740 Steel Sunroof Seal - Any way to extend life?

[90Wine745]

Had a lovely time today giving my steel electric sunroof some TLC. I cannot say how invaluable the information under the 700/900 FAQ tab under the Tech Stuff tab on the Volvo Owner Club (VOC) link above was. Essentially I just cleaned out the gunk, oiled any pivots, levers and hinges as well as ensuring the drain outlets in the front and rear sunroof pan corners were clean.
I used WD40 to help clean the screw that drives the roof back on both sides but will get some Lithium grease as soon as I can after all this Pandemic is over as proper lubrication.
Anyway, it works great now, nice movement, (a lot quicker than it was), quiet and smooth with both vent and slide mode.
There is a very nice piece in the VOC about a ‘Worn Sunroof Seal Guard’ (the seal ring around the sunroof’s edge) especially about replacing the seal. I know the seal is now discontinued it does say use of ‘used seal may be appropriate’. My seal is in reasonable condition (for 30 years) but it is beginning to perish a little, I would like to ‘treat’ it if I could. I have Silicone Oil spray and I know there are some rubber protection products available (see link below).
So here’s the question:
What should I use or could I use the silicone oil or these types of products to help reinvigorate rubber seal?
Any experiences, recommendation or suggestions would be very welcome.
Many thanks
Take Care,
Mike
P.S. I could not find a suitable thread to tag this onto if there is one, please let me know and I will redirect. M

Link: https://www.micksgarage.com/d/dash-r...MaArrTEALw_wcB

[Forrest]

If the seal is actually rubber then you might be interested in this comparison of methods thought to rejuvenate rubber.

+ YouTube Video

In short, a lengthy soak in a 3:1 mixture of isopropyl alcohol and methyl salicylate seems to be the most effective method.

However, I did a spring clean on the seal around the glass sunroof on my 940 last weekend and it seemed to be a furflex type material rather than rubber. I just wiped it over with some mould remover I found in my garage and it came up quite well.

[Laird Scooby]

Silicone grease. Buy a tube of it, rub some round the rubber part of the seal and leave to soak for about 15 minutes. Wipe the excess off (don't rub) then move the roof panel into a different poisition (tilt instead of slid back or vice versa) and repeat for the part of the seal you couldn't get to before.

Do this monthly for the first 3 timesthen 2 monthly twice and then 6 months later followed by a year later then do it annually.

You can also use silicone grease on the mechanism, it's waterproof and doesn't stain like lithium based grease.

Also, before winter, treat the door and boot/bonnet seals the same way, cleaning the areas on the doors/boot/tailgate/bonnet that mate with the seals. This will help ensure the seals don't freeze to the panels and help keep them supple enough to move freely.

Silicone oil is good for your lock barrels and latches on the doors and higne pins too.

Don't get any on the glass though, it smears and is a right pig to get rid of!

[90Wine745]

Originally Posted by Forrest

If the seal is actually rubber then you might be interested in this comparison of methods thought to rejuvenate rubber.


In short, a lengthy soak in a 3:1 mixture of isopropyl alcohol and methyl salicylate seems to be the most effective method.

However, I did a spring clean on the seal around the glass sunroof on my 940 last weekend and it seemed to be a furflex type material rather than rubber. I just wiped it over with some mould remover I found in my garage and it came up quite well.

Thank you so much I will certainly need the mould remover.
Take Care

[90Wine745]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Silicone grease. Buy a tube of it, rub some round the rubber part of the seal and leave to soak for about 15 minutes. Wipe the excess off (don't rub) then move the roof panel into a different poisition (tilt instead of slid back or vice versa) and repeat for the part of the seal you couldn't get to before.

Do this monthly for the first 3 timesthen 2 monthly twice and then 6 months later followed by a year later then do it annually.

You can also use silicone grease on the mechanism, it's waterproof and doesn't stain like lithium based grease.

Also, before winter, treat the door and boot/bonnet seals the same way, cleaning the areas on the doors/boot/tailgate/bonnet that mate with the seals. This will help ensure the seals don't freeze to the panels and help keep them supple enough to move freely.

Silicone oil is good for your lock barrels and latches on the doors and higne pins too.

Don't get any on the glass though, it smears and is a right pig to get rid of!

Again, thank you so much. This sounds perfect. I really appreciate the help.
Take Care,
Mike