Porsche 944 Rear Hatch Seal Part XXISCSV: RennsportKC

I know, I’ve been lazy about blogging. Not typically the case, but it happens on occasion. I have been slamming out work in the shop trying to get ready for the season, so my nightly duties have fallen to the backseat.

Awhile back I posted about separating a 944 rear hatch glass from it’s frame so we can reseal it. A common issue with these cars.

This is typically where the separation occurs. It will not only rattle, but also leak when it rains.

Hatch frame prepped and installed back on the car so it can be resealed.

Since we are refurbing the hatch, we are going to replace the rear hatch pins and latch assemblies that can cause a hard to open hatch, or one that pops open on it’s own! I am using new S/S pins from rennbay, and new OE latches. People will try and rebuild these things with new inserts, but the latches are only about 35 bucks each from Porsche, so I always replace with factory new.

Here you can see the center guide sleeve has broken and come out of the unit. This helps center the pin in the lock assembly to keep it operating smooth.

With the hatch on the car, my glass guy preps the frame and the glass with a 2 part Betaprime primer/activator. Years ago I wrote an article on resealing the hatch using 3m components. I have been trying to purge that article from the internet for years as the procedure and materials has greatly improved, but for some reason guys have saved it and the damn thing keeps popping up. My glass guy recommends the betaprime products for sealing the hatches, and guarantees they will not separate again.

And Charlie laying in the bead of glue. With that, we set the glass back in place, let it sit for a day and reinstalled the trim. I usually try and leave the hatch struts disconnected for a few weeks to fully cure the sealant.