Reviving Tailight gaskets

[rodo]

Okay, the problem: my gaskets for the rear taillights are in okay shape, no cracks. I assume they are original. They are not very flexible and seem to have slightly shrunk. And on two corners the outmost "lip" is folder under. I seriously do not want to pay $33 each for new gaskets. Has anyone tried to revive these, recondition, stretch, bend, anything?

Or is it possible that a medium good seal around the rear lens is no big deal?

[DRUMMOND]

Hi rodo

If you want a cheap fix use black silicone on both sides of the rubber seal. As far a I am aware you cannot refresh the rubber that is 30+ years old.
Remember that water that leaks in will go straight down to the rear seam and just rot the metal.

[ORFORD2004]

Heat gun, but be polite

[rodo]

Excellent suggestion, Orford. I'm making serious progress. One was easy to heat and bend, got it to slip on just right. The other needs a bit of, stretching, I guess I'd call it. Getting there. Very light touch with the heat gun and then some pulling and pressing (with gloves).

[dinghyguy]

Hi
I used a bucket of hot water after a couple of shots in the microwave
Seemed to work
Cheers
Dinghyguy

[PhillySpider]

Heat gun, but be polite

I used a hair dryer w/good success! Ours were folding under a bit so I put a flathead behind it, heated and pressed w/my finger...

[rodo]

Whatever works! The heat gun I used could easily have gone too far. I was glad of the warning to "be polite." Didn't take much to soften the plastic and then just bend away. That worked very well on the folded in corners. Stretching was a bit more effort. Kept massaging it, heating along the length of one side. Got it finally to work over the corners of the lens box; held it while it cooled off. At the end of it all, however, it took my installing the lens, the pressure of screwing it down, to hold it into place.

I also went at it with the black silicone. Tricky to not make a mess, some on the inside of the gasket, towards the lens box, some on the outside towards the body of the car. What made this part especially difficult was the effort it took to hold the silicone "gun" steady while all the while roaring with laughter over the idiosyncrasies of Italian design: trying to fit an angled plastic lens box into an angled body panel. Sono Italiani.

[ORFORD2004]

Or you can put it in boiling water for 10-15 minutes.

[wetminkey]

I was able to stretch mine back to original length and wrap them around the lens edges with just a bit of warming in the sun. Took some wrestling, though!
Todd.