PA-12 door seal

[PIPER J5.5]

It's starting to get chilly out so I put my door on. Problem is there is a gap all the way around and air blasts my right thigh in flight.

Looked in Univair catalog with no luck. I'm guessing there is a rubber strip that's held in by metal strapping?

I thought someone was selling stainless Channel or trim on here at one time?

Thanks in advance.

pics would help too.

 

[PIPER J5.5]

Upper

 

[Gordon Misch]

McMaster Carr sells a variety of bulb-shaped silicone seal extrusions that are stick-on. I used that material on my -12 and it's working very well.

 

[aktango58]

Go to the hardware store and get some of the foam door seal, (for screen doors I think) that has glue on one side.

Yes, it is cheap, and will need replaced now and then, but will work.

 

[moneyburner]

I just spent hours and hours and hours doing this with limited success using various combinations of sealing products. My door started life on a different PA-12 (the serial number was written on it inside and the logbook shows some frame repairs from an upset in the late 50's) and it doesn't fit properly because of dodgy manufacturing tolerances common in 1946.
I ended up with some P-shaped soft rubber seal I got from Spruce, but it took three different kinds and sizes, some aluminum strips and I still have some gaps big enough so that the cat falls out now and then. (Good thing; I hate cats.)

My main technique was to carefully vary the amount exposed bulb so as to fill the gap without causing the door to be hard to close. I started with gaps ranging from zero to 1/2". This makes for some pretty ugly eposed seals, but it does work. The other thing I did was to drill and ream the door hinges and install bushings. That helped a bunch; the door was so sloppy before I couldn't get consistency.

Addendum: Some went on the door, but some (top, aft window area, forward edge) went on the frame. The V shaped seals are good where there is very little clearance - the top of the door, in my case.

 

[coxcub]

Try looking at companies that supply the classic car restoration market - usually many different types of extruded sealing strips there - at least in UK.

Frank

 

[stewartb]

The teardrop shape works well when you have an overlap stop surface but this triple fin shape will seal gaps better where there is no perpendicular surface to stop against. Probably better applied to the door so you don't drag body parts across it while entering/exiting.

http://mdisupply.com/pes7ahacga.html

 

[WhiskeyMike]

Carry wide masking tape or duct tape. Apply from inside prior to flight.

 

[Gordon Misch]

The teardrop shape works well when you have an overlap stop surface but this triple fin shape will seal gaps better where there is no perpendicular surface to stop against. Probably better applied to the door so you don't drag body parts across it while entering/exiting.

http://mdisupply.com/pes7ahacga.html

Good looking stuff, that would be more tolerant of fit-up variances than the p-shaped material. Thanks.