Window and Weatherstripping Info

[Captain Obvious]

I'm working on my doors to fix a few issues and while I'm in there, I'm putting in Sportage weatherstripping.

Couple of questions:

1) The chrome trim up around the top of the window (Nissan calls it the sash)... What hardware is supposed to be used behind the door panel to hold the sash in place? By that, I mean, is it supposed to be a bolt or a screw, and what does it look like? I'm not sure what I have in there is the right piece of hardware. Not the bolts in the door jambs that are visible while the door panel is in place... I'm talking about the ones that are not visible with the door panel in place.

2) Are there supposed to be any spacer between the sash and the inside sheet metal of the door in the locations discussed above? Again, not the bolts in the door jambs, but the ones behind the door panels. Are there spacers used there, or is it sash directly contacting stamped door metal?

3) Was the original weather stripping continuous, or was there a break in it? And if there was a break, where was it located? I was looking at a junk Z yesterday and it appeared that there was a break in the upper 90 degree corner of the window and the weatherstrip was mitered to 45 degrees to fit that corner. But I have no idea if that was stock or replaced some time in the past. The reason I ask is that the Sportage weatherstripping is a little too long to use as is, and has to be cut to remove some length. I figured I would put the break in the same place the factory did, and along the top somewhere makes the most sense to me from a water ingress standpoint.

[zKars]

1) For 240 and 280 to end of 76, the sash is held to the door by eight 6mmx1.0 bolts, all about 15-20mm long with a trapped flat washer. There are three at the back edge of the door (exposed), one top rear corner (under door panel just behind the lock pull button)), two front under the door panel, and two more on the angled exposed door edge in front of the window. The 240 and 280 sashes are very similiar, but are not the same, and are difficult to bolt up to each others doors. 280 sashes are easy to spot as they have the groove in the top to hold a piece of weatherstrip. The groove thing I believe didn't start with the first 280's. I've tried to use a 280 sash on my 240 doors to take avantage of that weatherstrip as another wind seal, but no luck getting it to fit. So close... The 77-78 sashes are totally different again.

2) No spacers.

3) It had a break. It was under the tin black vinyl covered rub strip at the bottom of the door. The Kia WS have a natural bend at one spot that I position at the 90deg corner of our doors, then let the break fall where it may. Somewhere near the pin switch I think. Never had a problem with water encroachment.

Ain't doors fun?

Edited July 25, 2012 by zKars

[Captain Obvious]

Thanks very much for the help Jim. Yeah, doors are just so much fun... Nothing like cramped working spaces with razor sharp sheet metal burrs on all sides and complicated adjustment procedures that are difficult to do alone! As with most all of my projects, this one started with working on one thing and has since spiraled wildly.

First, you pointed out a huge piece of required info that I did not specify :stupid: The car in question is a 77 (with the weatherstrip along the top of the sash).

With the model year in mind, let me tell you a little more info about why I asked about spacers between the sash and the door metal...

It appears that all of the bolt holes for the sash mounting are oversized to allow for adjustment of the sash. No problem there. Problem is that when I fully tighten the rear bolt at the upper rear corner of the sash (the one hidden by the door panel when done), the sash is drawn in too far towards the center line of the vehicle and doesn't align neatly with the strip on the rear quarter window. The sash actually passes beyond the strip on the rear quarter window.

I don't know if the sash is bent, the quarter window is out too far, or if there is supposed to be a spacer between the sash and the door in that spot. Sounds like spacers aren't the answer... Is it possible that my previous owner somehow managed to install the rear quarter windows further out than they used to be? I know he had them out to paint the car, and I suspect he used new aftermarket rubber when he put them back in.

[Captain Obvious]

And BTW... Your descriptions of the original harware and it's locations was excellent.

[zKars]

Aha! Details do matter indeed. Should add your car details to your sgnature.

I have a couple of 77 doors by chance at the moment, I can check for spacers at the mounting points, but I don't remember any. new 1/4 window rubber is a real pain. See if the four 3mm bolts that attach it to the body window frame are extra long indicating the window is not sucked into its correct resting spot. There should one be about 1/8" max (or less) between the tab the bolt threads into on the window and the body tab the bolt passes through. If its tight, then its in the right spot and the frame is out of whack.

Door games and the hardware are all fresh in my memory from several door related assembly and adjustment chores I've had to do this year. I no longer fear removing and replacing the glass for example. I'll do it on a whim to get better access to swap door handles just for the fun of it now! Those 77-78 doors are SO much better than the early ones, though there are more adjustments....

[Captain Obvious]

Thanks for the offer to take a good look at the 77 doors for me. Let me tell you what I have right now:

a) All the hardware in the door jamb (both fore and aft) is hex headed bolts with a Phillips cross in the center. Captive lock and flat washers. You can use a 10mm wrench or socket, or a Phillips screwdriver.

The two fasteners behind the door panel are dome topped Phillips screws (I guess I would call them truss heads) with a large head. They must be turned with a screwdriver only as there are no flats on them to use a wrench or socket. I have no idea if they are stock in that location or not.

c) No spacers between the sash and the door

I was a lot more afraid of the doors before I started working them too. I don't know what earlier years are like, but my 77 isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.

Thanks again, and I'll check into the quarter window mounting.