Rear Window Reinstall Problem HELP!!
 

Just got my '83 SC coupe project car back from paint. However, am having a major "issue" with rear window install. Got a new seal but window will not fit back in. Took it to professional glass shop and they could not get it to go back in properly either. So we got another new rear gasket, and have the same problem. They tell me it's the seal and that it is not grabbing the trim properly.

Every time the window is roped in, the trim pops out of the top corners. Three guys with 60 years of experience between them tell me that it won't go in properly......that the seals must be bad. This is the same glass that was in the car before it went for paint. It looked to fit perfectly then. I do remember, however, the painter telling me that there was a "bunch of "dum-dum"" or putty in those upper corners when he pulled the window out.

I am speculating that:

1.) The wrong glass for the car (is this possible since I think that same glass goes in '74 through '89 911's?)

2.) The 2 seals that I got (I was told that both are "German rubber") are bad and I need to find the right one/manufacturer/source.

3.) The window opening was sized too large from the factory and no seal/window will fit.

I have been fighting this for 3 weeks now and could really use some advice from you fellow Pelicanites.

"bunch of "dum-dum"" or putty - this is what the factory did to get the fit. That is your hint. Jim

Was the aluminum trim re-worked?

In other words was the aluminum-trim run around the glass (without rubber) for sizing?

The "L" piece should mold as close to the glass as possible. Turn a "L" upside down and now the glass should fit in the little area (coming from the left).

This seemed to be the "trick" for me when I did my front windshield.

Good luck.

I'm going to install mine soon... I've heard this is the hardest thing to do on a Porsche.... when I took mine out it had putty in the corners... Is the putty the right way to do it with a new window seal

confirmed.

also to get my ft & r to fit centered in the opening I remover the r 2x & ft 3x.. each time adding more dum dum to corners, sides, and bottom. The initial tip-off was the glass sitting low in the opening and the top corner of the seals being obviously "open".

KTL/Kevin always offers the advice to align the tin in the seals by first, without the seal, connecting the whole molding and laying it on the glass to allow any pre-adjustment in deformity before the package is put together before install.

afwiw.. I used silicone axle grease instead of the routine soap and water. It allowed a bit of glass adjustment after install. I wasn't sure if I should have done this until a pro posted that he does this also. It's been centered fine for the past 3,000mi.

you have to cut holes for the defog wires, so they flow nicely and lay in the groove. big pain. are the wires installed correctly so they don't force the rubber off the glass?

It will fit and not leak without any sealer if installed properly. I reiterate the other two tips that have already been stated:

As John Walker points out, make sure the defog wires are routed properly.

As Nick says, be sure that the trim is shaped properly as it will -pull- rubber into whatever shape it is in. It should match the shape of the glass...

Thanks tremendously to all that replied. This gives me some hope. It seems like the dum-dum that was removed is the ticket. I am going to get some today and try putting it back in myself....does anyone know how much to put in and in what locations (seems like the top corners where the rubber seems to cave in?) ie how thick/far/high?

BTW, John,
The defrost wires were cut/removed by the painter and I am missing a tab on the glass so they were not reinstalled.....could the abscence of these wires cause the non-fitting rubber condition I stated earlier?

"It will fit and not leak without any sealer if installed properly." I not sure I agree with this; my '76 came with said "dum-dum" putty from the factory. Jim

UPDATE:
Decided to try to reinstall myself. Got 3M "dum-dum". Put trim on glass w/o molding and shaped as best possible. Installed rubber. Installed trim on rubber (not easy or fun). Put small amount of dum-dum in upper corners of pcar's rear window frame (approximately 3/8" bead 1 1/2" left and right of each corner's radius, and approximately 1/2" up from metal flange on frame of window that rubber will rope over).
After setting assembled glass into opening, I centered it up visually. Problem is it seemed to not want to seat down into the window opening, apparently being held up by the dum-dum. So, removed window and dum-dum and tried again. Window went down far enough, so I roped it in. Problem is that the small outer lip of rubber rolled in slightly in those upper corners, and there doesn't seem to be much clearance there to pull them back up.
So I decided to just try to stick a plastic putty knife in there to pull rubber lip back up......got some back up but approx 1 1/2 " on either side are still "tucked" downward.

The other problem I encountered was a small portion of the metal trim (approx 8" below right top corner) popped up and out of its channel. Tried to put it back in by pushing and also by using a small pick to try to bring the rubber up and back around the "L" in the trim.......NO WAY THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT TAKING THE WINDOW OUT AGAIN as it was real tought to get the trim on initially with the window out.

Overall, the window is in but not perfectly. The top corners may leak and the section of trim that popped up may cause more to pop up. I will need to remove and reinstall again I think. I must say that at least I was able to get it in with the trim mostly intact, when 3 guys with 60 years of experience couldn't get this far. Even though I spent 12 hours on this yesterday.....I only feel partially beaten...the window went in even though not perfect.

If anyone has a "how-to" on this particular installation, or any other tips, I would appreciate a post on it. Maybe there's some additional trick to getting this window in perfectly?

if the trim's popping out, your metal surrounds aren't bent the correct way to fit...where the two pieces meet in the center of the window, they need to be biased down a little...probably just the last 2-3 inches...don't make it conform perfectly to the glass, that's what the rubber is for...

I did my '67 in 45 minutes by myself...

is your rope too thick?

sjd

No. Rope it not too thick....used 1/8 inch diameter nylon cord and seemed to rope-in O.K. Trim popped out not at where two pieces meet, but about two inches down from top right corner for approx. 8 inches. Could this be because I conformed it to the glass first (w/o rubber on)?

IIRC - when I tried 1/8" rope it started to cut my rubber gasket on my windshield.

But this isn't your problem.

I can only see you trying it again. But it does sound like you're close. Sorry to say that. The metal trim can be the trickiest part especially with no one on the outside to push the whole assembly in, while you rope-it.

Good luck.

fit "in perfectly"?
No problem.. read my above post again.

one or two guys outside pushing in, following the rope pull, makes the glass and seal pop in easily.