Vent Window Woes! and questions.

[BrianG]

Ughhh. I am not sure whether I want to swear (some more), hit something, or take a long break from working on the truck. EVERYTHING lately has been a nightmare. Today I attempted to do the vent windows. This ended up being a whole day's project for one vent window. I had already watched all the video's a hundred times and researched this to death. Felt like I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. All-in-all, it didn't go that horribly because based on so many of the other posts that I've read, I didn't expect it to be easy. I had bought a rivet setting tool that would only work for some of the rivets, not sure how any tool can get to the top one on the inner seal. Most of the time that I spent was actually spent polishing all the stainless. So, I got it together, but I can't get the outer seal to stay in place. It seems to go in the channel but when I open the window (installed in the truck) and then try to close it, it closes REALLY hard and is so tight of a fit along the bottom that it pulls the bottom seal in and out of the channel. Has anyone had a similar experience that can pass along some advice? Maybe it will break in, or maybe it needs to be lubed or something. It isn't really any good like this though.

Finally, I'm at odds of whether I even want to bother with the other side. If it ends up like this one, I'm not going to be very happy. I'll need these vent window to open. No AC and no sliding back window. I'm considering to just take today as a lesson on how to do a vent window and chalk it up as experience. I've heard that the aftermarket vent windows are better than they used to be. Can anyone confirm that with a recent purchase? I know the aftermarket ones are not cheap, but If they are decent pieces that I can actually open and close, I really don't care at this point.

Sorry for the super long post, but I'll appreciate any help that can be passed along my way.

[dazza]

You know, I stll fuss a bit with the bottom part of my passenger seal. I spent a lot of time as well trying, fighting, tugging, pushing, and at the same time making sure not to gouge through the tape covering the new paint! In the end, I had put all the screws (three door frame, the ones at the bottom, and for a '72, the one just below the vent glass) in a couple of turns, then checked the seal all the way around, and if all looked ok, a couple more turns, then check again and repeat until they were in solid.

The kicker to all of this was that one of the two main things I absolutely wanted to accomplish with this restore was to kill that wind coming in through the vent windows. HA! It's still there! As a test, I taped up that section of door to cab, all the vent window, and ran some around the top quarter of the windshield seal. That reduced it, but it's still enough to annoy me. I mean I know I'll never be able to hear a mouse pissing on cotton, but it's become a mission for me.

[dazza]

Even the sound deadener I bought, the company I bought it from called the package "coffin like"!

[LockDoc]

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Read this thread.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=660294

Member Highwinger had the same problem as you are having. As stated in the thread the first pair of new rubber gaskets he used was the problem. The second set of gaskets he purchased solved the problem.....

LockDoc

[dazza]

I didn't read all the way through, but is the rubber you used Precision?

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by dazza

I didn't read all the way through, but is the rubber you used Precision?

As I stated in the thread I'm not sure who made the gaskets I used. I know it would take a while but if you read the whole thread it will explain everything. Highwinger did an excellent job of explaining the difference between the good and bad gaskets.....

LockDoc

[BrianG]

Originally Posted by dazza

I didn't read all the way through, but is the rubber you used Precision?

Yes, they sure were. I just read through that post that LocDoc posted. I'm wondering if I have the same problem. My seals sort of 'waffle' across the bottom instead of laying flat. This is so frustrating. I thought that the precision seals were supposed to be the good ones.

[Shaky]

Thanks for all the good info here. I'm getting ready to do this on my C20. Looks like only some pieces of that Precision kit I bought will get used. I hate to buy twice, but I've wrestled with vent window assemblies before and it ain't fun.

[BrianG]

One thing that I missed until I went back and re-read the post LocKDoc posted above, is where the rubber is supposed to go along the bottom. I thought that it went outside of the door, but according to that post, it goes on the inside of the door. I really don't thik that is going to solve my problems, but I suppose it is worth a try.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by BrianG

One thing that I missed until I went back and re-read the post LocKDoc posted above, is where the rubber is supposed to go along the bottom. I thought that it went outside of the door, but according to that post, it goes on the inside of the door. I really don't thik that is going to solve my problems, but I suppose it is worth a try.

The rubber goes inside the door on the bottom. I would compare the rubber that you haven't installed yet with the good one in Highwingers thread to see which ones you have for sure. If you already have the good quality set buying new isn't going to help you......

LockDoc

[BrianG]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

The rubber goes inside the door on the bottom. I would compare the rubber that you haven't installed yet with the good one in Highwingers thread to see which ones you have for sure. If you already have the good quality set buying new isn't going to help you......

LockDoc

I can see where having the seal inside the door should help keep it in the track. I looked at my other seal and it appears to be the better if the two as shown in the post that you referred me to. I can see two things giving me issue when I took it back out. The first is the small inner seal along the bottom of the glass. I think this is making it hard to close. Then when you have it almost closed that little seal which is horizontal overlaps the verticle seal. This makes it almost impossible to shut the latch to keep it closed. Here is a photo showing the bottom horizontal seal and how it overlaps the verticle seal.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by BrianG

I can see where having the seal inside the door should help keep it in the track. I looked at my other seal and it appears to be the better if the two as shown in the post that you referred me to. I can see two things giving me issue when I took it back out. The first is the small inner seal along the bottom of the glass. I think this is making it hard to close. Then when you have it almost closed that little seal which is horizontal overlaps the verticle seal. This makes it almost impossible to shut the latch to keep it closed. Here is a photo showing the bottom horizontal seal and how it overlaps the verticle seal.

Not sure on that. It has been too long since I did mine and I sold the truck that I rebuilt them on....

LockDoc

[pappy 2]

:The bottom vent seal being on the inside of the door (exterior) will leak, creating a rust problem on the bottom of the door, that I have on my 10 year old restoration. there needs to be an additional seal of some sort to prevent this.