Replacing front and rear glass seals

equality72521 · 03-23-2011, 02:58 PM

THIS EFFING SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!! I have pulled the engine/tranny, replaced the carpet, blah, blah, blah...... and this is by far the hardest thing to do. Putting the trim in is the worst. If there is a hell I'll be a Porsche windshield installer for eternity. I'm not looking for advise; I've already searched every post. I just needed to rant.

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

occb2 · 03-23-2011, 04:26 PM

Agreed!!!!!

lane912 · 03-23-2011, 04:30 PM

OMG, this is next on my list.

jimtweet · jimtweet's Garage

I WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR SOMEONE TO START A STEP BY STEP ON HOW TO REPLACE GLASS AND SEALS

i have a feeling there is 2304982304 other people that would love this to,...i know there have some that have tackled this in minutes and some hours,..

how about a step by step and tricks from the ones that have them

krasuskyp · 03-23-2011, 05:48 PM

TOO f'n funny Mark!

Thank for posting this - this too has been on my endless to-do list since getting my car years ago.

Every time it rains while I'm out w/ it I get small puddles in the lower/far corners of the dash from the shrinkage gaps at the top outter edges of the windshield. FUCH! That's soooo not good, I know - rust magnet... awesome.

Figured a few daze ago: *this will be the year I DO THIS*

of course, now I read 'this'

FUCH again - wonderful

Looking forward to whatever insight I might glean here from you all - glad you posted and saved me from looking like me (dillhole)... phew.

pkracer21j · 06:30 PM

Put the trim in, then put the glass in the car, I can have both of them done in about a half hour. Its impossible to put the trim in after you put the glass in the car.

1. put new seal on the glass

2. rub vasoline or KY around the seal where the trim goes

3. install trim

4. flip over glass

5. rub vasoline or KY around the seal where the seal goes into the chassis/frame

6. insert a rope in the channel in the seal and wrap it around twice.

7. set glass in the car

8. apply pressure to the out side of the seal and pull the rope from the back side.

9. if you don't get it completely sealed the first time round, well thats why we wrapped the rope in the seal twice.

10. have a beer, you have a waterproof car again.

cole930 · 06:40 PM

Jim,

We all know your pain in one way or another. You can actually hire an auto glass shop to put it in and then you can watch while they struggle.

Start by seating the glass in the rubber all the way around the perimeter and then put in your pull cord with the two ends crossing each other at the bottom center. Once you have the glass and cord in the ruber start installing the trim.ix up a spray bottle of dish soap and water and spray the s=== out of the rubber and metal edge as you putting the glass in.

I'm sure you know by now the trim is a ***** !!!!! Strat the trim by laying the trim on top of the rubber and kneed it with the heel of your hand to try and straighten it enough and lay it as flat as possble on top of the rubber before you even start to insert it. Push the trim in while manipulating the body side edge of rubber away from the trim to help get the trim in deep enough for it to seat and catch. Using grey racers tape tape the trim to the rubber every 4-6 inches as you get it seated. If you don't tape it it will walk back out as you continue around the glass. Leave your tape on until the glass is completely installed. The tape residue will easily clean off with solvent.

It takes two to install, one inside with a hook to keep the lip from folding back under and pull out the cord. One on the outside to guide the rubber deep into body edge by pulling the glass down from the top to seat it and push hard on the glass to help the inside guy easily pull the cord out. Also using the palm of your hand slap the glass, from the top in a downward motion towards the bottom edge, this will help slide the glass downward in the opening. Go slow at the corners and use a lot of pressure on the outside. Go slow and work together and you'll be fine.

The quarter windows are a pisser unless you start at the door post you will never get them in. Before you start, pull out the door weather strip next to the quarter window. The seal next to the door post is real thick and you need to look closely at it to
see exactly where the groove for the post weatherstrip flange is. Spread the weatherstrip groove and push it over the flange from top to bottom of the door post and seat it completely. If you start by making the door post edge is seated well the rest is apiece oc cake.

On the front and rear glass you might consider putting a good bead of clear silicone caulk in the botton corners on the outside and install over the top of it. That will help seal the corners.

Good Luck !!!!

Cole

krasuskyp · 03-23-2011, 07:02 PM

...sssooooooo, Petey 'ole buddy 'ole pal... comin to CT for //SFest again I hear 8-)

!!!

Doubting that, so... just dial 1-800-Porschewhisperer once again!?!? Brace yerself...

