Removing port hold windows?

**hack4alivin** · 10-23-2012, 07:52 AM

Sorry about the wrong thread title, I meant "Port Hole"!

My starboard port hole is leaking water on heavy rains. I have already replaced the rubber seal and I am sure it is tight, so next step is to remove it and re-seal I guess. Yesterday I removed the inside frame completely, but the window is still very secure, and would not come out. Anyone have any experiences with removing the windows? Is it being held in now by old sealant and needs some additional “coaxing” to come out. I don’t want to pry too hard and break anything.

Thanks in advance,

**Xplicitlnck** · 10-23-2012, 08:13 AM

There's a very detailed post with pictures on this site if you do a search. But if you get a thin scraperand work it from the outside it w will come off. I'll try to find it for ya

**hack4alivin** · 10-23-2012, 11:23 AM

I tried searching using a few different search criteria’s and could not find the thread you mentioned. I’ll try the method you suggested here this evening and see how it works out. I just can’t help getting the vision of it popping out all at once and me and it going overboard at the same time! I should wait a couple of weeks when she is on the hard deck, but I just can’t stand it!

**daddyox** · 10-23-2012, 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by hack4alivin

I tried searching using a few different search criteria’s and could not find the thread you mentioned. I’ll try the method you suggested here this evening and see how it works out. I just can’t help getting the vision of it popping out all at once and me and it going overboard at the same time! I should wait a couple of weeks when she is on the hard deck, but I just can’t stand it!

Interesting timing. As we were pulling all of the stuff off of our 320 for the winter (Sunday), my wife noticed in the LAST cabinet of the year to be emptied, over the couch, that the towels in there were a bit wet. What, you couldn't wait til Spring? I checked the starboard window and yes it is leaking. We had a lot of wind driven rain against the starboard side, but I caulked it for now. Ultimately I think I need to reseal all of the windows so I'd appreciate anything you can find (I had a problem on the port side a few years ago, that leaked into the Central vac, but that seems to be dry for now). I too am worried about making something worse instead of better. Honestly, it drives me nuts this type of maintenance. I know vehicles are mass produced, but you can drive them for 200,000+ miles without rain leaks.

**Xplicitlnck** · 10-23-2012, 03:45 PM

Here ya go best of luck http://clubsearay.com/showthread.php...orthole+gasket

**Rob1961** · 10-23-2012, 04:57 PM

use a razor blade or a very thin putty knife and slide around under the outer edge of the frame to cut the sealant then push firmly and it should come right out, I just did this on my boat, new seal and resealed frame but still leaking through seal, everyone keeps telling me to tighten the latch screws but they are already very tight, any tighter and they will break off, good luck! Boat was just pulled out for the winter so I have until April to find a solution that works, anyone else have any suggestions??

**mistercomputerman** · 10-23-2012, 05:05 PM

There are generally metric screws holding the inside trim ring to the outer ring.

**hack4alivin** · 10-24-2012, 05:34 AM

Well I tried it again last night, only this time I took the Admiral down to the boat to “help out”. After removing the inside frame completely I had the wife go to the outside of the boat to catch the frame as I tried to tap in out from the inside. No luck, and it really looks like there is something else holding it in place. I even removed the 3 black window clamps. It was at this point I decided to make certain the leak was coming from this window, since I had trouble with this one in the past I was sure it was the culprit here. So I put everything back together and told the wife to go inside and watch for leaks as I soaked the bow down with water. Well after soaking down each area one at a time it turns out the other window was where the water was coming from and it was leaking from the window seal. So I walked up to the parts department and bought a new rubber seal and replaced it, tightened the window closing clamps a bit, and the problem is now solved.

Moral of the story, when going after a water leak, take some help and identify where it is coming from first. I wasted a lot of time on the wrong window.

Next project, this evening I am going to re-chalk the area where the windshield frame meets the bow.

**daddyox** · 10-24-2012, 08:14 AM

Nice job; was the seal a really simple replacement? I hadn't looked at that.

**sbw1** · 10-24-2012, 08:15 AM

Many people do not realize how the seals on port lights work. There are tiny screws located inside the plastic "dogs" that hold the windows shut. It is common for people to tighten the bolts that are used to attach the dogs to the hull of the boat, thinking that if these are tighter, the leak will go away. The seal is actually tightened by turning the small screws (not easily seen unless you know they are there) in the individual dogs which in turn place more pressure on the port light. If you put a little vaseline on the gasket and tighten the individual screws so the contact is solid across the bottom of the port light gasket, many leaks will disappear immediately. It's a simple matter of adjustment.