I just finished putting new foams in the seats of my wife's '74 TR6 and they turned out nicely! The next project is to replace the seal that's attached to the front of the top frame which mates to the windshield. I have MM p/n 681-043 Top Seal Kit. I've pulled out the old, brittle seal and surprisingly it came out in one piece. Only small bits fell of in the process. Now how in the heck do you get the new seal in the 3 sections of channel without tearing it up? I've tried working it in with the likes of a burnishing tool and tried lubricating it with silicone lubricant to try & slide it. After a half hour I had about 2 inches placed in the channel. Whats the secret to installation?
Dave

Dave

I used dish washing liquid, full strength, as a lubricant. And persistence.

Jim

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Jim Harris
Quartz Hill, CA

Insert one side of the seal in the channel, then slowly tuck the other side in with a small flat screwdriver. It's tedious. I can't imagine how the factory did it.

Ed

Does somebody have a picture of the channel and seal? I don’t recall doing that.

I second how Ed stated he did it and yes, it does take persistence.

Cheers
Doug

I've tried the 'insert one side....", I'll try the dish soap. If I lose my cool I'll just tell the better half "Honey, don't you remember? The '72 TR had all that wind noise with the top up too."
I'll let you know how, and for how long, it goes!
Thanks folks.

The process took an hour & a quarter. I had to use a combination of the 2 methods. I started with the soap method on the center channel. As I got the gasket out the finishing end I realized that it didn't feed right as I was pulling. There was about 4-5 inches not in the channel on the feed end. That's when the insert one side & carefully fold the other side into the channel method started.
Some tips: use wide flat pliers to grip the gasket to help pull it thru the channel. Another set of eyes & hands may be helpful here so you dont have the same problem i did. Use plenty of dish soap as Jim suggested. Grip as close to the channel as possible with the pliers to keep from tearing the gasket. (No tears but I had to be careful & watch how much pressure I used.)
When inserting one side & folding the other in, use whatever u have that's thin, narrow, and rather stiff, with no sharp or 90 degree edges. A worn down screw driver or old burnishing tool work well.
I hope this long-winded info helps someone.
Dave

or a rounded off plastic narrow putty knife

You didn't try to pull it through the channel, did you? If so, I'm surprised that worked at all.

Anyway, congrats on getting it done.

Ed

I had a flat screwdriver and pressed it on the edge of the seal. Then rotated the screwdriver a quarter turn while pressing in. It tucked in exactly the width of the screwdriver blade. Repeat for one hour, 1/4" at a time. If I remember correctly, I rotated the screwdriver clockwise for half the gasket then counter clockwise for the other.

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1972 Sapphire Blue TR6

1959 (Registered '60) TR3 TS61635 L

That technique brings back recent memories!
Ed, a good coating of dish soap and you can pull it thru the center section.
Dave