Be calling you tomorrski as it is w/ some timing q's in prep for Fri rollers, biatch.

equality72521 · 03-24-2011, 04:26 PM

Fuch it. I tried the KY thing with no luck. I just can't get the trim in the seal with the seal on the glass. If I take the seal off the glass I can get the trim in but then I can't get the seal on the glass. Now I see why so many leave the seal out. I'm thinking about just doing the half assed method using something else to fill the seam gap.

dhg1337 · dhg1337's Garage

Cole is right on on how to do it. I watched mine being installed at my house. It was a real pain even for the professional installer. Rear was allot more work due to the defroster wires. I felt a little bad for the guy. $150 for both, I thought that was cheap, took about 2 hrs to install. Money well spent.

Plus there is a good write up on how to get the weather strip to fill the corner gaps. By using a hammer and a piece of wood.

cole930 · 05:31 AM

The real secret is the words of wisdom my grandfather taught me " With perseverance and a little sweet oil you could f--- a cat"

Cole

equality72521 · 03-25-2011, 03:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cole930

The real secret here is the words of wisdom my grandfather taught me " With perseverance and a little sweet oil you could f--- a cat"

Cole

Quote of the month. Thanks for the laugh Cole, I needed that. I'll tackle it again when my frustration level drops.

willtel · 03-25-2011, 04:50 AM

Try putting the rubber parts in a bucket of hot soapy water before you install them.

full quack · 07:18 AM

I have put in many a 911 front windshield in the race car I crewed on. Yep 2 man job, yep tries your Patience. I never did have to put the trim in though, we never bothered for the race car.
There are times when TOO slippery is a bad thing. I preferred to use the spray foaming glass cleaner as the lubricant for installing the glass. Gives you about a 15 min working window, and if thats not enough, just spray more as you go!
Much less of a mess to work with and clean up after, + it dries all on it's own!
Mark

equality72521 · 02:59 PM

VICTORY!!!!!!! So far. I got the trim in the seal and the seal on the glass. BUT!!! I did it the way everyone said it couldn't be done. I put the trim in the seal then put the seal on the glass. The trim goes in easy with the seal off the glass. After I got it in I taped around the trim/seal with blue painter's tape about every 6 inches. Then I started at one corner and cut the tape at the seam where the glass slips in about 4-5 pieces in a row. This allowed the glass to slip into the seam with the help of the new tool I made as seen below. I worked around until I had it all in taping it in place as I worked as shown in the pics below. This helped keep it tight in place against the glass so it wouldn't slip back out. I'm going to leave it taped in place for a couple of days to let it memorize the shape before I take the tape off. I have company this weekend anyway so nothing will get done until at least Monday. Whew, what a ball buster this is.

equality72521 · 04-08-2011, 03:33 PM

Started installing the trim in the seal today on the windshield. It was going quite well until I rounded third and..... SNAP. Broken windshield. Anyone know anyone in Indy that installs Porsche windshields? I'm so ****ing over this I can't even put it in words.

rallen911 · rallen911's Garage

I feel your frustration!

Did you get someone to install it? I've had a few quotes, but the ones that sound trustworthy are going to cost around $700 for aftermarket glass and $1000 for OEM.

I'm considering doing my front glass, but not so sure after reading about your experience! Maybe trim after glass is in the seal, huh?

krasuskyp · 04-22-2011, 05:00 AM

Oh man...... _brutal_.

Condolences, Mark.

Nooooooooo way I'm touching my seal replacement... "this" would soooooooo happen to me - guaranteed.

Good luck...

willtel · 04-22-2011, 06:20 AM

That sucks! Not only is your windshield broken but your screwdriver is also bent.

I need both seals on my car and I am nervous about letting a local glass place do it. I guess if I made it into a convertible I would only have to do one...

equality72521 · 04-22-2011, 06:28 AM

I finally got them both in. Honestly, the biggest issue is if the trim is even slightly out of shape... and I mean SLIGHTLY! Fortunately, the windshield trim was damn close. I have a couple of gaps where the trim isn't seated completely but I used a black rubber sealant to fill the gaps. Once set it is just like rubber and bonds to both the trim and seal. The rear trim was too far gone. Once the glass was installed the trim popped back out nearly half way around. I yanked it out. I bought some 1/8" 304 stainless rod and fitted it into the rear seal gap. It resists bending so it forces the seal to the outside of the glass. The seal is nice and tight and you can't see the stainless.