Engine Compartment Rubber Seal Install

Monday, 03/05/2012
Engine Compartment Rubber Seal Install - 1963 Ragtop VW Beetle

Yesterday I went to McNab Foreign Car and picked up the engine compartment rear rubber seal for my 63 ragtop bug and installed it myself at home. The old one was all crusted and mostly gone. The rubber seal was just one whole piece and it was pretty easy to install. First I though I would have to slide all of it in through one end of the mounting channel, but ended up just putting it in bottom first into the channel and then with a screw driver I pushed the top in inch by inch all around the length of the seal, which was really easy to do. What I wasn't sure of was how the two flaps of the seal were supposed to go. I decided to put the lower flap under the engine tin and the top flap over the tin, which seemed to me that that's how it's supposed to go. If I'm wrong let me know! :)
I've heard from many people that those rubber seals are very important to keep the engine cool. If missing, all the air that gets heated by the exhaust pipes gets in the engine compartment and heats up the engine pretty bad and can lower the performance. Here are some pictures I took while replacing the rubber seal.
I have to get better at taking these pics... Sometimes I forget to take the before pics and end up not documenting the whole process :S I'll definitely get better at this.

Engine Compartment Rubber Seal Install - 1963 Ragtop VW Beetle
Engine Compartment Rubber Seal Install - 1963 Ragtop VW Beetle
Engine Compartment Rubber Seal Install - 1963 Ragtop VW Beetle
Engine Compartment Rubber Seal Install - 1963 Ragtop VW Beetle
Engine Compartment Rubber Seal Install - 1963 Ragtop VW Beetle
Engine Compartment Rubber Seal Install - 1963 Ragtop VW Beetle
Engine Compartment Rubber Seal Install - 1963 Ragtop VW Beetle
Engine Compartment Rubber Seal Install - 1963 Ragtop VW Beetle
Engine Compartment Rubber Seal Install - 1963 Ragtop VW Beetle
Engine Compartment Rubber Seal Install - 1963 Ragtop VW Beetle
Engine Compartment Rubber Seal Install - 1963 Ragtop VW Beetle
Engine Compartment Rubber Seal Install - 1963 Ragtop VW Beetle
Engine Compartment Rubber Seal Install - 1963 Ragtop VW Beetle
Engine Compartment Rubber Seal Install - 1963 Ragtop VW Beetle
Engine Compartment Rubber Seal Install - 1963 Ragtop VW Beetle
Engine Compartment Rubber Seal Install - 1963 Ragtop VW Beetle
Engine Compartment Rubber Seal Install - 1963 Ragtop VW Beetle

Comments

Submitted by ken on

Hmmmmmmm...need to do this on my type2. Everybody is telling me I need to remove the engine to do this. Wondering if the type 1 and type 2 install is that different, you did something wrong, or "everybody" is misleading me?

Submitted by RedRalf on

I have owned both Type 1, 2 and 3. There is NO doubt that the OLDER type 2 would be EASIER to work on. Those have a back skirt that is held in by 4 bolts. It slides straight out! Sweet ... not so on the others!

Thanks for the pics and such, gives me hope we can do this on our 63 Ragtop without removing the engine.