I've worked on a lot of cars and trucks over the years. I've rebuilt engines, transmissions, diffs, body work, paint work, blah blah blah. I've never, ever found something as impossible as gluing on new weather stripping. How do you guys do it, I've got to be doing something wrong. It either wont stick, or comes off after I've already placed it. This is where I started, 3M glue was spread with a brush, and then i tried to place the dennis carpenter foam rubber. The stuff either dries up or i can't get the weatherstrip to dry up for use like contact cement. Should i try double face tape? I'm at my wits end!
I was going to do mine last year & I was in the Same boat as you so I called a friend of mine who has a Body Shop & he tried to help and said to bring the Car down to his Place & he would do it. Just my 3.5 cents Live Learn & Die a Fool
Might be the glue you are using. Show us a pic. Been a few years since I've glued in weatherstripping, but way back we used to use a yellow gooey type we called Gorilla snot. It was probably a 3M product too. But you needed to be neat as the yellow would stand out like a sore thumb if you were sloppy. I've glued in window channels and fuzzies with 3M windshield urethane, but it is thicker and probably wouldn't let the weatherstrip lay down very flat. Whatever product you find, making sure the parts and weatherstrip are very clean is SOOO important. And the next most important thing is everything should be warm. If the tube says minimum temp is 50, then 70 should be your minimum. And maybe 90 wouldn't really hurt.
Whether strip adhesive is just like all the other adhesives in that all the good stuff has been taken out of it.
You have to put adhesive on the weatherstrip and where you are going to place it. LET IT DRY !! Then apply another thin coat to either one and they will stick together like they should. Worst thing you can do is rush it.
I found this vid a while back. I haven't personally tried it, but it's done just like greybeard360 says [yt]
The gorilla snot Alchemy is talking about comes in yellow or black. I use the black, apply to the weatherstrip and the door or whatever and spread both with a popsicle stick. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes approximately and then put it together. Sporty beat me to it. That is the video I learned from and then did my 64 Ranchero the way he showed and it worked great.
I learned a little secret on my last build, 3m adhesive but before you start clean the WHITE SHIT of the weather stripping with a good solvent such as lacquer thinner as well as where you are applying the weather strip. And then do it in steps, like 2 feet at a time. Just saying.
Yeah, it sucks....the freaken weatherstrip is a Gazillian feet long and convoluted. Applying it to the weatherstrip is the hardest part. I gave up, and worked on compounding and polishing the car....much more relaxing and satisfying. Got the green on this side done.
You definitely need to follow the directions on the glue, exactly. Don't skip any steps. and like he said, do short sections, two feet is really about all that you can handle at once, when it's ready to stick on. I also use the black, it hides much better than the yellow.
Just did the doors on my '53 using Carpenter rubber. Job was messy as hell but it's stuck on really good. My method was based on the video above. I did the job in sections, maybe two feet at a time. First lay a bead on the door and spread with a popsicle stick. Then lay a bead on the rubber and spread with a popsicle stick. Wait about 5 minutes for the glue to start to set then start laying the rubber an inch or so at a time. Once your section is all stuck down keep going back over and pressing it down for about 10 minutes. Then move on to the next 2 foot or so section.
I use this. Just smooth it out a bit. It works. Use rubber gloves, it`s hard to get off your hands. Buy a very good caulking gun.
I first usually test fit the weather stripping being careful not to stretch it. I use LocTite 5699 in the pressure tube. Careful application of it will hold the weather stripping without bleeding out past the edges. I hold the stripping in place with clothes pins until it sets up overnight. If you have a longer reach to hold the stripping in place get creative and use paint stir sticks as extensions for the clothes pins. They apply about the right amount of pressure and won't scratch the paint. The 5699 is 'tacky' and will hold a fair length of material in place for minimal use of clothes pins. Also it allows you to move the stripping to position it, with the contact adhesives, once you commit, it's there. Once set up, it will be held tighter than a bulls ass in fly season. That's the way I do it... you ask Good luck Sent from my XT1585 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Like "they said" above AND....blue painter's tape helps to hold the over-head section in place. Love the smell!! Do it in an enclosed space to 'really-get-it-go'in'!! 6sally6
Just did my 51 F1, came out nice - used black 3M Super Weatherstrip Adhesive, did 2-3 feet at a time, put wide but very thin stripe of adhesive on both metal and underside of weatherstrip, let it get tacky, then mated - its not tacky enough if it moves after you mate it - do not stretch weatherstrip - let dry 24hrs
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