MGB & GT Forum

I removed the vent window today to replace the rubbers and rusty pivot along with the outer window rubber and drop glass rubber, in fact all the door glass rubber.
Once I'd had fun getting the drop glass out and drilling out the rivets I noticed that there is a length of hard rubber or maybe bitumen in the end of the outer trim next to where the vent slots in. Look at the pics.
So is this factory goop or from a PO?.
Is it even a good idea to be there as I can certainly clean it out and replace with silicon if it is.
Secondly I unwrapped the gasket from Moss that sits under the vent window. It's a shockingly thin piece of foam that looks like it will tear as soon as its in place. The website has a rubber equivalent for the roadster that costs 10x as much. Should I have ordered a pair of those or should I use this foam as a template and cut one out of some 2mm rubber sheet I have?
It just doesn't look right and certainly doesn't look as though it could keep any water at bay.
I have a week off to do both doors and generally tinker but I'm a day in with only questions and no window

Rory,

I memory serves, the vent window installs into the frame with a strip of rubber, available from the usual suspects. As for that bottom seal, on this side of the pond Moss sells a rubber version only. I agree with you, that foam bit isn't worth installing.

Steve

In a different application, I bought and made seals out of thin rubber. They didn't work very well, because the rubber didn't deform enough to mate with the metal. Went back to my supplier, a rubber specialist shop, and described my problem. He recommended a high density foam, which has worked perfectly since.

So maybe that foam gasket is OK.

Herb

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The 'goop' is there from the Factory - read my comment here.

The gasket looks the same as the one I was sent by Leacy; roadster and GT are different #6 & #15 here but I haven't fitted my #15 yet.

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Mk1: CKD 11/66 first registered 8/5/67; owned since 3/77. 18GB +40 balanced. Peter Burgess BVFR head. Piper 285. 123. FidanzaFW. 4synch c/r box. Lots more as I did a nut and bolt rebuild; finished 2015. Tartan Red.

GT: December '78. VW Golf guards, flush fit front and rear valances. Torana XU1 vents, frenched indicators & Mk1 rear lights. 'Worked' Rover V8 with Monsoon ECU for EFI. GM4L60E, Lokar tiptronic & Quick4 controller. Vintage Air A/C. FC IFS. CCE 4 link rear. Salisbury with Quaife. Jaguar Storm.

Rory...I am not sure about the real differences between GT and roadster so I hope I am not sending you off on a wild goose chase and also not sure if you are saying that foam goes under a rubber seal or if it is the only piece under the frame...
As has been said the window frames are different between the roadster and the GT but looking at number 15 mentioned , it still looks like a rubber strip moulded with vertical sealing edges in it's profile for around the frame minus the lower tab on the end for the earlier window frame
I have attached some pics of the ones I replaced on mine , bearing in mind that there is supposed to be differences and there is at the top of the frame but I can not see any difference in the lower rail of the frame ?...
I didn't buy my sets of rubber from Moss but that foam doesn't look right to me if it is the only piece under the frame ...I don't see why the earlier rubber seal won't fit there ....maybe someone else can say why not ...

I also did not like the thin foam. I went with 2" insulation foam used for sealing truck toppers. You may find something similar in the window insulation isle of a hardware store. It compresses well and has worked great for 5+ years.

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Bruce E. Cunha

The piece that fits under the 1/4light ie the seal is completely different between roadster and GT as I tried to point out in #4 - I surmise the reason for that is the nature of the GT's door trims as shown in the OP's 1st pic. Using a roadster version is going to make refitting that strip flush difficult. I guess you could always trim the roadster's to the shape of the GT version if you wanted something thicker and made from rubber. I don't have an opinion on the efficacy of the AHH7529 as supplied but that's what you get when ordering. I guess if you wanted to know what the oem version was like then asking on "original MG" may elicit a response. FWIW the material that AHH7529 is made from is also used on the tail light gaskets (albeit thicker) and those for the front indicator/parks.

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Mk1: CKD 11/66 first registered 8/5/67; owned since 3/77. 18GB +40 balanced. Peter Burgess BVFR head. Piper 285. 123. FidanzaFW. 4synch c/r box. Lots more as I did a nut and bolt rebuild; finished 2015. Tartan Red.

GT: December '78. VW Golf guards, flush fit front and rear valances. Torana XU1 vents, frenched indicators & Mk1 rear lights. 'Worked' Rover V8 with Monsoon ECU for EFI. GM4L60E, Lokar tiptronic & Quick4 controller. Vintage Air A/C. FC IFS. CCE 4 link rear. Salisbury with Quaife. Jaguar Storm.

The GT seal is correct and normal is really only a gasket or buffer to prevent the metal 1/4 light being in direct contact with the door when fitted, I apply Waxoyl underbody seal when I use them.

The 'goop' is factory original and it's purpose is to create water seal between the 1/4 light and the chrome strip where circled, you can use whatever non setting medium you like but I use Dum Dum body seal strip similar to this but on a roll, you can use some to close any gap between the front edge and the door skin if you want.

http://www.woolies-trim.co.uk/c-121-putty.aspx

Hey Ernie - not interested in my link at #4 about goop or just adding your weight?

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Mk1: CKD 11/66 first registered 8/5/67; owned since 3/77. 18GB +40 balanced. Peter Burgess BVFR head. Piper 285. 123. FidanzaFW. 4synch c/r box. Lots more as I did a nut and bolt rebuild; finished 2015. Tartan Red.

GT: December '78. VW Golf guards, flush fit front and rear valances. Torana XU1 vents, frenched indicators & Mk1 rear lights. 'Worked' Rover V8 with Monsoon ECU for EFI. GM4L60E, Lokar tiptronic & Quick4 controller. Vintage Air A/C. FC IFS. CCE 4 link rear. Salisbury with Quaife. Jaguar Storm.

No slight intended Barrie, I just don't automatically follow every link in every post especially if they led to to another thread with even more links to other threads inside them, it's a bit like disappearing down the rabbit hole sometimes

Also links can be useful but don't really convey much when searching so if the information, or at least key words (like Dum Dum for instance) are in the post text a search should provide a hit on it.