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So I have done 4 t top seal installs in the past. Never really had the best of luck. Regardless of what seals I use, whether it be Fairchild or Metra soffseal... they leak somewhere.
My best luck was using silicone to "glue" the seals in the channels and seam sealer to fill all the gaps.
I recently watched LSXMatts video on installing the seals with weatherstrip glue, butyl rope behind the seals, covered by a urethane seam/body seal on top and then pressing in the tops and letting them sit.
What's your go-to? Im installing a set of Metra seals, in a car that i just had to fully rebuild the j channels, and i want to do it right and do it once.
I'd also like to hear of everyone's experiences. I'll be going through the same repairs soon. Fairchild seems to be the go-to for most.
Did you get your channels from Chris Oliver? It looks like his work. I am concerned how the shape of the bends will allow the rubber to seat correctly. The set I got from him aren't the same shape as the factory and as the pictures that have been posted in previous posts. He said he had to retool and mine looks identical to yours.
I'd also like to hear of everyone's experiences. I'll be going through the same repairs soon. Fairchild seems to be the go-to for most.
Did you get your channels from Chris Oliver? It looks like his work. I am concerned how the shape of the bends will allow the rubber to seat correctly. The set I got from him aren't the same shape as the factory and as the pictures that have been posted in previous posts. He said he had to retool and mine looks identical to yours.
Good eye. Yeah, I got the channels from Chris Oliver. Overall I pinned them down with vice grips and spot welded them down. I had some old seals that i set in the channels and they fit in nicely. Keep in mind the seals get glued in the channels with weatherstrip glue, so they shouldn't come undone once the glue dries. I just had to order seals today, as my Fairchild seals that I got from Rockauto shipped incomplete and damaged. I was planning to install this week, but no dice.
I think when it comes to the damaged J channels, you don't really have any other real options. Chris seems to be the only guy making those channels new so... you either buy a roof cut hardtop from another car and convert, or find a t top car with nice channels and drill them out.
Yeah, I am probably worried for nothing. It's just that I wonder if the seals possibly might not go all the way in since the channels are V-shaped and not U -shaped. It seems like there is a tad less room for them to seat.
My channels aren't that bad, just a few short runs of missing metal. I am prepared to add strips of metal if I have to. If that doesn't work, all I have lost is time.
i installed one side with a plastic deflector i have had for years very nice fit compared to the rubber ones
and i can close door without pushing down on window or opening window when im in car
Where does one find GM's instructions for installation of new seals? Is it in the factory GM service manual?
I had them in one of the ttop reseal kits i got from gm back in the day. All the good updated ttop seals to complete it all, only 150 bux. Should have bought a semi trailer load of them.
Unless I am missing something in the lsxmatt video, he seems to using butyl caulking. If you can get your hands on actual butyl rope, its much easier to work with. You can shape the butyl rope with your hands and fill the voids with it. I used that and sealed the edges with 3m weatherstrip adhesive.
