1963 Comet Custom tail light housing question....
Asked by Marvette Jun 05, 2016 at 12:09 PM about the 1963 Mercury Comet
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
On the backside of the aluminum housing, there is a hard, partially
deteriorated donut-looking gasket or whatever which I guess creates the
seal to the car. It is about 1.25 inches thick. There are four of these as I
have four tail lights. Mounting bolts or screws go through the said
piece..and the electrical wires through the large opening in the middle. Is it
still usable? It is rock hard butand uneven from years of wear and does not
fit snug to the housing and the other side would also not fit snug to the car.
Someone suggested I used a 3 m product referred to a dumb dumb. Any
feedback on whether this is useable ...and how to make it serve its purpose.
11 Answers
Auto_Centric answered 7 years ago
Treat it with mineral oil for a day or two until it becomes pliable. it will soften..or buy the reproduction of it.
Even if the mineral oil softens it up, there are chunks missing. Might that present a problem? And idea what the name of that part is? I have been unable to locate such online. Thanks for your suggestion.
Auto_Centric answered 7 years ago
Just a start, I'm sure you can locate the correct thickness in foam or rubber type compound. http://www.steelerubber.com/restoration-parts A few layers of dynamat would be ideal too. I do lots of restoration.
I saw grommets at the Steele site but not sure they would work as 2 anchoring bolts have to go through the tail light housing seals. It is apparent I am a very green novice at this, but am struggling to get educated. Thanks for all the suggestions.
Is it correct to assume that the tail light housing seals for the Comet should be pliable?
Auto_Centric answered 7 years ago
Yes, its correct those old age hardened seals wont seal! or dampen vibration to the taillights. There are many manufactures that offer almost every seal or rubber component you could ever require. Regards
If you think mineral oil would soften it for the long haul, I might try that, but will still have to, I guess, add something to fill in the areas that have broken off, etc. And, then adhere it to the housing with some sort of adhesive that will hold the seal when pliable. I am sure I am making a mountain out of a mole hill.
Will the Flex seal also make the older seal somewhat pliable?
I guess I still don't understand. It doesn't sound like any remedy applied to the old seals will make them pliable again, meaning they will not be protecting as they were originally designed to do.
Find someone that has a 3-D printer and they will make that right up for you !
I'll be making those gaskets in about 2 weeks. Had another customer that needed them and emailed me this link. Jim Fillmore Detroit Muscle Technologies
