (and others I'm sure) have a foam rope with sticky on one side that allows you to completely jamb out the car with most of the seals in place and paint it in one shot. I have used it on a couple and it is great stuff. I get all the body work, blocking and 400 final blocking done. Then turn my attention to the jambs, under hood and trunk, the doors, the lip of the wheel wells and the underside of the rockers. All of that gets finish paint. Hang the doors, fenders, hood and trunk all with the seals in place, touch up any scars then 600 the whole car, blow it clean, tach it, mask, put the rope foam on the gaps and tach again. Seal, base coat and clear coat. The foam leaves a really easy edge that rubs out by hand and no over spray in the jamb. Pull the rope off with the rest of the mask.
As Mark says, go with what works for you. I have had good luck with my system and thought I would share....
The 3M tape is called Soft-Edge Foam Masking Tape(SEFT). It is a foam with a hollow core and has adhesive on one side to anchor it. With the new Blue/White version you attach the tape to the moving part(door, decklid, trunk) and then tuck it the depth you want with a plastic bondo spreader. Leave it close to the edge when you seal , then tuck it in another 1/16 - 1/18 of an inch in to help cover the Sealer Creap with the base and clear. I am my regional 3M rep, so I can help with masking products and tricks.
I usually assemble a '57, fit everything( without weatherstrips) and then disassemble the major panels and pain teverthing apart. This way I have no tape lines and can clear over the two -tone lines. Tehn we glue the weatherstrip on and reassemble. The doors and deck are going to be springy for quite a while. Keep those doors and deck closed all the time when it is parked and it will eventually seat.
Pat...I finally got my door to grasp the 2nd catch on the striker plate, but I can see daylight in the area above the wing window to the front corner ( probasbily* the area you were talking about being too thin). My question is..you being a 3M expert...does 3M make a rubber product than be applied to the weatherstripping to build it up and close the gap?? I'm guessing the answer is gonna be "no" since you didn't mention that approach in your above posts.
*probasbily: a word to use when your not sure whether to use posibly, or probably. LOL
I was going to buy some that has a similar shape but is larger from JC Whitneys. They have a little diagrams of the shapes they offer. I planned to trim the thicker unirversal section to replace that section by the vent window area. Super glue or Q-bond glues weatherstrip to itself very well, then the super weatherstrip adhesive to hold it to the door. I'm unsure of the Whitney's part number, as I has some left from a previous order I plan to use.