300 Sundancer PortLight Gasket

[djbaumhover]

I have a 2004 300 Dancer with a leaking portlight gasket. The screens snap into place once the portlight is opened.
The screws holding the frames are on the inside. I removed the screws expecting the inside frame, with window, to come out, but the frame appears to be very secure yet. Do the frames, either inside or outside, have to be pried with a putty knife to be removed? I hate to force anything.

 

[ZZ13]

Oops, nevermind. I was thinking of a different window.

 

[JimFromMD]

Don't have an answer to your question about removing the entire frame, but one of my portholes used to drip occasionally. Cleaning the surface of both the gasket and the plastic portlight itself allowed it to create a better seal. One of the dogs was also a little loose. Tightening that helps as well.

 

[cfd95]

The gasket is held in place with adhesive and comes out from the inside.
New ones come with adhesive on them.
Have you tried adjusting the window hold downs they are adjustable.
You can tighten them for a better seal.
Need a screwdriver and a 7/16 wrench

 

[djbaumhover]

Thanks for the replies I did try adjusting the dogs. I think mine only takes a straight screwdriver, as I didn't seen a nut where a 7/16 wrench would be used. I'm about two days away from launch and will check things out further at that time. Perhaps cleaning the gasket may help as well. And if I'm reading you reply correctly, I can replace the gaskets without removing the portlight frames?

 

[JimFromMD]

Thanks for the replies I did try adjusting the dogs. I think mine only takes a straight screwdriver, as I didn't seen a nut where a 7/16 wrench would be used. I'm about two days away from launch and will check things out further at that time. Perhaps cleaning the gasket may help as well. And if I'm reading you reply correctly, I can replace the gaskets without removing the portlight frames?

On mine, there is a Phillips head screw that holds the black "dog" over the plastic window so that it presses against the seal. I slightly tightened that Phillips screw and it was fine. Also I didn't have to replace the gasket... I just cleaned it with a rag and some serious shine cleaner. Make sure both the gasket and plastic window surface are both clean and making a tight seal. Also, are you 100% sure that the porthole is leaking and that there isn't water sneaking in from somewhere else, and just showing up there? I had a brief slow leak showing up right over one of the portlights from dried up caulking around the base of the windsheld. I redid that caulk and the culk around the "skylights". Recommend NOT removing them completely if you try that, but removing the upper layers of the old caulk and re-sealing in place.

 

[ZZ13]

On mine, the dogs started to form a concave shape over time due to the distance from the screw to the glass contact point. I removed the screws and flipped them over to get better force on the glass.

For what that is worth.