Door Seal

How to keep the Cessna 170 flying and airworthy.

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GAHorn
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Re: Door Seal

Post by GAHorn »

In my opinion the best adhesive to use for any interior/uphostery work is 3-M 1300-L. Available from Spruce. http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/c ... chgrip.php
This stuff is thinnable with MEK (available in qts from any Home Depot or paint store.) Cleans up with MEK also.

Image

Use the genuine article! Available from Spruce 877-477-7823
PN 05-03623 $59.95

Image
'53 B-model N146YS SN:25713
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons. ;)
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mongo2
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Re: Door Seal

Post by mongo2 »

Has anyone used the seals available from aircraftdoorseals.com ? They are now made to attach to the door rather than the frame. They are a bit
pricey but they are made out of a very nice material. I am rebuilding and re-skinning my doors and will need to decide soon as to what type of seal I will use.

Rick
Rick Champagne
C-170A N5475C
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GAHorn
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Re: Door Seal

Post by GAHorn »

The original seals ALL fit the door....not the frame.
'53 B-model N146YS SN:25713
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons. ;)
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mongo2
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Re: Door Seal

Post by mongo2 »

My wording may have been confusing. I know that the original seals were on the door , as I removed them myself. The mfg of the seal
I was asking about used to only offer their seal as being attached to the frame, but due to many requests at Sun-n-Fun, they developed
one of the same material that now mounts to the door, just like the original. They say it has great compressability, and memory, and out performs most everything out there. The price factor may be the issue, as Brown's is a bit more affordable. Just wondering if anyone has used this company.

Rick
Rick Champagne
C-170A N5475C
tweiss
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Re: Door Seal

Post by tweiss »

Use the genuine article! Available from Spruce 877-477-7823
PN 05-03623 $59.95

I'm in the process of installing the above baggage door seal, and is it ever thick compaired to the original. As I place a few practice strips in place with 2 sided sticky tape, it places the door under lots of stress. Adjusting the latch out doesn't relieve enough pressure, but the door doesn't fit flush with the latch all the way out either.
Anyone have any experience with this, and is there a good way to thin/shave it down in the tightest spots?

Thanks

Tom
sea1dww
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Re: Door Seal

Post by sea1dww »

Hello All

I called Browns today and I asked about the t-9088 seal. They looked in their archives for the most popular seal for my '54 B and came up with a BA_37900 seal. They claim that it is the same seal with the flat lip cut off. Here is the link: http://www.brownaircraft.peachhost.com/ ... -37900.htm

I'm wondering what the difference would be between the two? The price for their recommended seal is slightly less than half the price of the T-9088 seal. I spoke with Joe and he was a very forthright kind of guy and very pleasant to talk with. The only difference I can see is the amount of contact surface for the glue to adhere to.

I'd appreciate your feedback.

Dave
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GAHorn
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Re: Door Seal

Post by GAHorn »

sea1dww wrote:... They claim that it is the same seal with the flat lip cut off....
I'm wondering what the difference would be between the two? ...Dave
I think they told you the difference. And I think the difference will be evident when you install it and find that the cheaper one will try to "roll" on you when you install it. Your choice.
'53 B-model N146YS SN:25713
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons. ;)
sea1dww
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Re: Door Seal

Post by sea1dww »

Thanks George

I didn't consider the laborious task of installing it without a little extra leverage.

Dave
hilltop170
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Re: Door Seal

Post by hilltop170 »

gahorn wrote:
sea1dww wrote:... They claim that it is the same seal with the flat lip cut off....
I'm wondering what the difference would be between the two? ...Dave
I think they told you the difference. And I think the difference will be evident when you install it and find that the cheaper one will try to "roll" on you when you install it. Your choice.
George and Dave-
Del at Mountain Airframe and I had that same conversation a week or so ago. He had both styles on hand and the only difference is the length of the lip. The elastomer has the same softness/stiffness and the bulb is the same diameter and wall thickness.

I recalled George's recommendation to use the one with the longer lip but no recollection of him mentioning the shorter lip style. I guess if the glue is strong enough it will hold the short lip style ok, but I'm kinda leaning toward the longer lip for insurance over time. The short lip might hold good to start with and peel off later.
Richard Pulley
2014-2016 TIC170A Past President
1951 170A, N1715D, s/n 20158, O-300D
Owned from 1973 to 1984.
Bought again in 2006 after 22 years.
It's not for sale!
DavidBlom
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Re: Door Seal

Post by DavidBlom »

gahorn wrote:
thammer wrote:
gahorn wrote:The best door seal / weatherstrip I've found to replace the original is:
Brown Aircraft T-9088 . (Some mfr's call it "Piper" door seal, but don't let that fool you. It's what
Cessna used.)
My 140 still has the original door seal retainer and I don't think this shape will work with it. The retainer is basically a folded over length of aluminum riveted to the door with fold heel to the edge of the door.

tye
I was not suggesting it for a 140/120. (This being a 170-site, and me being a smartazz, I was suggesting it for a 170.) :wink: (The doors have different depth at the seal-channels. Also, be aware that later 170's do not utilize the retainer.)

