NDV - Quarter light rubber replacement

I have fitted one new NDV rubber as mine was original and leaking badly being 50 years old. Very little instruction on this process so I took some images to help as it looks a difficult job. Removing the NDV was easy as nothing seized and I only dropped one washer into the door. A vital tool here is a telescopic magnetic pick up tool - best xmas present ever and washer was retrieved without a bother.
I used a plastic trim tool to hook out the old rubber which sits in a groove in the frame starting at the bottom and simply pulled it out.
I compared the two seals and clearly the new one is smaller but would hopefully stretch. I noted the new rubber was not as well fitting as the original because this has a wider profile so covers more of the frame.
I started the install at the top so that it would hopefully stay put here when I stretched it - which it did. Using the plastic spudger and tiny amount of silicone it was easy to push the rubber into the slot which you need to do from each side working around the frame. Make sure the corners are pushed in well so there are no gaps.
Finally finished at the bottom front corner. Looked OK and only took 20 minutes. Then I refitted the ventilator but was not sure which side of the rubber bar to put the hinge. There is a hole for the hinge and a piece of rubber directly across it. On the original there is a thick rubber pad where the hinge hole is but not on the copy. It is surely going to leak here.
Having reinstalled everything I gave it the hosepipe test. Water came in at various points. The rubber does not snug up to the NDV frame so water just comes through and also comes in down the hinge hole into the door. Making the NDV tighter on the latch just forces the rubber to leave a bigger gap. Not at all happy as I am desperately trying to waterproof the car. I have bought some thin rubber gasket and will try to make good the seal. The hinge may be fixed with an O ring under the rubber. I have not replaced the other side as this is not leaking and the new one will…
One thing I noticed was a small hole in the original seal forward of the hinge which is not present on the copy. Not sure what it does and if I should drill one in my copy.?



I went through the same nightmare when I replaced the NDV rubbers on my Mark 2 several years ago. I had to do a bunch of maneuvering to get the item to at least ‘look’ like it fits properly, but, try, as I may, unless opening the quarterlight, or for that matter, any other window, at speeds over 50 MPH, a low but audible ‘whistle’ can be heard coming from the driver side of the car… just another excuse to play the ‘modern’ stereo system even louder.

This is what I had to do to make them work:
[Saloon-lovers] Mark 10 rubber seals - Saloons - Jag-lovers Forums

Micah

Here are some comparisons between old and new seals. The rubber on the old is wider and a better chamfer. The bottom hinge has a lump of rubber to seal it effectively but not on the new one. Worst of all check the top hinge with NDV closed and look carefully where the glass ends there is a hole which is a major leak point and difficult to seal.





Now here is the optional COH Bains NDV seal for comparison with the D.Manners version and the factory original



  1. COH Baines and factory original
  2. DM and factory original
  3. Hinge hole Baines and original. (see above for DM seal details)

I note it is longer along the long side and it has the extra rubber around the hinge hole as in the original factory version. I also think the flange is wider and thinner which may help with keeping the water out with a better seal. Will fit this as soon as I can to test it.
The point is that the seals are NOT from the same mould.

I ended up using some strips of self adhesive closed cell foam from 3M to stop the whistle. Very discrete. Has worked for a couple of years now.
Cheers.
Dave