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Fri Dec 26, 2014 11:42 am

I know the question has been asked about the kind of glue to use on door seals. We have the good old black 3M stuff. However, the instructions indicate it works like contact cement where you have to apply the glue to both the door groove and the rubber itself. This is going to make one heck of a mess, especially since I just did a dry fit and it is very, very tight in some areas.

Question is this: Has anyone had good luck just applying the glue to the door groove ONLY and then pushing the rubber into it? Some areas are so tight on our doors that I doubt we even need glue :D

Thanks for the advice. Steve and Nathan

Fri Dec 26, 2014 11:54 am

If it is a new seal, and very pliable, you can work one section at a time, so you don't have the whole seal gooped up while trying to fit it. Dry-fit it, maybe with some painters tape in spots, and peel away simple sections at a time for the double-application, then press it back when tacky.

Fri Dec 26, 2014 11:57 am

I never glued my seals in... The interference of the fit holds them in just fine.

Fri Dec 26, 2014 12:06 pm

anthracitedub wrote: I never glued my seals in... The interference of the fit holds them in just fine.

I think ours are tight enough to do that in many areas. However, here in AZ I would worry about the rubber drying out and shrinking over time and then coming loose. Would like to get some glue in place.

Fri Dec 26, 2014 12:15 pm

consider this

My experience with contact cement is mostly doing formica cabinet work .
If you put the cement on only one side it takes days for it to dry ; but it does dry eventually
I would suggest doing one piece and leaving it for a week as a test .

Fri Dec 26, 2014 12:27 pm

I've used 3M adhesive on every door seal and glued- seal I've done- on VWs and 2 vintage 4x4s. It takes a very thin bead- on the steel side only. Bear in mind, this sealant can probably glue windshields on aircraft when applied as directed, since 3M wants the seal to be bulletproof- but it takes very little to do the job on paltry VW door seals.

Also, avoid 2" above and below the latch area- it allows the handle screws to be serviceable. You will thank me later for this.

Fri Dec 26, 2014 12:42 pm

hitest wrote: I've used 3M adhesive on every door seal and glued- seal I've done- on VWs and 2 vintage 4x4s. It takes a very thin bead- on the steel side only. Bear in mind, this sealant can probably glue windshields on aircraft when applied as directed, since 3M wants the seal to be bulletproof- but it takes very little to do the job on paltry VW door seals.

Also, avoid 2" above and below the latch area- it allows the handle screws to be serviceable. You will thank me later for this.

This makes a lot of sense, especially the second tip about leaving the latch area unglued! I would be cursing myself years from now when I needed to take off the door handle :lol:

Doing a little mini test right now. Nipped off a little corner at the bottom of the seal and have done a single and double glue job.

Fri Dec 26, 2014 2:15 pm

My little test revealed that applying the glue to both the metal and the rubber has superior holding power. Still, as Grandpa Pete noted it might take the single layer longer to dry. And the samples of rubber were really tiny. Regardless, I think we can get the glue on both the door and rubber pretty easily using the approach noted by KTPhil - one little section at a time. Also taped up the paint where we could to minimize getting glue on the door.

Here we go!

Fri Dec 26, 2014 3:58 pm

I've used 3M Yellow Super weatherstripping adhesive, some called it elephant snot. But I've never done door weatherstripping on a VW.

http://www.autozone.com/sealants-glues-adhesives-a...96147_0_0/

Fri Dec 26, 2014 4:37 pm

the only time I glue them is when they don't stay in place by them self. then I use a small bead of the above mentioned elephant snot on the metal then install seal. But never around the latch.
Most the time the seal stays in place by fine itself.

Fri Dec 26, 2014 4:45 pm

Well, we did it and didn't even make a mess!!

Dry fitted the entire seal. Then liberally green taped the entire perimeter of the door on both sides of the seal. We then proceeded to do just one section at a time - pulling out the section and applying the glue then seating the seal and moving on. Concentrated on putting the glue at the base of the groove in the door and then just on the portion of the seal that would match that groove. Very little squeeze-out and what did squeeze out was captured by the tape. The driver door (original but not original to the car) had a slight tighter groove but we just pressed and pressed to be sure the seal was seated completely in the groove. We made a terrible mess doing the same repair to our 66 Ford pickup so we must have gotten smarter - and luckier :D

And the major bonus - the doors actually close and latch!!!

Fri Dec 26, 2014 5:20 pm

Thankyou for the followup .
Too many times we answer questions on Samba for people and we never find out how the project worked out .
This post will help me doing the doorseals on my Type6 project . :D

Fri Dec 26, 2014 5:24 pm

grandpa pete wrote: Thankyou for the followup .
Too many times we answer questions on Samba for people and we never find out how the project worked out .
This post will help me doing the doorseals on my Type6 project . :D

You are welcome. I try to do this on all the Forums I belong to. You never know who might find the ultimate solution useful. Or show you what NOT to do :)

Fri Dec 26, 2014 5:32 pm

please share the product name or number for the " black 3 m stuff " :wink:

Fri Dec 26, 2014 7:04 pm

It is

3M Black Super Weatherstrip and Gasket Adhesive. Stage 2. The only number on the box is 08008. Comes in a 5 oz tube and I got it at Autozone.

Fri Dec 26, 2014 7:54 pm

Not sure what seal you are using. If it is a good expensive seal then yo should not need any glue. If you do need some glue it should not be much.
Yes here in AZ they will dry up and get crusty.

Fri Dec 26, 2014 10:15 pm

gt1953 wrote: Not sure what seal you are using. If it is a good expensive seal then yo should not need any glue. If you do need some glue it should not be much.
Yes here in AZ they will dry up and get crusty.

They are high quality German seals. The length along the latch side of the door was very loose and would have needed to be glued in regardless - without gluing within several inches of the latch of course

Sat Dec 27, 2014 11:56 am

:) I also found for many yrs past that the 3M Yellow windshield sealer was the best and I also used it on engine assembly at the cyl/case base and for the valve cover gskt. A little goes a long way and is easy to remove with Acetone.