B190 Enthusiasts

I think I found a fast , cheap easy way to fix the leaks on the sliding part of the windows! I did this on my 1993 B190 with great success. Inspect your windows and you will see the rubber which is supposed to contact the sliding part probably does not, as it has shrunk with age. Also, it probably is sloping downward towards the glass, instead of upwards. This allows water to go between rubber and glass. I built this up with Permatex "Black Silicone Adhesive Sealant" so that the adhesive touches the glass, and slopes away from the glass. I got this for about $4 at Wal-Mart. Possibly a urethane would be better, but this worked for me. First, clean the slots under the windows, using a 5 foot piece of weedeater line to dislodge the hardened trash. You feed it in one slot and it comes out another. Also run it through from window downwards. Pull back and forth to loosen trash. Then blow out with air compressor. You then clean the window with glass cleaner, and the rubber adjacent to the glass with mineral spirits, using a cloth and toothbrush as needed to get clean. I used an old fashioned can-opener as on a pocket knife (kind with a hook, or you might be able to use a bent piece of coat hanger), to gently pull the rubber back to clean glass and edges of rubber. Then use a Q-Tip to spread a small amount of petroleum jelly onto the glass about one-half inch above and below where the rubber and sealant will contact glass. On a hot day in Georgia the jelly will immediately melt and form a nice coating, otherwise, (my prefered method) use a hair dryer in the late evening when it is cooler. Again, use the hook to gently pull rubber back while applying the jelly to keep it off the freshly cleaned rubber, or the adhesive will not stick. Reclean if necessary. The adhesive is squeezed onto the rubber, touching the jelly-coated glass, and forming a layer thick enough that it sheds the water away from the glass. use a clean putty knife to smooth as required. My gaskets had shrunk in lenght also, so I had a half-inch gap between the sliding and the fixed windows, I also filled in the gap with sealant. I did mine all in one coat, but to get a perfect job, you could apply a second coat after first one hardens. Most of the windows are so high you cannot see this part from ground anyway. Allow to dry overnight, then use a razor blade scraper to slide carefully between the glass and the new rubber seal and loosen so window now slides easily. You can, of course clean and apply sealant to the fixed/non-sliding part of the window as need, as well as seal the top edges of gasket next to fiberglass.

Just wanted to post an update. Three years later and the windows still no longer leak. Has anyone else tried this method?

Great inf thanks

oh this is awesome thanks so much for posting this. I was thinking there had to be a way to seal this without having to permanently seal the window. Never thought of petrolium gel. Great idea I'm gonna give this a shot during the spring once we get some consistenly nice weather. I'll keep you posted of the results.

Thanks again.

I found replacement window seals for ~$1/foot.

http://www.interstatemetals.com/cat_windows2.htm

I'm calling in my order for 21 feet each of Glaze Bead 009-842 (black) and 1/8" Glaze Bead 009-344 (black).

The company sent me some samples. It was clear those were the correct ones for my 94's HEHR windows.

Van...
Thank you for posting the link to the window molding supplier. I added replacing my window moldig to my B190 todo list just this weekend. So your timing could not have been better! Regards

The window rubbers in my van have shrunk a lot and over the cab have pulled out of the corners. I am having trouble matching up here in the UK , does anybody know if the rubbers in the 94 vans are the same as my 89 ?

Swampy.

An update on the supplier:

was: interstatemetals.com

now: interstatervmetalandsupply.com

Am in the process of ordering new gaskets(glazing)

Phil

I am working on upper side window leaks on my 93. Have ordered and received the 2 glazing sizes. However, for the fixed window, the glazing in primarily decorative according to what I have been able to find out. After removing the glazing on both the fixed and sliding windows, I think I found my leak problem. The front of the fixed window had pulled loose. It was held in by butyl, which I have removed. What I noticed is that the front of the glass is 1/8" outboard of the frame. The glass if flat, but the frame curves inward 1/8" at the front. Either the fiberglass starts tapering a little, or just manufacturing variation. I have cleaned off the butyl from the glass and frame, and plan to pick up some automotive butyl tape from a local glass shop. I will consult with them about which thickness to use to compensate for the 1/8" gap, but am thinking the 5/16" will work. Will post some pictures as I assemble. Also, there are spacer blocks to locate the glass, and the ones in there are too thick, as the glass barely fits at the top. I will get some thinner ones, or sand what I have down. Second also: the lower curved section at the front does not fit the curve of the frame very well, which prevents a good overlap for the butyl. I will have the glass shop grind off at least 1/8" from the front angle edge so the curve will fit the frame curve better. Again, will post some pictures of all of this now that I have all of that sticky butyl off of my fingers.

4 questions as I prepare to redo all sliding windows on my 94

1-is 21 feet of each 009-842 and 009-344 not an excessive amount of glazing to redo the windows?

2-how do I remove the glass from the butyl without damaging either the glass or the frame?

3-do you have to remove the entire window assembly to work to work on the windows?

4-do you have to remove the vertical bar that separates the fixed and the sliding windows?
Thanks in advance,

Marlin

If the 94 setup is like the 92 you have 4 sliders so 21' seems about right. There are several sites that talk about butyl removal. Most seem to recommend a solvent like mineral spirits or toulene (not acetone) and a plastic putty knife to avoid damaging the frames. I would think you would want to remove the entire frame just because it will be easier to work on and I don't believe you need to remove the bar as that seems to be part of the frame.
I haven't removed any of my windows but I have used mineral spirits and a lot of patience to remove butyl sealant on other projects. I believe there are other forum members who have actually redone their windows so hopefully they will chime in. Good luck with your project.


Cliff

Thanks so much for your reply Cliff. Your points are well taken! Soon as it warms up a bit here in OH I'll get started!