RenaissanceMan Posted January 23, 2005 Share Posted January 23, 2005 Hey there everyone, I was just wondering if anyone out there has replaced a windshield in one of these subies before? or a vehicle that also has the windshield "glued in". I'm thinkin sometime like tuesday next week I am gonna pull out my broken one, clean up the rust, paint it, and put in my replacement one. Removing glass is easy for me, just some music wire and vice grips, but I have never put a window in. Please any pointers are welcome, and do I use that "Butyl tape stuff" or just some kind of window sealant? does the stuff take long to set up? -Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seahag1978 Posted January 23, 2005 Share Posted January 23, 2005 Is it a rubber gasket with a slot that goes on the body opening and the glass goes in the opposing slot? I watched the guy replace mine. It took quite a bit of "finessing" (I think the swearing helped) to get it in. He told me that out of a couple dozen or more glass replacement guys in his company, he's the only one that knows how to do it, and even he has "bad days". Allin all, they charged me $200 including the glass, rubber and installation. Well worth it, no risk on my part Tim has decided to install all his glass into his 50 Ford himself, he said something about using stiff string? He has to wait til it warms up before attempting it Yes, make sure you clean and seal the opening well, it will lead to rust/leak problems later. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torxxx Posted January 23, 2005 Share Posted January 23, 2005 Soobies are glue in front windshields. You could cut one out with a razorblade and long knife, but the right tools make it 100x easier. Make sure you get the new molding (black and chrome rubber that goes around the window) they are glued in using Window Urethane. Its black stuff (nasty stuff) It HAS to be Windshield grade Urethane, or you WILL have leaks. After you get all the old urethane off the windshield spot, if there is any rust anywhere were glue is going to be put, you need to get this stuff called pinchweld primer or the urethane will not stick to it. When applying the urethane, do it in a V with the small part of the V pointing upward at you. The bead should be about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Install window. Take two 4 inch wide pieces of masking tape (use the bright green stuff, sticks anywhere.) put two strips on the top of the windshield to the top of the cab. this will hold the window up in place until the urethane sets up Now squirt a very fine line of urethane all the way aroudn the windshield edge where the rubber molding goes, install the rubber molding, and take sure you masking tape ALL the rubbing molding down. leave the tape on for a day or two to make sure all the urethane cures. One other thing, leave one of the door glasses slighty cracked, so when you slam the door, the cabin pressure doesnt blow the seal out of the urethane. Good luck. Let me know if you have any other questions. I work at a glass shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seahag1978 Posted January 23, 2005 Share Posted January 23, 2005 Sorry for the hijack torxxx, My sunroof is leaking, I don't think it's where the frame goes into the body, but where the glass clamps down onto the frame. Anything that can be fixed? I never plan on opening it ever. 2 places I took it to said they have to replace the whole sunroof to the tune of $400+. For the time being, a large Hefty bag on the seat works for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenaissanceMan Posted January 23, 2005 Author Share Posted January 23, 2005 thanks Torxx, thats pretty much what i had imagined it would be. I remember a couple things my auto body teacher told me in the basics body class about glass replacement. I work for him now as a lab/instructional aid at the college, so I will ask him tomorrow about any pointers before I tear into it. I'm sure he'll want to make it part of the advanced auto body class tuesday morning that I am in. Why this special primer you speak of? I was planning on just using a DTM primer/surfacer/sealer and some single stage black over it. will this cause problems do you think? -Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northguy Posted January 23, 2005 Share Posted January 23, 2005 Pretty good install process, Torxxx. A couple of finer points: 1. Clean the glass surface thoroughly first 2. Prime the inside surface of the glass about 3/4" in with glass primer made for the urethane you're using. 3M is a reputable brand. 3. The 5/8ths bead of butyl tapeis the appropriate thickness for use here. Heat it in a microwave oven before using. Roll it directly on to the pinchweld leaving the paper on until just before installation. 4. Have a friend help set it and don't compress the shield onto the butyl tape until you have the proper spacing on each side. 5. After the shield is located correctly, use long, even pressure to compress the butyl tape and smash the urethane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sydfloyd44 Posted January 23, 2005 Share Posted January 23, 2005 Re: Anyone ever replace a windshield before? Yes, I do it for a living as I have done for the last 11 years. Don't anyone get upset with me saying this but I can tell you that you are about to get yourself in a huge mess! First of all, if you already have rust, you CAN NOT just "prime over top of it"! That will be your first source of your windshield leaking in about 6-12 months and it will rapidly get worse. The rust has to be fixed, PROPERLY, not just filler over top of it. 2nd. Getting the windshield out is the easy part. Depending on what is being used now, do you know which type of adhesive must be completely removed and which type should have 1-2mm left after doing a full cut? Do you have the PROPER PRIMERS and applicators for the glass AND the body because without them, you are wasting your time! Do you have the proper urethane AND do you know what type of bead to use when applying. I could go on and on. Here is my point. If I have already pissed anyone off, sorry! Not my objective! Just trying to save someone a NIGHTMARE a year from now. Your windshield is a structural part of your car! If you roll it over, it helps keep your roof from crushing your head. (among other FMVSS) The only concern here seems to be it not leaking. That should be least of your concerns. Using BUTYL TAPE is not only illegal (for a windshield install), but if anyone would be injured due to your faulty install, you not only have to deal with it personally, but legally. I fix these cars almost daily after people try the "do it yourself" route. If we were talking a side glass or backglass, have to it!! Windshield, NO! I am sure most people here are going to just shake this off and say "just go ahead and do it", if you do, at least you are a little more informed now and I would hightly recommend you do some more research online about the FMVSS. If you think this only pertains to the professionals and not yourself, you would be wrong. Here is a link to the NHTSA website with a quick overview. Pay attention to 212, 216 and 219. Do a google search for FMVSS 212 also. Go make friends with an auto glass tech somewhere and see if he will come and at least help you for a couple bucks or a case of beer or something. I can assure you that you will be very grateful when you don't have to pull your windshield back out in a year and you find out that your cost of fixing just tripled because of the rust. Good luck and feel free to contact me via PM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torxxx Posted January 23, 2005 Share Posted January 23, 2005 ummm yea thats pretty much what I just said.. and whats this butyl tape you speak of? