replacing rear window legacy wagon

[subestyle18]

I need to replace the rear window in my 93 legacy wagon. I have the old one completely removed, but am kind of lost when it comes to pulling one out of a junkyard car. I called around and most glass retailers want $200 for a new one. Any advise would be great, i am almost tempted to pull the whole rear hatch from a junk yard car, rather then risking braking the glass in transport.

 

Thanks

[uniberp]

I need to replace the rear window in my 93 legacy wagon. I have the old one completely removed, but am kind of lost when it comes to pulling one out of a junkyard car. I called around and most glass retailers want $200 for a new one. Any advise would be great, i am almost tempted to pull the whole rear hatch from a junk yard car, rather then risking braking the glass in transport.

 

Thanks

 

I think you have to break the seal with a piece of fine piano wire.

[gbhrps]

The standard method to removing a front or rear windshield is to cut it out, as suggested, using an old guitar string or piano string. Generally you push the wire through from the inside until you can grab it on the outside. At that point you pull through enough wire so that you can tie it around the box end of a wrench in a knot. So now you'll have say 15 inches of wire tied to a box end wrench on the outside of the car and the same on the inside. Then you and a friend saw the wire back and forth, moving sideways through the urathane sealant, all of the way around the glass until you cut it free. The glass shops have an air-powered knife that does the same thing. You must be careful pushing the glass out as you cut around it, for it won't take much to crack the glass. Once you get it home, use an exacto knife to cut the bulk of the sealant from the glass and then clean it well with alcohol. Do the same with the frame of your tailgate where the glass fits. Make sure there is no dirt in the frame track and certainly no rust. If rust is there or you've cut through the paint with the exacto knife, there soon will be if you don't prime and paint it before installing the glass. Obviously let the paint dry a day before you proceed. Then buy some windshield sealant from an auto glass shop ( usually in tube form like home window caulking ) and put a half inch bead of sealant all around the tailgate frame and carefully place and push the glass into its final position. Make sure you line it up properly in the opening because there isn't a lot of wiggle room if you're off centre, since the sealant grabs and holds pretty firmly. Let the sealant cure overnight before you use the car, and be sure to wind one of the windows down before you shut all of the doors, so built up air pressure won't force the windshield out against its sealant. Good luck!