Installing new cab seals, well thats where it started.......

[MarkPick]

I took my M37 for a drive in the light rain the other day and discovered that it is in need of seal replacements for the doors and windshield. I think I had more water in the truck than outside! Easy enough, ordered them from MWM and started the process of replacing them, until.........

Pulled the soft cover off the cab and began removing the screws that hold the windshield hing. This is where the fun begins. (Those who have gone through this please keep the laughter down to a dull roar, please) One screw after another snaps off. Oh well too far into this to back up now. OK windows off. What is this flat piece of metal in the channel? Oh that is where the screws went into. OK how do you get it out? Both end of the upper channel are closed up. You should have seen the look on my friends face when I grabbed the air grinder with a cutting disc on it. Two small cuts across the end, just a big enough to fish out the newly discovered three pieces of flat metal that not only the hinges connect to but also some brackets.
Ok, that is done, roll the window frame forward and remove the cowl seal, yeah right! So, now that the window frame is off the truck and I can see what is going on, the middle of the rail is completely rotted out. Looks like the seal did the opposite of what was intended, kept water in instead of out. Gonna cut the rust out and weld in a piece, should work.
As for replacing the seals around the wind shield, pulled the glass out and decided to sand blast (lightly) to see just how bad the rust was. In short I will be calling MWM on Monday to order new.
If anyone is interested, I will get some pics of the rust( I know none of you have this problem) and of the metal that fits in the channel as well as my incision on the upper rail.

If anyone has gone through this and can give me some pointers, either what I should have done or an easier way to get it all back together I would appreciate it.


Mark

 

[Tuko]

i drilled new holes and pop riveted my hinges back on, left the metal strip in there

 

[MarkPick]

Hadn't thought of pop rivets! That will save me some time on install. THANKS!

 

[Cycletek]

Might be better to use Stainless Rivets instead of Aluminum do to the vibration that these truck create. The vibration will cause the steel parts to saw through the aluminum rivets in short order......just a suggestion

 

[Mike_L]

Yeah, that sucked. But that is exactly what happened to me when I took mine apart.

I ended up taking my "nut" strips out also. I took the time to clean the outer frame up and swish a bunch of Ospho in the channel to try to neutralize any rust and later poured in some epoxy primer before I put it back together. As to the metal strip, I drilled them out and retapped them. I only had about 3 or 4 on each side, nearest the outer ends. They came out OK though I have one that the screw doesn't feel like it is fully tightening up.

My inner frames had quite a bit of rot on them too. I did replace one but the other I welded up some of the holes. I also applied ample amounts of JB Weld to some of them, mostly in the corner areas. I also used the JB Weld to put a smooth skin in the channel; it was pitted a bit from the rust. I'm hoping this gives a little strength to the area as well as provides a smooth sealing surface for the glass seal. I did the same coating routine with the Ospho and primer before I put those together.

There was a piece in one of the '50s editions of PS Magazine that recommended drilling holes in the bottoms of the glass frames, near the corners, to let water drain out. The used replacement frame I bought had holes in the bottom of the frame so I don't know if they were made like this or it was something done at the motor pool while it was on a truck.

I used cut-down black sponge rubber weatherstripping from the hardware store for the gasket/seal that runs across the hinge. It is hidden so you can't really see it unless you get up on the cab and look closely. But it should keep water out of the frame pieces. I had to weld up a few spots on my outer frame from an antenna coax hole on the right side that let water in all year round. It showed mostly at the bottom where rust was building.

I would say that this worked pretty well with no leaks but honestly I keep a tarp over the cab all year round and haven't had it out in the rain since the work.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Mark, PM headed your way. I have used "nut-certs" to fix your issue.

 

[GUNNY 155]

I also used nutserts on mine when I went through the windshield frame. In addition to that I coated threads with never seize compound.

 

[MarkPick]

Mark, PM headed your way. I have used "nut-certs" to fix your issue.

Got it, Will give you a call tomorrow!

 

[MarkPick]

Thanks for the advice and help. I knew I couldn't have been the first to run across this problem.