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenaissanceMan Posted January 23, 2005 Author Share Posted January 23, 2005 I have access to all the proper primers & adhesives. Also, I think your thinking this rust is a lot worse than it sounds. I am out here in california, where snow in the mountains is a blessing, and salt is something we use at the dinner table. If the rust is removed, neutralized & sealed, it will not spread, its only surface rust. Thankyou everyone for your input. Now that I know Butyl tape is illegal for windshields, I will use the straight window urethane. Ten fold I would rather pay a shop to do it, but I dont make enough money to do that kind of thing. I pulled the new windshield I am using for $15 from a junkyard for heavens sake.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northguy Posted January 23, 2005 Share Posted January 23, 2005 Re: Anyone ever replace a windshield before? Yes, I do it for a living as I have done for the last 11 years. Don't anyone get upset with me saying this but I can tell you that you are about to get yourself in a huge mess! First of all, if you already have rust, you CAN NOT just "prime over top of it"! That will be your first source of your windshield leaking in about 6-12 months and it will rapidly get worse. The rust has to be fixed, PROPERLY, not just filler over top of it. 2nd. Getting the windshield out is the easy part. Depending on what is being used now, do you know which type of adhesive must be completely removed and which type should have 1-2mm left after doing a full cut? Do you have the PROPER PRIMERS and applicators for the glass AND the body because without them, you are wasting your time! Do you have the proper urethane AND do you know what type of bead to use when applying. I could go on and on. Here is my point. If I have already pissed anyone off, sorry! Not my objective! Just trying to save someone a NIGHTMARE a year from now. Your windshield is a structural part of your car! If you roll it over, it helps keep your roof from crushing your head. (among other FMVSS) The only concern here seems to be it not leaking. That should be least of your concerns. Using BUTYL TAPE is not only illegal (for a windshield install), but if anyone would be injured due to your faulty install, you not only have to deal with it personally, but legally. I fix these cars almost daily after people try the "do it yourself" route. If we were talking a side glass or backglass, have to it!! Windshield, NO! I am sure most people here are going to just shake this off and say "just go ahead and do it", if you do, at least you are a little more informed now and I would hightly recommend you do some more research online about the FMVSS. If you think this only pertains to the professionals and not yourself, you would be wrong. Here is a link to the NHTSA website with a quick overview. Pay attention to 212, 216 and 219. Do a google search for FMVSS 212 also. Go make friends with an auto glass tech somewhere and see if he will come and at least help you for a couple bucks or a case of beer or something. I can assure you that you will be very grateful when you don't have to pull your windshield back out in a year and you find out that your cost of fixing just tripled because of the rust. Good luck and feel free to contact me via PM. So are you recommending a "close cut" method of installation? And/or, if there is rust, what does one do when one has to remove all of the old urethane down to the pinchweld and start fron scratch? What keeps the shield from smashing the urethane flat in the installation process if you aren't using a butyl tape as a dam? I, too, installed shields for a number of years (8) in 3 different states (Iowa, Illinois and AK) from 1980 - 1985 and 1990 -1993, and saw the change from old school to urethane sets. I also saw major corporations (L.O.F., Speedy Auto Glass, Pilkington...) lobby the National Transportation Safety Administration to enact legislation to force only certified installations, citing studies that specified the shields of vehicles installed with urethane sealant were integral to the structural integrity of the vewhicle in roll over tests. And to an extent, I would agree with them that if the shield doesn't pop out on impact, like the old sty;e VW Beetles, that the driver and passenger are more likely to stay in the vehicle, and perhaps a properly installed shield is likely to reinforce the a pillars and roof of the vehicle to some extent. But I have never seen a case of a lawsuit for an improperly installed shield. I am very interested in how the process you advocate is different than what has been professed here, and I am not trying to be adverserial or attempting to start a flame war. You cite some important documents, and outline some safety aspects that are often overlooked, but you don't state how it is done in the shop any differently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bajavwnsoobnut Posted January 23, 2005 Share Posted January 23, 2005 Sorry for the hijack torxxx, My sunroof is leaking, I don't think it's where the frame goes into the body, but where the glass clamps down onto the frame. Anything that can be fixed? I never plan on opening it ever. 2 places I took it to said they have to replace the whole sunroof to the tune of $400+. For the time being, a large Hefty bag on the seat works for me! Might get in touch with Syrinx on this cause he has done that on his old 79 brat cause of the same thing but he has found a company that sells replacement seals for the sunroofs like yours and also not all subies are glue in's like Seahag has mentioned hers is actualy a gasket just that gen 3 and newer vehichles are glue in's Have FUN! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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