The second link offered should have an appropriate seal for a 140/120.
Hello All,

I'm replacing the door seals on my 170A and the doors do have the aluminum retaining strips with the little teeth along the edge. I've bought the "Piper" door seal material described elsewhere in this thread.
Retaining strip, bent partially open
Retaining strip, bent partially open
End view of door seal
End view of door seal
I'm thinking that rather than installing the strip as George suggested elsewhere in this thread I will pinch the tail part of the seal in the retaining strip. Will glue the back surface of the tail to the flange part of the door leave the bulb part of the seal un-glued so it can deform freely when the door is closed.

Has anyone else installed the Piper style seals on an older style door with the retaining strips?

Dave Blom
1950 C170A
C-FNIE
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nippaero
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Re: Door Seal

Post by nippaero »

I followed George's advise this past week and my door seals turned out great. :D The 1300L is much easier to work with if you thin it with MEK. I also used the same process to install some chafe tape around my cowl. The only thing you have to watch out for with MEK is be careful not to get too much on your painted surfaces since my door jams are painted.
Attachments
2017-06-10-09_35_46-e1497109185458.jpg
2017-06-10-09_35_35-e1497109162853.jpg
1952 170B
N8180A s/n 25032
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DaveF
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Re: Door Seal

Post by DaveF »

Looks great! How many feet of seal did each door take? Did you use the T-9088?
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nippaero
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Re: Door Seal

Post by nippaero »

Order 25 feet for both doors. I ordered mine through Aircraft Spruce. They have it packaged in 25ft sections for ~$60.
1952 170B
N8180A s/n 25032
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n2582d
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Re: Door Seal

Post by n2582d »

Here's a picture of what Bill Rhodes offers to the 120-140 group:
Rhoades_01.jpg
As has been mentioned earlier in this thread, in addition to their regular seal which attaches to the door, Aircraft Door Seals offers a seal that attaches to the fuselage as seen here.
Cessna-Front-Entry-Door-Seal-Fuselage.jpg
It looks like something that would be damaged quickly. In fact they warn "This seal is recommended for operators who have low utilization carrying few passengers." A similar seal, but one that attached on the inside rather than the outside of the airframe, was offered by Cessna on other models. In the C-195 IPC fig. 37-17 they call p/n 0311172-6 "windlease assy." It's mounted between the door frame upholstery and the door frame as shown here:
Click to Enlarge
Click to Enlarge
Windlease.jpg (22.67 KiB) Viewed 38914 times
By 1953 Cessna used a term we are more familiar with to identify this seal; windlace. Here's a clip from Service Newsletter 9-30-53:
Click to Enlarge
Click to Enlarge
My guess is that this windlace would wear quickly, like the airframe door seal shown above, but it is available in black 1/2" dia. at Aircraft Spruce or at Brown Aircraft Supply in a variety of sizes and colors. Probably much cheaper having it custom made to your specs at your local auto upholstery shop.
Gary
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GAHorn
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Re: Door Seal

Post by GAHorn »

Windlace is not a rubber weatherseal/gasket such as normally applied to the door. Windlace is an upholstery term which applies to a product usually made of foam-rubber-core covered by fabric, leather, or vinyl. It is inserted between the wall-covering and the frame at the edge of the interior installation. When the door is closed, it makes a final "seal" against noise and wind....but is not designed to withstand water. (Don't follow the installation of this automotive video in your airplane, but this video will clarify what windlace is.) https://www.classiccarrestorationclub.c ... on-010905/

The doors of our Cessnas are fragile and attetion should be paid to how much/how solid is the material placed inside the door jambs. If you install stiff, excessively-sized weatherseals in the doors you will find, as Bruce pointed out, that the "crush" of the seal will over-stress your doors and hazard your door-hinges (which are made of unobtanium).

The product shown at the 120/140 illustration is what Cessna originally used...a "V"-shaped seal which actually benefitted from relative-wind.... the wind would press the thin-V against the framework to make the seal. I have that on my bag door and it works well there, but used a P-seal on my cabin doors as previously mentioned, because these doors are somewhat flexible and conformity to the door-frame is not weather-tight unless an "adaptive" seal is used.

Hope this helps.
'53 B-model N146YS SN:25713
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons. ;)
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