[xanixx]

Need help (before the 1st rain!)
I tried to inspect my pop-up sunroof for the source of water leak and had removed the sealant I previously poured and opened up the sunroof. No wonder there were no drainage pipes--it turned out to be privately installed non-Toyota sunroof. Now I regret not listening to the old owner telling not to touch it. When I tried to close it, the latch broke (cheap plastic) and the rubber seal around the glass is all deteriorated and cracked anyway.
So now I have:
1) a hole in the roof
2) a piece of glass
3) old rubber seal around the whole

What do you think is best (and less expensive and doable by myself)--ordering a replacement aftermarket latch, closing the sunroof and pouring a sealant to cover up the seam completely--or, removing old rubber seal and gluing the glass in and weatherpoofing on top? I can't afford replacing the whole thing and done it professionally. Just to glue that glass in done through the autoglass place will cost $100. It's not a sliding sunroof, so I think the glass is cut pretty much close to the size of the hole in the roof.

 

[LynchburgCSI]

Well, like I said, do it RIGHT, but the most cost effective way. You're gonna end up spending more than $100 on this.

 

[BamZipPow]

Post up piccies of the roof (inside/outside). Got any part numbers or the make/model of the sunroof?

 

[xanixx]

Why do you say more than $100? If all it takes some glue for the window and the weatherstripping on top that's like $15. It doesn't have to look factory perfect after the job.
Anyone with experience of installing/redoing own sunroof?

 

[xanixx]

That's Funsport sunroof by Donmar. Haven't called about the parts yet, this sunroof is over 10 years old for sure. That's not an electric sunroof, just basic popup manual one.

 

[BamZipPow]

http://www.donmar.com/OBSOLETE/curnt_sr.htm

Looks like what you have is a current sunroof and not obsolete (unless you have a FUNSPORT® Funsport N-Body*). You should be able to git parts fairly easily. Wouldn't hurt to contact them and see what it should cost to replace those parts.

 

[xanixx]

I found a place that sells parts for this... (Donmar itself won't sell parts; they want you to pay their dealer for professional install only). But I dunno if bothering with parts (locking mechanism) is worth it; I'd rather not have sunroof at all, so I'm wondering if glueing the glass in is feasible. I have 2 options:
-pull out old rubber seal and glue the glass in
-leave old rubber seal in place, replace the sunroof lock, and seal the whole thing with weatherproofing sealant
I dunno if these rubber seals are easy to remove, cause it seems like more than one layer of complicated seal or may be more than one seal installed.

 

[TedL]

Hard to tell from here how bad the rubber seal is, but have you considered replacing the seal and gluing in the glass?

 

[xanixx]

Hard to tell from here how bad the rubber seal is, but have you considered replacing the seal and gluing in the glass?

With this roof, replacing the seal and gluing the glass in are mutually exclusive. Glass can't be glued in while the rubber is there, there's no proper surface...

To think of it...glueing the glass in is probably impossible and I should just replace a lock and pour sealant/liquid gasket all over. Glass has to have something to sit on... There's nothing but rubber, and rubber is probably hard to replace. Probably hard to remove either.

 

[TedL]

If you say so. The only aftermarket sunroof I'm acquainted with has a plastic frame, with a rubber seal around the outside of the plastic (seal against roof metal) and another on the inside, between the plastic & glass. Hard to envision your setup.

 

[xanixx]

If you say so. The only aftermarket sunroof I'm acquainted with has a plastic frame, with a rubber seal around the outside of the plastic (seal against roof metal) and another on the inside, between the plastic & glass. Hard to envision your setup.

Here's the setup/specs for Funsport (the lower drawing):

http://www.donmar.com/Tech/FS-Parts.pdf

The only place the glass can be glued in is T-section clamp frame but from the drawing it looks like there'll be clearance/gap between the glass and clamp frame. The main seal (that is deteriorated) is glued in by butyl sealer I dunno if I can remove it properly.
It does look like there's no way to glue the glass in at all...

 

[xanixx]

FYI if you ever face the same problem... I went to autoglass place and they say it should be glued back onto the rubber with "black windshield glue", and then glued/weatherproofed from outside with the same glue; when evened out with a tool the glue will look like just a gasket on outside. And something can be put in to hold it in place instead of a broken latch, using the screws from the latch. All for $45, or I can do it myself for $15 probably (I'd use flexible metal wire attached to screws instead of broken latch). So, certainly not "over $100"... (replacing with working sunroof would run about $300 I imagine)