The Triumph 2000/2500/2.5 Register Forum

Can anyone offer any advice about refitting the stainless trim please? The screen has just had a new rubber seal, which was professionally fitted but the guy who did it could not fit the trim. He tried to fit it before fitting the screen and after. He said there is a special tool to do the job and there is one described in the manual. However, if anyone has any tips they would be gratefully recieved.

Key requirements:

- Plenty of lubricant (soft soap or Swarfega - the 'chipless' kind - will do) on the rubber to help allow the tool to move and the flange on the rubber to slide into the recess behind the trim
- Two people to do the job - one to use the tool, the other to hold the trim in place and stop it 'backing out' of the rubber
- Make sure that the trims are not twisted in any way and that the turned-over flanges are not unduly tight, especially in the corners. Also make sure that their reverse sides are clean of any old sealant, bits of old rubber, etc
- Make sure that there are no burrs or sharp edges on the tool
- You may find it easier to locate the trims in the straight edges (top, bottom, sides) first, then 'do' the corners after - the tool can be inserted and removed from behind a part-fitted trim by careful maneoeuvering using a twisting action
- Lots of time and loads of patience. Slow but steady works - hurried or 'persuasive' may tear the rubber...

Also, and with all due respect to the windscreen fitter, make sure that the new rubber is watertight before fitting the trim. Minor leaks in newly-fitted screens are not uncommon, and it's a heck of a lot easier to reseal a problem area with the trim out than in...

Good luck!...

Thank you for that, I will let you know how we get on!

Hello Jonathan, Sally,

After having struggled many times fitting these, (always single handed, I hadn't thought an extra pair of hands might help) I tried the string in a groove method (well actually small section flexible cable, about 5mm diameter) and this seemed to work quite well. I only have one corner that would not go down, due to a bit of a twist in the trim and the rubber being torn by earlier attempts to fit the trim.
I have a new seal and will try again when I have a spare moment.

As I also wonder about the accuracy of the aperture and glass I will look a bit closer at this when I fit the new seal. Nothing to do with the trim rather the way the seal fits and the frequency of leaks Triumphs seem to have.
(To quote Chris Witor, "they all leak".)

Alec

i am in the process of refitting the stainless steel trims after what appears to be a successful refitting of the windscreen in its new rubber does anyone know where i might obtain the special tool ,described in the workshop manual,thanks in advance,
Laurence

I butchered a set of dividers to make the tool.

I'm not sure that S-T actually offered this tool as a ready-made item, and not aware of anyone else doing so either...

They are, however, easy enough to make using a piece of stiff, heavy-gauge wire fixed into a file handle or, if you already have one of those windscreen trim tools with interchangeable heads for different section trim strips, as an extra insert to fit into the existing tool holder. Worked well enough for me

Jonathan

There is an independent windscreen chap in the Manchester area who has fitted several screens with new rubbers to members cars with good results (no corners sticking up, trims properly located etc etc) and fits them both ways - sometimes rubber and glass first, then trims, but also does it glass into the rubber with trims on the rubber before fitting. Makes it look easy apparently, and I've not heard any complaints either.

I suspect John, your chap in Manchester would not want to travel 250 miles to Torquay to fit my stainless trims!.I'm happy with the job i've done replacing the seal,appears to be water tight,its just the tool..,if anyone has a suitable item that i could borrow,happy to cover all postage costs,
cheers,
Laurence