Back doors stuck shut

[cedarsanctum]

Twice now i have had the back doors on my van stick closed, both times after washing it on a hot day. The seals get soft and stick the doors together like glue. It is damaging the seals, tearing out small chunks that get bigger every time it does this. What is the best, longest lasting solution to this problem?
I would assume this could be a problem on both series of van, has anyone else suffered this? I have had it happen on other vehicles, but not quite so severely.

Jef

[Aqua Puttana]

That'll teach you to wash that van too much. Just kidding.

I used Dow Corning silicone grease on my side door because it was freezing closed sometimes in winter. (Why did I feel the need to add winter... like it would happen in summer.) It worked so well I've since applied it to my other doors.

Anyway, the stuff I had was from old stock we used to grease high voltage insulators back in the day. It is also used in laboratories for lubing seals, stoppers, etc. If you can't find silicone grease you might try some spray on a rag and applying it to the rubber. I hate to spray silicone all over because it is nasty stuff to get rid of if you ever need paint work done. Good luck. vic

Originally Posted by cedarsanctum

Twice now i have had the back doors on my van stick closed, both times after washing it on a hot day. The seals get soft and stick the doors together like glue. It is damaging the seals, tearing out small chunks that get bigger every time it does this. What is the best, longest lasting solution to this problem?
I would assume this could be a problem on both series of van, has anyone else suffered this? I have had it happen on other vehicles, but not quite so severely.

Jef

[cedarsanctum]

I've tried the spray silicones on the Honda and the Sprinter. It needs to be re-applied weekly to work. I'm not that convinced the grease would be much better on that count, but that was my thought for the next thing to try.

And that was it's yearly bath i was giving it. It needed it.

[Aqua Puttana]

Originally Posted by cedarsanctum

I've tried the spray silicones on the Honda and the Sprinter.
...

Maybe try applying a PTFE polish like Starbrite Marine Polish with PTFE on the gasket mating surface lip? It's a very good polish and is available from most marine stores.

http://properboatcare.com/prmapowite.html

Another off the top of my head untested possibility. There is a tape which is used to fasten the thin plastic pipe insulation covers in place. I believe Tedlar was one of the pioneer brands. It is very stable, sticks to shiny surfaces forever, comes in white color (Oops, noticed your avatar. It may come in gray also. With the doors closed it shouldn't show.), and doesn't degrade in the weather.

http://www.venturetape.com/product.p...&cat=42&page=1

I'm quite certain it's available from McMaster-Carr.

It would be a bit of a tedious project to apply, but maybe installing some Tedlar tape on the gasket mating surface lip would permanently cure your problem. As I said, it would be an experiment. I'm 99.9% certain the rubber would not stick to the "unsticky" Tedlar tape side. Good luck. vic

[ebsprintin]

Does it stick at other times of the year? If it's only at washing time, maybe let it dry better before closing up. Only a guess.

eb

[jdcaples]

You might try Krytox.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...tox-Lubricant&

The first few postings are contained in the attached PDF.

-Jon

[georgetg]

303 Aerospace Protectant

It wont break down EPMD seals over time the way petroleum or silicone based "protectants" will.
Fantastic fan includes samples with the fan and recommend treating the lip seal with 303...

Cheers
George

[cedarsanctum]

Originally Posted by ebsprintin

Does it stick at other times of the year? If it's only at washing time, maybe let it dry better before closing up. Only a guess.

eb

It has stuck a little over the year, but mostly when it's hot outside, and not very bad. A good tug pulls it loose. The first time it happened, i had to get a pry bar and work it around the door to get it to break loose.
It gets washed, sits in the sun to dry, and then the doors are stuck. Maybe leaving the doors open after washing, but i've never had to do that before, so it's a new habit to learn.

Thanks Vic, I like the idea of the slick tape. That deserves some research. Too bad about the color, though. Clear would be nice. Maybe it will help with our Honda Odyssey side doors. If they sit more than a week, the electric motors can't break the seal to open them. Gotta love those power doors.
Jef