Portlight gaskets

[mherrcat]

I am in the process of rebuilding the portlights I got from the parted-out E27. I found some neoprene rubber "edging material" at McMaster-Carr that is the right size to fit the glass and frame channel; part #8057K44. It doesn't have the "lip" that butts up against the frame on the outside of the glass like the original gasket, but I was thinking of using a bead of Corning 795 sealant to fill the 1/16" gap on both sides of the glass. The "gasket" will hold the glass in place like the original and the 795 will make the weatherproof seal.

Comments?

 

[Mark F]

Hi Mark,

I think you should try to find the correct gasket it's not that uncommon. Check your local glass and window shops. If you bring a port with you you should be able to get the right size gasket. The main issue is that the gasket channel is deep enough. This is the stuff I used last time I redid my ports. I bought it locally.

 

[mherrcat]

And the material you show sealed the glass watertight? One of the things I worry about is the joint where the two ends of the gasket meet. What keeps water from getting into the frame at that point?

 

[Mark F]

Yes sealed watertight. That is what it is designed for.

When I cut the length of the gasket I make sure there is pressure on the joint (cut a little long).

The port frames on My 1968 E23 had some pitting on the inside of the aluminium channel so I used some silicone in the channel - just enough to seal against the back of the gasket not so much that it oozed out at the frame/gasket junction.

My E27 frames were fine on the inside of the channel so I did not use silicone. A couple of times since I resealed I have had some weeping in one spot on one of the ports, all it takes to stop the leak is to push the gasket "lip" toward the frame (kind of like installing a spline on an aluminium screen frame). The handle end of an adjustable wrench works to apply the pressure. Hope that makes sense.