I've spent most of the morning trying to get the old trunk seal out of the 62 Valiant. Please don't tell me there's an easy way to do it. I'm working with a wooden scraper, brass brush, lacquer thinner, small screw driver, putty knife wrapped in tape, sand paper, and a lot of less than perfect language. Half the seal fell off and the other half acted like it had just been reglued.
I'm happy to say so far it looks like this is the only gasket I'm going to have to replace.
Would it be easier putting the new gasket in in two pieces or one? It looks like a big stretch to make glue and rubber come together and look neat.
Thanks.
Joe

Saw string? Usually works on real stuck stuff. I sawed off a flat GPS unit that needed replacing on the top of my truck with a simple saw cable from the hardware store.

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Richard

in that case piano wire will work its very sharp and you can even remove a windshield with it

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87 d150 2bbl carb 225
79 f250 300 v8
97 cavalier z24
83 f150 straight 6
89 f450 diseal 4x4 dually 5sp

OK, now you guys have me totally confused, it usually doesn't take much nowadays. The trunk gasket is in a metal depression around the outside edge of the trunk cavity. I'm not sure how a wire would work. Wouldn't it be like trying to push a string?? You might have to draw me a picture.
Thanks.
Joe

I used Goof Off*, or Oops with a lot of mechanical scraping, rubbing, and a few rags. You are on the right track. It is a thankless time consuming job, will make your fingers crack, and the fumes, yes the fumes... Probably a little ruff on the old liver, but your trunk will be dry.

If you get all the old dried up mess off, the new gasket goes on real nice, and stays on.

When are we going to see a photo of your new conveyance?

*Wal Mart has these solvents in their paint department at a real reasonable price.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

ya im sure you could push the wire right in like a string and ream back and forth by grabbing both sides im not experienced with this application though so he might have a better idea

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87 d150 2bbl carb 225
79 f250 300 v8
97 cavalier z24
83 f150 straight 6
89 f450 diseal 4x4 dually 5sp

Razor Blade/x-acto knife & denatured alcohol or naptha

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<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3173/2992308402_5481afb26e_t.jpg">

die grinder and screw-on 3M pads, and be gentle. you do not want to burn through the paint. use a very light touch with their finest grade pads.

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

I guess I'm on the right track. I'm really glad someone didn't come up with a product that took 5 minutes to get rid of all the old rubber and make the metal shine like new.
Thanks.
Joe

youd probably be able to do it in 10 minutes with the die grinder pads.

try 3M Scotch-Grip Plastic Adhesive 1099, Fastenal part # 0602183 to bond the new trunk gasket. it takes about 40 minutes to cure, you can speed curing with a heat gun on low. it is commonly used for bonding door gaskets to reefer van trailers. i have never had much luck with consumer-grade yellow weatherstrip adhesive. if bonding the rubber seam proves troublesome you can use a cyanoacrylate glue like Krazy-Glue. if the gasket has a hollow crush zone you can stabilise the seam further by inserting a short rod of polyurethane foam available from a glass shop. it should fit into the cavity snugly.

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

Thanks for the input. I've only got about a third of the old stuff to remove. I picked up a tube of black 3M glue that should be good enough for what I need. As long as I own the car it's going to see minimal rain. She's not going to make daily driver status. I found some touch up paint in rattle cans at a local Dollar store. It's a Mazda color but most of the cans are really close to what's left of the original color so if I push too hard I can touch it up. I'm really tempted to take the trunk lid off so I can get at it easier but am resisting the tempitation. I've been known to make very simple jobs extremely complicated.
Thanks again.
Joe