53 merc and installed new rubber and wont close. I adjusted the latch all the way and still nothing. I closed it as mush as it will and let is sit in the heat a couple of days and still nothing. Any ideas?
I have the same problem with a 40 Ford Sedan Deck Lid. I've carefully taken material off the backside until there isn't much left and it still won't close. Bob Drake rubber. It seems like it's too stiff to compress easy enough.
This seems to be a growing problem. The new rubber is generally of the right section, but made of a much less compresable rubber type I have this problem all the time on the Jagaurs cars I restore. The originl rubber was usually of a more open cell rubber and would compress and the new stuff not so much. Trimming the back can work, finding a similar section that si more compressable will work but is hard to do. I have no experience in making it more pliable so will watch this and see if someone has come up with a way to make this stuff work as it is supposed to.
Same problem on an Olds cowl to hood piece. Finally very carefully used the bech grinder to remove material from the back. Agree that the material itself has changed.
This may sound weird, but if you sprinkle talcum or baby powder on the rubber it will allow the metal to slight and the trunk or door or hood will close easier. It's an old restoration shop trick, leave the offending part closed for a few days, that should do the trick!
Kinda new around here fella's but here's what I'd try; set up a jig with a router and a bit to drill out some of the material from the backside of the too-stiff rubber. Removing like 1/3 of the total mass by drilling out a hollowed out hole every other inch or so. Difficult to say the least, but might be a good option. You're going to have to reduce the "mass" of the rubber to make it more compressable.
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