MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

TR parts and Triumph parts, TR bits, Triumph Car Spares and accessories are available for TR2, TR3, TR3A, TR4, TR4A, TR5, TR6, TR7, TR8, Spitfire and Stag and other TR models are available from British car spares and parts company LBCarCo.

Triumph TR6 - Door waist seals

Fellas, at the risk of sounding like a complete idiot, can someone tell me an easier way of installing these with the friggin little clips that always seem to "catapult" and hide under a wheel?

I tried the hacksaw blade method as per Moss, but am seeking your wisdom before I loose it.

Many Thanks
Dino
Dino

Dino

I have a tool that is shaped like a J that simplifies this task considerably, befoe I had that tool i had made one from an old screwdriver, just bent the J shape but this tool is even better. Your welcome to come by and borrow it if you want, I am in Dundas

bob
Bob Craske

Dino, A good start is to remove the doors from the car. Then make a jig to hold the door upright. I used the old workmate. Remove the handles and panel. Now you are in a position to rebuild the whole works! After removing everything I took the doors to a wand car wash and blew out all settled dust and other crud.
A couple of tips during reassembly.
Spray rubber based undercoating inside the door panel to reduce noise.
Spray Rust Check into all seams to slow the rust bug.
Use contact cement and clamps to fix the outer waist seal in place (allow the glue to set overnight) then start the clips from below and finish using a j shaped tool to pull up on the clip. Can a man ever have enough clamps? Try Bulldog clips.
Clean, paint and refresh the rest of the stuff - door locks, handles and window mechanism. Leave the window loose, so you can still get your hand up in there. Glue and clamp the inner seal. It's much easier to affix the clips without the seal squirming around.
Replace the panel and handles. Viola, a door that shuts like a Beemer’s. Ka-chunk.
This is an easy but fiddly project. You've got to do something while waiting for bare pavement!
Winter's back in the west. Good luck,
Steve
Steve Crosby

Steve,

You use contact cement on outer seals only I take it, makes sense with the rubber coating on the metal. Good Idea but how and where did you clamp without damaging metal skins?

I also think that the glass should not be in the channel so it will drop as low as possible to enable me to work the channel better is this so?

many Thanks, Dino
Dino

Dino, You've got mail.
Steve
Steve Crosby


I put mine on with the hacksaw blade method and it was very easy. I did take the door panel off and I think I removed the window glass stop at the bottom of the door to make sure the glass would go down as far as possible. I think what really helped was that I opened up those clips a little so they would slide on easier. I did both the outer waist seal and the inner cat whisker with this method. Oh yeah....I also held the clips into the bent hacksaw blade with a piece of masking tape.

Good luck

Henry
HP Henry Patterson

Forget those little clips - they score the paint and promote rust. Did mine MGB style - drill 1/8th holes and pop rivet. I used SS rivets with a dab of Aqualube to prevent rusting. Lasted forever and was simple, back when I had MGs. Peter G
peter G

MAN Steve, a lot of work just for those clips! I had absolutely no problem installing them. If you remove the door be prepared to fiddle with trying to realign it. I will admit, it is easier with the glass out. but can be done with glass in. Get yourself 2 "wedges" of wood to hold the glass to opposite side you are attaching the waist seal. Mark on the door with removable black marker where the waist seal clip is to be installed . Keep the waist seal in the same location. Or you can mark on the waist seal itself where the clips are to be located and then you do not have to worry about above procedure...both work. I marked my waist seals with a black marker and it comes off with a swipe of the finger. The "hump" at the back of the door positions the outer seal. You will need to pull the bottom of the door pannel off as you will drop some clips:) Make yourself a "J" tool that is stiff and will not bend. I did not do the hack saw blade thing. I used an old ceiling light fixture attachment gizmo. The thing that has a hole in the center and screw locations at opposite ends the hold the fixture to the electrical box..cost $0.00. Put a screw in the end and you have a handle. Put the clip in the J of the tool and pull up. The 2 wedges of wood are on opposite sides of where the clip goes on. 2 purposes...hold the glass away and hold the waist seal to the door metal. It becomes easier the more clips you attach:)
Rick C
Rick Crawford

OK Guys,

Took me (no kidding) 2 evenings to do passenger side but took only 20 minutes to do driver side after I figured out the right process...so all is well in TR land.

Went for my maiden run today.....I c*** in my pants, love this car(no widshield glass) but hey who cares, talk about wind blowing in your hair.

Dino
Dino

Needlenose pliers was the trick for me. Took 20 minutes for both sides. Just need to angle them up in the pliers and then use a flat head screwdriver to push them up from the bottom. Did it with the windows in. Thought I'd throw my two cents in.
MB Mike

Hay ; guys using hacksaw blades and screwdrivers sounds dangerous.Try a paint can opener tool.I works great.73TR-6
Butch Jirschele

I gotta throw this in....helped a friend do his last weekend, both doors, inside and out in about 45 minutes! The good part was what the "J" tool was made from: turn your computer around and look at the 'blanks' you remove to plug new a new card in. Just seemed perfect to cannibalize a part from the computer to help build a TR6!

Rod
Rod Nichols

This thread was discussed between 17/03/2005 and 27/04/2005

Triumph TR6 index