So as some of you may have seen I recently got my 88 GT painted. When it was done I had the guy put new gaskets and dew wipes on. My sunroof gasket from the Fiero Store doesn't seem to fit well. There are two bulges in the front corners that stick up well above the roofline and the back doesn't seat tight against the roof so the glass is pressing against the back of the gasket rather than the middle. Is it possible that it is in backwards? Any thoughts?
Secondly is my dew wipes. They are brand new from DIY Stu. I'm not sure if the guy installed them wrong or what but the lip that should go over the door panel doesn't even go over in places and is tucked behind the door panel. Also it appears that the guides are etching scratches into my windows on both sides. I'm not sure what's going on but I highly doubt it is an issue with the dew wipes but rather how they are installed. I had my door apart before the paint job but am very scared to disassemble the whole thing now that it's painted. Is there anyone in the Central PA area that is comfortable taking them apart and looking at them with me? I'm currently in Elizabethtown and would be willing to drive a good distance if someone's willing to help. Obviously I would be willing to compensate you for your time. Here are some pics:
When I purchased a Fiero Store sunroof seal, I had major problems with wind noise and leaks. Since there were no markings or obvious indication that there was a front or back edge, I just installed it. While trying to find the cause, other than the possibility that it was a poor reproduction, I compared it to a known original seal that was still in a car.
I found that there is a front and back edge. The front edge has a higher lip at the outer perimeter and L shaped while the rear edge is more equal and U shaped. Your picture appears that the L shape is to the rear. This might be the solution to your problem.
I have no experience with Stu's dew wipes, so I can't help you there, but I understand his wipes are made to factory specs. Factory wipes do not overlap the door skins. Scratching could be because the felt pads have been set too tightly against the windows.
[This message has been edited by fierofool (edited 08-30-2013).]
I agree with the above post. There is a front and a rear to the sunroof gasket.
As far as the dew wipes, they should meet up with the door skin when installed correctly. I can't tell from the angle of your picture but it looks like the dew wipes are sitting WAY too high in relation to the door skin. If I remember, the dew wipe lip that is in your picture should conform to the edge of the door skin, not sit above it or tuck below it.
Thanks for the replies. As far as the sunroof gasket goes does that just pop out? I know it's in the tracks but is there any magic to getting it out/ reinstalling it? I definitely think the dews are up too high and I agree it probably is the pads as that is the location scratching it. I'm just a little nervous to go ripping my door apart with new paint. When I did it last time I managed to break every single one of the tabs that hold the beltline trim on lol.
If it's not glued it should just pop out, if glued you might be able to get it out without tearing it if you are very careful. There's a front and a back to the seal, two of the corners (cannot recall if front or rear) are rounded and the other two are more square. It's pretty obvious which way the seal goes when you look at the corners.
Can't comment on the dew wipes from that pic and too late to go out and look at mine (dark). You don't need to take the door skin off to install the outer wipes though if that is worrying you. There's a very good thread on here somewhere about how to do them. I've done them them on all my cars over the years and other than one really horrible screw to get at, it's not a bad job providing you are careful (don't want to break the glass) . It's really all about getting the glass high enough to get at the horrible screw!
------------------ Anything I might say is probably worth what you paid for it, so treat it accordingly!
Thanks for the advice. I'm thinking the sunroof gasket may be in backwards. As for the dews maybe I'll just take the inner panel off and try to see what I can see.
I can help with both problems as I have installed many sets of dew wipes and several sunroof gaskets. We just installed a new sunroof gasket in both the blue fastback and the red 85gt that you saw at the 30th. Let me know what we can do for you.
------------------ 1984 Indy Pace Car\1988 Formula Custom President of Maryland Fiero Owners Club MFOC NYFOC Member
Hmm IDK about the sunroof gasket at all, however I do have Stu dews on my 86 and my own self made dews on Momma's 87.
The Stu dews on my 86 do not fit over the door skin. Not that little lip is what I mean. It does fit very nicely along side of it though. It presents a nice clean line along the inner edge. IDK if it is supposed to sit over the outer door skin. Also the dew wipes I made myself are the same. They fit great along the inner edge of the outer door skin but do not come up over it.
Does any of what I'm saying make sense? I can go grab a few pics if you like.
It's been years, but as I recall, the gasket is only installed in the gasket rails. Flat pieces of metal strips with a lip turned up on each edge. The gasket can be squeezed so that the bottom lips fit into the metal strips. I don't remember any adhesive, but you could easily put some RTV on it if you wanted. Just don't plug up the drain holes in the corners.
This is your thread but you may have just helped me. As mentioned above, I too had the same issues as higher gasket height in the front and wind noise after putting in a new FS sunroof gasket . Guess I better pull mine out and check to see if its backward! When you take it out check for rust in the channel. I wire-wheeled my channel and then painted in the channel cavity with some black Rustoleum. Then, I rtv'd the gasket into place. I know nobody will see the channel but I hate rust!
As for the dew wipes, I encourage you to go to YouTube and type in Buddy Craig. He does a how-to on dew wipe installation. Including putting it in the right way . Kit
[This message has been edited by Kitskaboodle (edited 08-31-2013).]
i'm willing to give you a hand if you would like.. i'm in Mifflinville pa, about 1.5 hours north of Harrisburg.. i have a set of dews that aren't installed for reference and i would love to see that yellow gt! let me know
i'm willing to give you a hand if you would like.. i'm in Mifflinville pa, about 1.5 hours north of Harrisburg.. i have a set of dews that aren't installed for reference and i would love to see that yellow gt! let me know
Thanks for offering but Robb said he'd help me. (Thanks Robb) 86 toy are you going to be at the MAFOA car show in Neffsville? I'll be there!
Yeah here's the thread on Pennocks: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/092474.html It will be my first show with the club but I met many of the members out at the 30th and it should be a good time. amflyer is currently the president.
The gasket was indeed backwards. As for the dews the painter didn't tuck them under the door panel but had them above the door panel and drilled his own holes. Robb showed me the trick to unhooking the window tracks and raising the window above the two center holes. We drilled the stock holes out and reinstalled the dews.