Reviving Tailight gaskets

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rodo
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Your car is a: 1981 Spider

Reviving Tailight gaskets

Postby rodo » Thu Jan 25, 2018 5:01 pm

Okay, the problem: my gaskets for the rear taillights are in okay shape, no cracks. I assume they are original. They are not very flexible and seem to have slightly shrunk. And on two corners the outmost "lip" is folder under. I seriously do not want to pay $33 each for new gaskets. Has anyone tried to revive these, recondition, stretch, bend, anything?

Or is it possible that a medium good seal around the rear lens is no big deal?

DRUMMOND
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Your car is a: Fiat Spyder 2000 1980 Pininfarina

Re: Reviving Tailight gaskets

Postby DRUMMOND » Sat Jan 27, 2018 12:03 am

Hi rodo

If you want a cheap fix use black silicone on both sides of the rubber seal. As far a I am aware you cannot refresh the rubber that is 30+ years old.
Remember that water that leaks in will go straight down to the rear seam and just rot the metal.

ORFORD2004
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Your car is a: 1983 PININFARINA
Location: Sherbrooke, Qc, Canada

Re: Reviving Tailight gaskets

Postby ORFORD2004 » Sat Jan 27, 2018 12:33 am

Heat gun, but be polite

rodo
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Joined: Sat Dec 27, 2014 5:50 pm
Your car is a: 1981 Spider

Re: Reviving Tailight gaskets

Postby rodo » Tue Jan 30, 2018 7:27 pm

Excellent suggestion, Orford. I'm making serious progress. One was easy to heat and bend, got it to slip on just right. The other needs a bit of, stretching, I guess I'd call it. Getting there. Very light touch with the heat gun and then some pulling and pressing (with gloves).

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dinghyguy
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Re: Reviving Tailight gaskets

Postby dinghyguy » Fri Feb 02, 2018 9:59 pm

Hi
I used a bucket of hot water after a couple of shots in the microwave
Seemed to work
Cheers
Dinghyguy
1981 Red Spider "Redbob"
1972 blue Volvo 1800ES "Bob"
1998 Red Ford Ranger

PhillySpider
Posts: 325
Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2016 6:51 pm
Your car is a: 1980 Spider 2000
Location: New Hope, PA

Re: Reviving Tailight gaskets

Postby PhillySpider » Sat Feb 03, 2018 11:43 am

ORFORD2004 wrote:Heat gun, but be polite

I used a hair dryer w/good success! Ours were folding under a bit so I put a flathead behind it, heated and pressed w/my finger...

rodo
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Joined: Sat Dec 27, 2014 5:50 pm
Your car is a: 1981 Spider

Re: Reviving Tailight gaskets

Postby rodo » Sat Feb 03, 2018 12:03 pm

Whatever works! The heat gun I used could easily have gone too far. I was glad of the warning to "be polite." Didn't take much to soften the plastic and then just bend away. That worked very well on the folded in corners. Stretching was a bit more effort. Kept massaging it, heating along the length of one side. Got it finally to work over the corners of the lens box; held it while it cooled off. At the end of it all, however, it took my installing the lens, the pressure of screwing it down, to hold it into place.

I also went at it with the black silicone. Tricky to not make a mess, some on the inside of the gasket, towards the lens box, some on the outside towards the body of the car. What made this part especially difficult was the effort it took to hold the silicone "gun" steady while all the while roaring with laughter over the idiosyncrasies of Italian design: trying to fit an angled plastic lens box into an angled body panel. Sono Italiani.

ORFORD2004
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Your car is a: 1983 PININFARINA
Location: Sherbrooke, Qc, Canada

Re: Reviving Tailight gaskets

Postby ORFORD2004 » Sat Feb 03, 2018 3:00 pm

Or you can put it in boiling water for 10-15 minutes. :idea:

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wetminkey
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Re: Reviving Tailight gaskets

Postby wetminkey » Mon Feb 05, 2018 12:50 am

I was able to stretch mine back to original length and wrap them around the lens edges with just a bit of warming in the sun. Took some wrestling, though!
Todd.
1988 Mazda RX-7
1979 Fiat Spider 2000
1978 3/4 ton Chev 4x4 P/U "FRANKENTRUCK"
1976 Camaro
1972 VW Superbeetle
1969 Ford F100
1968 Mustang coupe


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