The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

I've obtained a really nice replacement HRW and reading the workshop manual on replacement it seems to suggest you remove the "chrome" trim and push out the glass and the sealing weatherstrip. Now it seems a crying shame to have to remove the weatherstrip when its not leaking and removing it may damage it . So can the glass be removed without removing the seal ?
Certainly it can be replaced with the sealing weatherstrip in place.
Thanks very much,
Tony.

In my experience they come out perfectly well c/w the weather strip.

What Mark said. ^^^

The sealing trim should be replaced anyway as it gets brittle with age. Bill Davies at Rarebits can supply it for a reasonable price. I got mine from him when I had to swap the windscreen on my 1850 back in 2011. He even knew what length I would need because he's sold it to Dolomite owners previously.

The plain rear-window seal, for the heated rear window of my 1974 Triumph Toledo 1300 does NOT feature any chromed-plastic trim-strip; thank goodness.

I much prefer plain rubber seals and would like one of this type for my front windscreen; the nearly 41 year old front-windscreen seal being in need of replacement.

naskeet wrote:The plain rear-window seal, for the heated rear window of my 1974 Triumph Toledo 1300 does NOT feature any chromed-plastic trim-strip; thank goodness.

I much prefer plain rubber seals and would like one of this type for my front windscreen; the nearly 41 year old front-windscreen seal being in need of replacement.

Unfortunately all front screen seals have the trim strip, but don't despair, it's very easily available, not massively expensive and reasonably easy to fit (if a bit fiddly)
Fortunately your Toledo will have a toughened screen unless its been retrofitted with a laminated one. Toughened means the Baines made screen seal (the only one readily available at the moment) will stand more chance of fitting without leaking.

Steve

Carledo wrote:

naskeet wrote:The plain rear-window seal, for the heated rear window of my 1974 Triumph Toledo 1300 does NOT feature any chromed-plastic trim-strip; thank goodness.

I much prefer plain rubber seals and would like one of this type for my front windscreen; the nearly 41 year old front-windscreen seal being in need of replacement.

Unfortunately all front screen seals have the trim strip, but don't despair, it's very easily available, not massively expensive and reasonably easy to fit (if a bit fiddly)

Fortunately your Toledo will have a toughened screen unless its been retrofitted with a laminated one. Toughened means the Baines made screen seal (the only one readily available at the moment) will stand more chance of fitting without leaking.

Steve

When the car was purchased from Mann & Egerton (the then local Rover & Triumph dealership, in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex), in May 1975, it was fitted with a Triplex laminated windscreen. Owing to damage in the mid-1980s, this was replaced with a Solaglas laminated windscreen, with blue-tinted upper shade band.

The chromed-plastic trim progressively shrinks, becomes brittle and also collects dirt. Unless it is needed to expand the rubber seal to improve sealing properties, it serves no practical purpose! Someone in the windscreen replacement trade, suggested using the seal intended for a Hillman Avenger, but said that it would need to be stretched slightly. How effective this would be, I don't know!?!

naskeet wrote:
The chromed-plastic trim progressively shrinks, becomes brittle and also collects dirt. Unless it is needed to expand the rubber seal to improve sealing properties, it serves no practical purpose! Someone in the windscreen replacement trade, suggested using the seal intended for a Hillman Avenger, but said that it would need to be stretched slightly. How effective this would be, I don't know!?!

Experiences of club members generally seems to suggest that, though only one screen seal was ever listed by BL for ALL Dolomite and derivative cars (the part number escapes me, but it ends in 111) the Baines made seal is more likely to seal correctly and easily when wrapped around a toughened screen. Contrarily members who have actually measured screen thickness report that the toughened screen is marginally THINNER than a laminated one! My own experience is so far back in time that I bought a genuine BL one from an Austin/Rover dealer in about 1991 and fitted it myself without problems to my Laminated equipped 76 1850 Dolly.
Again general reports would suggest that the only available seal (the Baines one) is somewhat baggy and would definitely need the trim strip to expand it nearly enough for it to seal. I've just sold a MkIV Spitfire for resto which didn't have a seal strip in it and you could move the screen about with 2 fingers worth of pressure! I've not heard of using the Avenger seal but my tame windscreen man is a massive Avenger fan and has several, I'll give him a bell and ask him about it!

Steve

Just as a follow up to this, I got some help from my eldest as it was a nice fine day today and the old screen was out complete with weatherstrip and the new one back in < 40 minutes. This job is a piece of cake if you ever had doubts about a DIY job. It took longer to run a bead of sealant round the edges. And thanks to Jonners for his words of wisdom on fitting.
Cheers All,
Tony.

Result.
Did you re-use the old seal or get a new one?

Jonners

Hi Jon , I reused the " old" seal. But it isn't that old; it was fitted about 4 years ago and came from Mr Rimmers together with the "chrome" trim. Both refitted fine.
Incidentally is this household " spray window cleaner with vinegar" bad news for this type of heated rear screen ? I was surprised at just how many elements on the old screen were broken. Some of them looked quite crusty under a magnifying glass.
Tony.

Carledo wrote:

naskeet wrote:
The chromed-plastic trim progressively shrinks, becomes brittle and also collects dirt. Unless it is needed to expand the rubber seal to improve sealing properties, it serves no practical purpose! Someone in the windscreen replacement trade, suggested using the seal intended for a Hillman Avenger, but said that it would need to be stretched slightly. How effective this would be, I don't know!?!

I've not heard of using the Avenger seal but my tame windscreen man is a massive Avenger fan and has several, I'll give him a bell and ask him about it!

Steve

Any further news regarding the suitability of the Hillman Avenger (aka Plymouth Avenger - travelled around Ceylon in one, during early 1983) front-windscreen seal or indeed any other plain front-windscreen seal?

I have had a heated screen in my attic for years, I must get it down and see if it works still.