window fitting not going well.... help!

[skint-van-man]

This christmas i took the time off work so i could get a few bits done on the van. Now i wish i hadnt!

Im fitting a louvered window to a panel van, or trying to anyway. (1985 panel, 1.9 wbx)

Today i templated and cut out the panel and now im stuck. When i fit the seal to the window it curls up on the corners and comes off. This curing also means the seal is tracking round the corner the shortest way and the seal appears to long when it is all fitted. I fitted it to the van to determine the correct length.

When i do get it on (not all of it due to overlap) it is too curled in the corners to fit into the frame without falling off the window.

Can anyone offer any help because i am totally at my wits end and im regretting doing it now.

Im an aircraft mech so i didnt think this would be so much trouble!

If anyone is in the bedfordshire area and would like to help in return for cash / homebrew im all ears!

Any help greatly appreciated.

here are some pics of the seal....

[faggie]

when i did mine i fitted 6 small 30 mm pieces of the rubber seal onto the metal edge of the van window frame , then fitted the glass into this so i could see if it needed any more metal removing , when i was happy i just refitted the seal to glas window , then just flicked the seal over the frame with some old wooden cloths pegs so i would not damage paintwork behind the seal i used plenty of vaseline as it helps it slip in and will stop any moisture getting behind seal also it wont perish the rubber either , then i added the filler strip with the proper tool making shure i did not stretch the filler strip as if you do it will shrink in time and leave a gap where the 2 edges joint together

[faggie]

your not using bus or caravelle window rubbers on a panel van conversion , as on picture i cant see the join , if so you need the window rubbers of the roll ,

[skint-van-man]

THanks faggie im using the bits of seal to get the gap correct! Makes life easier.

What do you mean about caravelle rubbers and getting the rubbers off the roll??

Getting them to hold enough shape is the issue. Are the JK window seals designed for smaller radius windows?

[Plasticman]

assuming the window hole is the right size???
then fit rubber to bottom of hole and tape in plac e for now then work your way round clock or asnti , dependant on wether your cak handed or not
keep feed ing it round and dont fuss as it will turn on the corners, work your way round and then cut it an inch too long.
now when we dop them we get some 2" masking or gaffa tape and use this on the inside of the rubber to hoild it from dropping of the panal, dont wory about the sides curling , they do,
your fiutting a louvre? then no sucker to use but lots of grip so your laughing,if your rh handed then an off side window you place into the bottom seal and towards the rear, get the rear corner partly engaged then with a fid or ball hook or screwdriver work your way along the bottom to the front,force nothing, (oh I should have siad that we always squirt el cheapo green glass cleaner onto the glass seal) been doing this for 30+ years, you will work up both vertiacals and practice will soon have you pushing the glass about and snugging it down,
once the top corners are part way in give the window a thump down and at same time keep it pushed into the frame/van, it will wobble a bit when its all in then use the insertion tool (claytonrite are best) and insert the locking strip, (more green stuff ) it will suprise you how tight it then makes the wjhole assembly. .time its taken to type this i could have fitted a pair....
oh and the hole shopuld be the size of the window plus the root of the seal and then a mill or two bigger
Oh and that seal will work to a 50mm radius without kinking
mm

[skint-van-man]

I went out today with a fresh outlook and a stonking hangover and its sorted.
It took some fiddling and a few homemade tools to sort the seal around the corners and they still looked bad after the window was in but the sealing strip went in okay! My problem was my hole wasnt big enough and when i saw how bad the seal looked i just panicked!

Thanks for your help metalmick8y and faggie! much appreciated

Some pics of it fitted, test fit only, and how it looks now with paint. and yes my van has an odd paint job!

Il stick a pic up when its all fitted and cleaned up.

[Plasticman]

there you go.. you really do need a couple of mm oversize on the hole else its a tight fit,
mm