Sunroof seal replacement

[Guest]

Has anyone recently (ish) replaced the seal around the removeable sunroof panel ? The original Porsche item on my car was a clipon plastic strip with a fairly thin (5mm or thereabouts) solid, flat, rubber seal running along its side. Are they still made like this?

The reason I ask is that I've recently bought from a well-known unofficial Porsche supplier a replacement seal. The seller swears it's either an original Porsche or Porsche supplier item and is a direct replacement. However, whilst it does have the correct part number printed on the packet that could just as easily mean that is the part number that it is intended to replace. Instead of the flat sealing rubber it has a hollow tube affair and the plastic clip on strip is slightly thicker than the original item. It looks like a slimmed down version of a door seal.

Anyway, it's not a very good fit. The front of the panel seats in line with roof ok but the rear and sides are slightly proud - easily noticeable from the side as not being flush. The seal itself is good - it rained hard yesterday with no leaks apparent. Even so it annoys me every time I see it and no amount of jiggery pokery can get it to sit like it did before I removed and replaced the original 20 year old seal.

Anyone else had this problem and can it be fixed?

 

[mik_ok]

I replaced the outer sunroof seal last year (the big one that stays on the panel, as opposed to the inner seal that lives in the body aperture).

Mine was from Berlyn and looked pretty much identical. Try as I might however I could not get it to fit (was too long), and finally cut approx 6mm off with a hacksaw. My roof still sits very slightly proud.

 

[944psi]

ORIGINAL: Dark Skies
a well-known unofficial Porsche supplier a replacement seal. The seller swears it's either an original Porsche or Porsche supplier item

Is this a SHOP that just sells Porsche? If so I had the same seal and asked the same question of the seller. My impression was it was not a porsche part but simply a length of equivalent seal off a roll. I also bought an original item from a German supplier, this time in a proper marked bag with a porsche parts sticker, and this seemed to be much better quality. In fact the one I bought and fitted from the Porsche shop is already rusting through a piece of scraped rubber.

Hmmm.

 

[Guest]

Yes, although not the shop you might be thinking of - who sell the same seal but make no claims as to it being genuine.

Here's the seal I was given (left) to replace the original 20 year old seal (right).

 

[TTM]

As odd as it could appear, even 944 parts happen to be updated by the factory. The latest example I saw was the plastic brackets that hold fuel lines on the shell's underface.

When considering "soft" parts in general (such as seals), cutting can understandingly be required for best adjustment.
I bought a new alternator air duct for my S2, which is supposed to be 600 mm long (air con version), but it came 565 mm long. I haven't felt enough of an anorak to go back and complain for such a insignificant part []

 

[Guest]

It is unlikely that the seal for my car has been updated. I've checked with PET and the part number remains the same. I double-checked that with Porsche this morning - as well as the cost of replacement - a whopping £135 + VAT.

I've no problem with buying pattern parts - indeed I happily use both them and second hand items on a regular basis - buying new Porsche parts only when there is no other viable alternative. However, I do expect them to do their job properly. I do not mind cutting off a little excess material to get things to fit, which I did. What I do mind is when a company purports to be selling genuine (via oe supplier) parts that subsequently prove to be pattern and therefore only adequately do their job instead of perfectly. Especially so when I specifically pointed out to the salesman that I had had problems with a pattern seal before and was interested in the Porsche oe part that they were selling via their website. I described the profile of the seal in great detail and was promised I was getting the genuine article - only cheaper.

Here's how my sunroof sits now, it sticks up just enough to cause an annoying whistle at speed.