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Adjusting window frames, 68 American |
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tomj
AMC Addicted Joined: Jan/27/2010 Location: earth Status: Offline Points: 7555 |
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Posted: Jun/04/2020 at 11:12pm |
Funny how things cascade.
I put new door seals in my '68 American 2-door sedan. The hinges have very little play, they were and are lubed. I adjusted the latch and striker, it closes with modest force, no slamming necessary. Doors seem(ed) fine. Then I put A/C in. The car had an aftermarket system, cut hoses and all that, I bought a kit from NACP and it's in and working fine (too well; I run it on the lowest fan setting with the lowest possible temperature setting and it freezes me out of the car). With A/C I drive with the windows rolled up, and therein lies the problem. Turns out, the new door seals aren't contacting the body in the window frame area. I used a strip of paper to test the seal, it's making decent contact all the way around except the window frame in front of the vent window area. Is adjusting the window frame as simple as loosening the two bolts on the leading edge, and one bolt behind? The TSM says "before tightening bolts..." but it's not clear which. And the parts catalog isn't much help. Anyone done this before? |
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1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto
1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5 http://www.ramblerLore.com |
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mixed up
AMC Addicted Joined: Jun/16/2015 Location: Monroe mich Status: Offline Points: 2178 |
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yes those bolt can be loosened up to remove the window frame and for window removal and do slight adjustments
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69 amx 290 auto
65 220 290 4spd 80 ford fairmont |
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tomj
AMC Addicted Joined: Jan/27/2010 Location: earth Status: Offline Points: 7555 |
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Thanks -- that's what I ended up trying! Not a lot of range, I got 'em loose, made sure the washers were loose, tapped the rust'n'dust out, but it did bring the top (horizontal) part into alignment.
THe angled front edge, along the A-pillar, where the vent window three screws live, still had a large gap. Testing with a sheet of paper closed in the new gasket. Close examination seems to indicate that it's bent. The curve is much more pronounced than the inside of the door frame. I suppose in 52 years someone could have slammed the door on rope, branches, whatever but both doors are the same. A straight-edge proves the two curves are far apart, the window frame is definitely more bowed. As unsatisfying as it is, I ended up inserting a foot of 3/8" backer rod behind the door seal. Problem solved I guess. |
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1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto
1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5 http://www.ramblerLore.com |
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billd
Moderator Group Forum Administrator Joined: Jun/27/2007 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 30894 |
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You were lucky you could adjust yours. My SX4 had a factory defect right door window frame. I mean it was BAD. Funny thing - it was made that way in 1982 and my wife noticed it one winter several years ago while driving the car to work - "I feel cold air coming in". Door was closed, window was up, heat on....
We got to a stop and I reached over and yeah, I feel cold air coming in - then I looked up and could see between the window frame and door opening! I could slip paper through there, almost my little finger. The window frame was shaped wrong. No, it wasn't bent or damaged. All welds were fine, no sign or any cracks or breakage anywhere. It was simply a defect. Obviously the prior owner(s) lived with it all those years. (seeing how they treated the car, no shock) Even the body shop that later sprayed the car for me admitted - factory defect. I had a parts car I cut the window frame out of, too the door and other frame to the body shop and they cut out the bad one and welded in the better one. PERFECT FIT now, seals all the way around, even contact of the door seal. They are welded in place on the later cars. |
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tomj
AMC Addicted Joined: Jan/27/2010 Location: earth Status: Offline Points: 7555 |
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Using a 12" straightedge, I can see that plainly the unibody A-pillar area curve ("nearly flat") is consistent-looking, drivers and passengers. But the matching door frame is most definitely curved much more, and unevenly. It's bowed away from the unibody in the middle of the angled (leading edge) -- a lot. Easily 3/16 - 1/4". Passenger side was less.
It's a good thick chunk of extrusion, it would not be easy to bend on-car, and I ain't taking it off. Before A/C, I rarely had the windows all the way up with vents closed on the open road, though it was still noisy from that gap, but with the windows up, both sides howled. The 3/8" backer rod is inelegant, but near-zero impact, no side effects I can see, and fairly invisible. Except to me, it bugs me. But no whistling. It fit between the frame, and the door side of the seal. |
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1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto
1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5 http://www.ramblerLore.com |
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mixed up
AMC Addicted Joined: Jun/16/2015 Location: Monroe mich Status: Offline Points: 2178 |
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those door never sealed properly when they were 10years old I always remember wind noise in my dads old ramblers we had anything from 66 to 69 in early 70
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69 amx 290 auto
65 220 290 4spd 80 ford fairmont |
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tomj
AMC Addicted Joined: Jan/27/2010 Location: earth Status: Offline Points: 7555 |
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I'm not sure if that makes me feel better, or worse! lol Thanks, really. It's good to know that. The backer rod will likely stay then. "unit bang per buck" is excellent. SHIP IT. |
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1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto
1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5 http://www.ramblerLore.com |
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billd
Moderator Group Forum Administrator Joined: Jun/27/2007 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 30894 |
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Funny, I remember the opposite. My grandparents always had Rambler Americans, for my parents, once they got beyond the 1940s Plymouth coups with caulking to seal the rear window and windshield, they moved to Ramblers - Classics. Between my parents and I, we had 3. We took the wagon on vacations to MO, SD and so on - a lot of highway, never a noisy car unless you count three brothers in the back seat fighting all the time......
My grandparents' Americans - rode with grandpa quite a bit and don't recall noise. I even worked in a shop that had been part of a dealership - most of our customers were Rambler owners - and we did test drives on 141 west of town (open flat highway). Whatever, I just never remembered the Ramblers as being noisy - now the hardtops were another issue but those weren't bad once the glass was adjusted properly and the seals were good (Javelin, etc.) Mom and Dad always considered their Rambler wagon to be sort of a luxery car - and for them it was!! |
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