Recently got my 96 vanden plas back from the paint shop sunroof removed to be painted.

Body shop installed seal backwards and did not crimp in on properly so I have a new NOS seal and need to have it installed properly on the sliding panel . I am in the daytona beach area.

I even tried to order the special tool which is on back order till Oct 4.
Is there an alternative way to install this seal properly?

Tim Stein
Tim2go46@yahoo.com

 

I cant believe no ones installed one of these sunroof seals .
Well I ordered one of the special tools spx 501-023 I'll just park it till October
when it comes off back order. Till then it will be an alfa romeo summer

Thanks and good night

 

have you checked the dealer, we still have one and use it at least once a yr

 

I made a tool out of a pair of what are commonly known as "gas Pliers". Just grind out a relief back from the nose of the jaws, and then smooth the jaw serrations. The point is to squeeze the seal along an area 3 to 10 mm away from the folded edge.

 

Here is a diagram of the tool, maybe make something out of a sheet metal pliers with wide jaws.

bob gauff

 

Bob:
Thanks for the picture, but I would disagree that you need a "wide" pair of pliers. Note that the Jag tool has a narrow crimp surface projecting down form the wide edge. I suspec tit is built that way to get the crimp point where you can see it.

 

To revive an old thread now that the seal seems only available used. Would like to share my experience as it might save others pain and suffering. In my case the PO had given up on the sunroof and RTV'd it shut. The only way to get it out was to slice through the seal with a sharp knife. Was able harvest an old seal off of another sunroof. The problem now is not that you need to acquire or make a tool to crimp the seal, (although I guess you could un-crimp it) but how to reinstall an already crimped one. What I found was that putting the roof on a carpeted floor, or some other firm surface where the roof won't get scratched, and firmly pressing the seal back on worked well for me. I used a thin layer of synthetic grease and judicious use of heat gun to help. I pressed the seal back on using a hammer head, not hammering but using it to get a firm enough push to seat the seal. (you have to press pretty hard and I will confess to a couple of light taps. :-). In my case I had slightly un-crimped the last half inch of the seal to help removal but it is easily re-crimped with careful plier use. Really study when you are taking the seal off before painting or whatever to see how it is attached. If any needs it I will upload a pic of what I did.

 

I did the 'gas pliers' mod with some el cheapo harborfreight pliers, cut off one side so it was the same depth as the visible outer surface with the longer jaw pressing the larger part of the moulding on the underside of the roof.

A critical aspect of refitting old previously loved moulding is that you first need to open up the metal reinforced 'slot' that inserts onto the edge of the sunroof enough that the underside of the moulding can reach to the metal lip that it hooks itself around and attaches to, this isn't immediately obvious until you look closely at the moulding.

You widen the slot with a large screwdriver, then put the sunroof sunny side down and catch the lip of the metal ridge with the edge of the moulding. This holds it in place. You then gently squeeze the metal reinforced slot to tighten the moulding in that position. You are not clamping it in place onto the metal to hold it tight, if you do this you will just damage the rubber. You are contracting the moulding so it is tensioned between the underside lip and the edge of the sunroof.

 

Modified pliers