Replacing the hood badge

[Ken911]

OK so I followed the instructions in the 101 projects book and promptly scratched the crap out of my hood, I had it masked off and every thing but the pick went right through the tape. also had to reuse the old gasket as the new one tore while I was trying to stretch it around the badge. The car is back from paint (AGAIN). I would now like to do this without scratching anything and or tearing the gasket. The old gasket looks pretty bad so I want to use a new one, which doesn't seem to fit any better that the other new one did. any help?

[RLS73S]

Ken,
Your old gasket has shrunk and hardned from age and the sun. But your new gasket is also a tight fit. Put it in warm/hot water for a few minutes to soften it up...then place it under the hood badge as your are installing it. As you tighten the nuts from the back (underside of the hood) gently stretch the new gasket to fit arount the hood badge. As you get it to fit finish tighting the nuts. Don't get them too tight....just tighten them gently enough to do the job.

This isn't a perfect science...good judgement a patience works. Good luck.

Rich

[MaquinaVerde]

I got three gaskets for the early hood crest from three sources and they were all the same, far too small. I was able to stretch mine into place using a lot of contact cement type rubber glue. First I did the top 1/4 of the badge and let it dry with some clamping pressure. After that was dry i hit the seal with a hair dryer until it softened up some more and glued a little more. The last time I was able to stretch the seal completely into position. Once dry it looks great and takes the screwup factor out of installation, you just put the badge/gasket assembly on as a unit and tighten the speed nuts. I know that this is probably cheating and should I feel guilty but I don't really mind gluing up a reproduction early hood crest.

[Zeke]

Both methods should work. Being bull headed and stupid, I have dicked with the thing using dental picks and such to pull on the rubber as I tightened the nuts. Obvioulsy, the above posters are a little more creative.

[TroyGT]

Maybe I got lucky, but I didn't have any problems like this. I put the seal under the emblem and began tightening things down. It seemed that as i tightened the nuts on the back, equally snugging them all down, that the pressure from the emblem squashed the seal outwards so that it basically fit on it's own.

-Troy

[Mookster]

I body guy told me to use a hair dryer on the rubber gasket and heat it up and pre-fit prior to insalling the new badge. Install the assembly while it is still "warm".

I did this and no problem. No use of picks and no tears. The gasket is uniform fitting on the badge.

PS Always use new fasteners.

[Ken911]

thanks I tried the hair dryer thing didnt help much i'll try the glue and heat method was thinking of trying that anyways thanks!!

[pwd72s]

I'd vote for the heat alone trick. After all, the factory didn't use glue...Hair dryer may not be getting it hot enough for you. Place a cup of water in the microwave, bring it to a boil...try soaking in that for a minute or two.

[LeeH]

I tried hot water with no luck. Hairdryer did the trick. I put the gasket on a plate, the dryer on high, and held it there until it was nearly too hot to touch.

[Ken911]

well its done I tried heating with no luck so I used glue it worked ok got a litlle on the gasket outside but at least I didnt scratch the paint on the hood again.

[Davie Boy]

I know this is an old thread, but I thought I'd post anyway.

I tried both the hot water thing and hair dryer thing. Neither worked for me. Both the new rubber gasket and the old one was just too small to stretch evenly around the badge. Instead, I ended up cutting slits into the gasket's webbing (perpendicular to the edges.) It gave the gasket more play and made it much easier to stretch around the badge. Of course, it was still good for one scratch to the hood.

[Mitch Leland]

I've completed body off restorations, I completed aircraft restorations and most things in between, but I've been through 3 gaskets and have tried all of the above without success. The gasket is too small for the badge, period (.) I wish someone would make a proper fitting gasket for the badge.

Or maybe here's a business opportunity for someone to sell a badge with the neoprene/rubber gasket already fitted to the badge as a package. It would be cheaper than scratching the paint on our hood.

[Mitch Leland]

P.S.

Just a thought, I'm wondering where each of us bought our gaskets from... I've bought all of mine from our host. Where did the members who were successful installing the gaskets purchase their gaskets from?

I'm wondering if there are more than one manufacture of gaskets and that might account why some of us are successful and others are not. I appreciate there might be some pilot error involved here, but mine weren't even close. Here's a pix of mine when I finally gave up, I just cut up the middle, note the gap at the gasket at the bottom of the badge. All the glue and tooth picks in the world aren't going to take up that gap.

[dshepp806]

Mine worked OK,..had to make use of various picks (with heat).....it was a pain. That pic from Mitch is absolutely maddening.

Best,

Doyle

[Davie Boy]

Originally Posted by Mitch Leland

Just a thought, I'm wondering where each of us bought our gaskets from... I've bought all of mine from our host. Where did the members who were successful installing the gaskets purchase their gaskets from?

Good idea, Mitch. I bought mine as a kit (badge, gasket, and speed nuts) from Parts Heaven - Hayward, CA.

I should also point out... while I was ultimately able to fit the gasket all the way around the badge, the end result wasn't perfect. I don't have a gap in the rubber or anything like Mitch but, as a result of my stretching and prodding, I did put several dimples, creases, and scratches in the rubber. Whatever.

[snbush67]

I got mine from our host. The rubber gasket that was on my car when I bought it was all gooberd up.

- I cut a small 1/8" inch thick backing of wood slightly larger than the outer edge of the badge, and drilled two holes for the mounting studs.
- I then used warm water to heat the rubber and the badge.
- next I put a small layer of rubber glue on the rubber and then clamped the badge down onto the rubber and its backing, I was able to work the rubber areound the edges of the badge.

The glue dried and held the rubber in place, I used 3m adhesive remover to clean up the excess.

......I don't know if it would of held immediately but 6 months later when I unclamped it, it held nicely.

[Mitch Leland]

Maybe it's just me, but I think the 3 pieces that I have bought from Pelican are just too small, no matter what you do. I've tried heat, hot water, glue and clamping and at some point I run out of rubber.

It's one of those things that I'll get right sooner or later, however it shouldn't be that hard...

[Geronimo '74]

Heat did the trick for me, I held it close to a 100W light bulb. Like a charm.

[MikeDL]

The gasket I bought from here went on last weekend without any difficulty.

[Mitch Leland]

There's hope...