Sunroof seals

[pamp]

I have some confusion as to the install of part #54 121 801 211 This is the seal for the aft end of the sunroof, rubber strip, has a fat and skinny profile.On the car I am working on, the seal was glued to the sliding panel (the remainder of the seal anyway) Upon reading some of the tech postings, it seems that this seal is to be glued to the body. This makes some sense. Is this strip to be installed on the sliding panel as before, or to the body. Fat side towards the front of the car, or vice versa ? Also, if anyone has advice as to the felt seal install, I would appreciate it. Right now, I have the roof disassembled, and the opening stripped to bare metal.
Al [email protected]

 

[decoupe]

Sunroof

Here's two posts on the FAQ2002 site that may help. The roof is similar in most cases.

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,50/page,viewtopic/t,294557/

http://www.my2002tii.com/spring_2005/sunroof.htm

 

[pamp]

Re: Sunroof info

Many thanks for the info thus far. It seems to me that this a job that strikes fear into most who would be brave enough to endevor. Very easy to do wrong, many fingers required to do right. Still, I challege all to throw in the gauntlet, as it were, on this subject. Questions being still, rear rubber to the panel or body ? Rear felt to the body or panel ? Never seeing or working on a unmolested example, I am ignorant to the factory install. To say that my car is unmolested would be an understatement. 35 yrs of mechanics that I refer to as " others " has taken the toll. As most know, there is little to be found in the various e9 bibles.

 

[Stefan]

I did the seals a few weeks ago. I also noticed that the rear seal actually doesn't fit either on the sliding panel or the roof!!

I went for the rear seal on the roof.

A bit tricky too keep the seal align with top of the roof, but with a lot of adjustment by pressing thumbs to form the aluminum strip inside the seal it works.

I was satisfied with the result.

 

[pamp]

Here is what I have learned thus far: Talked to Jeff at BimmerDocs. They had two cars in the shop, both had the soft rear felt on the sliding panel. The rear rubber is fitted to the sliding panel, the skinny side towards the front of the car, cut to fit between the two raised rectangles on the right and left sides of the panel. Mechanically, as well as cosmetically, I like the work that was done on the 2002 tii (link passed on by Doug, thanks again Doug) I have some minor paint work to finish before doing the roof install. Basic lay out tells me that affixing the rear felt to the panel would, for sure, be easier. But the scales are tipping towards rear felt to body method. Looks clean. Thanks Stephan, for your input. Put some weight on the "to body" side of this issue.
I plan on growing, at least, a dozen more fingers in the mean time.

 

[blumax]

Correct Sunroof seal placement--factory original method

Larger seal to front is attached to body and smaller (thinner) seal to rear edge of sunroof panel.

Shape and align front seal to have equal overlap on each side of opening--and do same for more flexible rear seal before gluing in place--use best quality adhesive available--avoid any trimming until moving panel is installed and moved into near closed position--trim only as necessary to have very slight overlap of larger to smaller seal or ends carefully butted--essential trimming if any required is only to smaller panel seal.

when istallation is complete and when panel is opened rear seal passes under roof and rear edge of opening is painted metal edge--no seal is visible there--only front seal is visible.

 

[pamp]

Rats, Blumax.
I can see some validity to your technique as well, and so far, this seems to be the most common way, as far as the rear felt is concerned. Hmmm.....what was my surgeon friends name again? Nurse ! Scalpel !

 

[Stefan]

Since the rear rear seal doesn't fit to panel or roof without major adjustments (at least if you want to align seal exactly to roof top).

My wild guess is that the German E9 engineers was forced to invent the sunroof seal in a hurry long after the sunroof design was done.
I don't think exactly this seal design nominate to Nobel price

When I will drive my car about 9 times of 10 when the weather decree sunroof open, I prefer the look with a comprehensive seal.

I could add some photos on my work with the seals if anyone is interested.

 

[bert35csi]

Do not install the seals like this Alpina tribute car. It appears they were installed backwards and set too high, needless to say, shoddily installed. The seal's flat side is glued to the sunroof opening flush with the top of roof. The 'bulb' side contacts the sunroof panel. This is a classic installation mistake with those who are not familiar with the CS coupes.

Don't cut the front long seal as done in pic where it meets the rear seal. instead tuck the front seal under where it makes contact with the rear seal. The rear seal gets cemented to the sunroof panel at the indented back area.

Bert
72 3.0 CSi
88 M6

 

[pamp]

Rats again,
Would it be wrong if a person would, say,like, take some Viton material, say, like, from V70 Volvo spec. ? Do the whole thing, chassis only. Mine girl is not concourse. Maybe just a bad idea, do we drive these cars often ? In the rain ?

 

[blumax]

re sunroof design--

Believe the sunroof design was the work of Golde as they were the creators and suppliers of most holes in the roof in that era.

My seal was installed by a young man from Romania who had grown up in his Fathers auto interior business learning histrade as a hands on member of the family enterprize.

About 4 or 5 years ago he opened his own shop just across the parking area from his Father's shop--they still work closely together He now specializes in convertible top installation, all related mechanisms of same, seats and sunroof mechanisms, etc. One of the only shops of its kind around that I know of. Lee is an old school trained craftsman and it really shows in his specialty--also--he is straight as an arrow in all the business dealings I've had with him with all the cars on which I have had him work.

 

[pamp]

Thanks Bert,
I had seen that photo, and is a definitive example of felt seals gone wrong.
I am now on a mission to improove.....Ha,Ha,Ha

P.S. Don't get me started

 

[pamp]

The saga continues...
'84 240 Volvo spec seals(felts) are nearly identical, color being black. They are of a slightly larger O.D. and for sure more robust. Factory install being: Front felt to body, rear felt to sliding panel...$100.00 or there abouts. I will experiment prior to final install

 

[pmansson]

Question for Bert 35 csi

Have you got a picture of a correct mounting of the seals, in closed position?
I don´t get the "tucked in " ends of the front seal.
What does it look like when the sunroof is closed?
I would have thought that properly cut ends of the 2 seals, would make for a perfect joint of the seals, when the sunroof is closed.....
Thanks,
PM