Astroroof Seal Replacement

[krazy86t]

I need to replace the astroroof seal on my 86 ttype because it leaks. i have two questions.

1) The headliner is removed from my car. can i replace the seal by dropping the whole astroroof assembly on the inside of the car? Interior is completely gutted except for dash/steering wheel, so there is a lot of room inside the car. Seems like i could drop the whole astroroof assembly with the 6 bolts that hold it to the roof, disconnect the drain hoses/electrical connections and replace the seal without removing the glass from the astroroof assembly.

AstroRoof Service

this site shows how to do this replacement by painfully removing the glass through the roof top assuming that the headliner stays in the car but is lowered. is the seal replacement easier when there is no headliner and you can lower the whole astroroof assembly?

2) Any sources for replacement seals? gbodyparts has what must be OEM GM replacement seal for $155. pretty steep for specialized piece of rubber. I admit that a reasonable price is merely defined by price that buyer/seller agree to. maybe there is a non-GM OEM seal option?

 

[BILL HAINES]

Astro roof seal

I'm not aware of any aftermarket seal. Gm still has w-strip available the last time i checked. G-body is usually in line with what the gm price is.. You already have headliner out,go ahead and remove the assy(nice to have some help as it is heavy and akward to handle) clean out the "gutter"area,make sure the drain holes are open... Check for minor rust at the drain hole area,put some zinc type primer on any rust.. Lube the tracks.. Take an air hose and blow out the drain hoses,make sure they are open. You will have to "dig" the glue from around the glass.. Purchase some 3m super weatherstrip adhesive to install around the inner base of the glass where the w-strip sits..the factory w-strip is very tight around the glass, i would put the w-strip in the sun prior to installing it on the glass..i put mine around glass(less glue) let it sit in the sun and overnight before i glued it in.. When you are ready to reinstall the entire assy,get new small hose clamps for the drain hoses,might not hurt to put some adhesive around the drain(not in the hole) to prevent leaks..you may need to adjust glass to roof opening... Good luck...

 

[krazy86t]

...when you are ready to reinstall the entire assy,get new small hose clamps for the drain hoses,might not hurt to put some adhesive around the drain(not in the hole) to prevent leaks...

Thank you, very useful information! What is the secret to removing the front drain hoses? They don't budge with gentle tugging from either end. i'm afraid to pull too hard in case it might break in the middle. I want to replace one of these due to cracks and hole near astroroof assembly drain. did not remove the window pilar trim - is the secret to removing the hose behind that trim piece? looks like the hose goes behind the trim into structural support.

 

[BILL HAINES]

Front hoses

The front hoses are a pia.. Take a hook pick and push it in between hose and outlet,work it,it should come off.. Replacing the entire hose is difficult. On the veh i purchased my roof asy from,i tried to pull the hoses out of the pillar,they would not come out.. Factory may glue them or the factory foam may hold them tight..i think i would not change the frt hoses unless it is completly necessary. Maby if it is cracked at the end,possibly put a small section in it.. The rear hoses are easier to replace,problem is, that they empty into the inner quarter panel. I did not like the way factory routed the hose into the inner quarter..(water = rust) i purchased clear plastic hoses from lowes. I removed the rear trim,seatbelt and inner quarter cover panel,that allowed me access to the inner qtr and inner rocker. I drilled a hole in the top,rear of inner rocker and inner rocker(in front of rear wheels. Then i purchased rubber gromets to install in the holes(after metal etch priming the holes) i run the drain hose completly out of the car . Now, no water will drain into the inner quarters.please note i did not drill the inner w-house but the inner rocker..good luck..

 

[stagemonster]

The front hoses are a pia.. Take a hook pick and push it in between hose and outlet,work it,it should come off.. Replacing the entire hose is difficult. On the veh i purchased my roof asy from,i tried to pull the hoses out of the pillar,they would not come out.. Factory may glue them or the factory foam may hold them tight..i think i would not change the frt hoses unless it is completly necessary. Maby if it is cracked at the end,possibly put a small section in it.. The rear hoses are easier to replace,problem is, that they empty into the inner quarter panel. I did not like the way factory routed the hose into the inner quarter..(water = rust) i purchased clear plastic hoses from lowes. I removed the rear trim,seatbelt and inner quarter cover panel,that allowed me access to the inner qtr and inner rocker. I drilled a hole in the top,rear of inner rocker and inner rocker(in front of rear wheels. Then i purchased rubber gromets to install in the holes(after metal etch priming the holes) i run the drain hose completly out of the car . Now, no water will drain into the inner quarters.please note i did not drill the inner w-house but the inner rocker..good luck..

Bill you realy perfected what GM didnt. Your car is beautiful.

 

[turbo39151]

You do not need to remove the entire assembly to replace the seal! Just remove the glass - Yes it's a PITA but it can be done.

When I did mine, I removed the old seal, cleaned and painted everything and re-installed a brans new GM OEM seal I bought from Kirban. If I recall it was something like $80 a few years ago...

Good Luck.

 

[krazy86t]

astroroof assembly is out - 10 bolts, 4 hose clamps and 1 elecctrical connection - very easy to do, although i did not have to worry about ABS headliner.

Lots of cleaning, lube, and POR15 to do now. removing the old seal and glue is slow going with razor blades, putty knife, etc.

what cleaner and lube is recommended for the tracks? I'll probably use 409 or simple green to clean followed with some lithium grease lube.

 

[krazy86t]

Everything is back together on the astroroof assembly after addressing rust and paint issues. Astroroof is still out of the car. I lubed the tracks and the astroroof moves ok, but it struggles and binds-up on the last lift motion that would seal the window in the roof opening of the car. I have to push up slightly on the glass to get the mechanism to finish the lift motion. Seems like the hang-up is on the driver's side rear pillar that is supposed to rotate vertically in the lift/sealing motion. The spring preload on that pillar seems a little weak.

Any ideas on how to fix this issue? Thx.

 

[Just a Six??]

Did it ever get fixed properly??

 

[krazy86t]

Did it ever get fixed properly??

re-aligning the window for proper seal was PIA - front right corner still not sealing well. other than that, everthing works well. haven't tried to use it lately with cold weather.