Xj6 series1 door seal replacment

[KPMOTO]

Hi Guy's,
I wonder if anyone can help me, I'm repairing the door bottom skins on all four doors, and in order to do this it would be easier to remove all the rubber door seals.

Now here is my question how easy is it to replace said seals? also from what I've read online so far is that they're a pain to fit and the doors don't shut properly afterward.
I can get the seals for the likes of David Manners etc, how good are the replacements?
If anyone has any advice on this matter it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance!!

[PaulGover]

I suspect the Series I seals are similar to the Series III ones. If so, they have a cross-section like a Rolled Steel Joist - a capital I with flats at each end, but with a tube (the seal) attached to one of the two flats. The other flat fits into the channel on the door; the channel's cross-section is a flattened cylinder with a slot down one side. You fit the flat of the seal into the channel, and the channel's curved sides retain it.

Removing should be easy, unless someone's used glue, or there's corrosion. It should just pull out, but take care if you might need to reuses the seal. Replacement should be easy too: hook one side of the flat into the appropriate side of the channel, then persuade the other side in behind the other curved side of the channel. You can usually do it by applying the appropriate force with your thumbs. For reluctant bits you can use the side of a screwdriver, or better, a "bone" (a tool used by lots of trades to press things about - basically a bit of plastic with a pointed blade shape at one end, but rounded and smoothed all over). The tool won't tear the rubber; something improvised like a screwdriver might.

After fitting, it's important to go round gently easing the seal away from the frame to check it's properly seated and not pinched.

One thing that makes it more fun is that the channel is not (at least on my XJS) continuous; there are gaps where the seal jumps across two separate pressings, or at sharp corners. One of the "extra" manuals for my XJS says to use a big gob of bituminous rubber seal behind the rubber at such points; Jaguar loved this stuff (I suspect it comes from the same toolkit as lead-loading). You can get it now from DIY stores in tubes for use as gutter seal/repair. It's very messy to use, but cleans up with white spirit or Jizer.

The recommended seal lubricant, which is important to get the seal to seat properly, is a 50-50% solution of screenwash in water. The old manuals say "soap solution", but that's no longer recommended because you need it to dry out to stop the seals sliding out of position or popping out of the channel, and soap becomes slippery if it rains, whereas apparently screenwash doesn't.

I've done it several times on my XJS; it's a pain. but it does go back, and seals as well after as it did before.

The manuals usually tell you which corner to fit first, and the order of sides to fit thereafter. AFAIR you start at the sharp corner at the top, then work across the roof line and thence down the hinge side, then the other side, and lastly the bottom.

[KPMOTO]

Hi Paul,
Many thanks for the in-depth detailed fitting of the seals, It will certainly help a great deal.
The seals I've got on my car are how you've described them.
I've also been discussing this issue on the XJ6 owner's Facebook group where some have been saying they've replaced their seals but wished they hadn't, due to the fact they can't see to get the door to shut properly afterwards, even after a couple of years they still haven't bedded in.
What's your experience been after fitting new seals do your doors shut as they should?

Kind regards Karl

[mike020150]

Sadly, a lot of the problems with replacing seals are caused by using reproduction items. Often, they are not made of the same material as the originals or are fractionally different dimensionally. If you can find genuine new old stock seals, that's the best way to go. Mike.

[PaulGover]

...
What's your experience been after fitting new seals do your doors shut as they should?
...

I stuck the old seals back. They're old, and there's quite a lot of wind noise.
You may find this post on the X350 forum interesting.

[KPMOTO]

Sadly, a lot of the problems with replacing seals are caused by using reproduction items. Often, they are not made of the same material as the originals or are fractionally different dimensionally. If you can find genuine new old stock seals, that's the best way to go. Mike.

Thank you, Mike for your reply, I did manage to hut down the original front and rear screen rubbers so hopefully I can do the same with the doors too.

Best regards Karl

[KPMOTO]

...
What's your experience been after fitting new seals do your doors shut as they should?
...

I stuck the old seals back. They're old, and there's quite a lot of wind noise.
You may find this post on the X350 forum interesting.

Many thanks, Paul for all your advice, it's been very helpful!!
Kind regards Karl