Replacing Font Vent Window Gasket

If you're facing leaky or damaged rubber gasket issues in your front vent window, fear not! Replacing it is easier than you think with the right tools and steps. In this article, we’ll guide you through a step-by-step process to remove the vent window frame, replace the gasket, and reinstall everything perfectly. From creating a simple DIY pulling tool to compress the gasket to ensuring your vent window operates smoothly once the new seal is in place, we've got you covered. Follow these instructions, and you’ll have that vent window working like new in no time!

1. Remove the vent window frame door. This entails removing the door card and a couple of 10mm bolts at the top of the door below the vent window, removing one inside door cavity at the leading edge of the door and removing another inside the cavity that connects the adjuster to a control rod coupled to the vent window. Also, remove the screw at the bottom of the door cavity that couples the vent frame trailing edge to the mounting plate at the door bottom. Do not loosen the two bolts of the mounting plate; it needs to stay in the door cavity. The vent window frame can now be lifted straight up and out of the door cavity.

2. With the frame on a soft work surface, remove the vent window from the frame housing the gasket. Rather than prying the frame against the window to free the pivot pin at the top, pulling the control rod down toward the bottom frame rail is safer, thereby compressing the gasket enough to get the pivot pin out of its frame journal. A DIY pulling tool can make quick work of this and ensure the force you apply doesn't warp the frame, which is mostly light gauge aluminum. This tool is also needed to reinstall the window pivot pin after replacing the gasket, so you might as well use it twice.

The pulling tool can likely be made from junk you have lying around. I used a threaded hook, a length of plastic pipe (e.g., 1-1.5" heavy gauge irrigation line) with an ID large enough to pass the hook end, and one or more washers, at least one of which has an OD larger than the ID of the pipe.

Assembling the tool comprises affixing the hook end into the 10mm bolt hole of the control rod, placing the pipe around both the shaft and the hook end so that one end abuts the bottom window frame, and affixing the washer to the opposite end of the pipe with your favorite nut. 

Driving the nut will pull the control rod against the bottom frame, easily compressing the gasket enough to disengage the pivot pin.

3. Replace the frame gasket. This is straightforward, with some patience and some plastic pry tools from HF. The new gasket is easier to work if it's warm. Confirm you have the correct side gasket before working it into the frame.

4. Mount the window by reversing the window removal process, again using the pulling tool to pull the loose window against the bottom frame. The new gasket will likely require more drive torque, but it will compress enough for you to reseat the pivot pin.

5. Install the vent window frame by reversing the removal process. Confirm the operation of the vent window before reinstalling the door card. If the window doesn't close, a frame may be warped to the extent that the new gasket is a hindrance. This won't get better through use and instead will require careful application of force to rack the frame triangle to clearance points where the window is getting stuck against the gasket. Once the window closes reasonably, please look at the tech article on adjusting window tracks so you can enjoy your new seals.