Windshield trim installation

Argeo · 06-21-2005, 04:42 AM

What a PITA. I did my windshield seal and trim last night and it took like an hour. The trim seems to have a mind of it own. I found the trick besides using a ton of liquid soap is to almost wrestle with the thing. I started with it on the floor and then proceeded to my feet and then back to the ground again. This was a reoccurring event. Oh, curse words seem to help also. I found I had to use both hands and a knee to get it all together. Well after this was done, I tucked a pencil thick rope in the back side of the seal and will try today or tomorrow to get in the frame.

If this was the easy part, the actual install to the frame is going to be a ton of fun for sure. I can't see how this seal works without some type of glue.

David

David

Tim Hancock · 06-21-2005, 04:57 AM

David, IMO, the trim is the worst part of the window install. I used a scrap piece of 14 ga electrical wire to "rope in" the glass on the car. I did the rear and sides by myself and had a helper for the front. When you start roping it looks like the glass will never pull itself in, yet as you make your away around, it just settles in real nice (I used Palmolive dish soap and a squirt bottle of soap/water mix).

Installing my new headliner was a pc of cake compared to screwing w/ those f'ing trim pcs!

Argeo · 06-21-2005, 05:01 AM

Hi Tim,

That's incouraging. The headliner I heard is like the worst possible job. Fortunately mine is in real nice shape. I think if does decide to fall soon, I will just eliminate all together.

The rear side windows go together real easy I found. I am not sure what to expect with the doors. Something to look forward to I guess.

Take care,

David

fiminod · 06-21-2005, 06:18 AM

David, this may help, I'm sure you've seen it but I figured what the heck.

The installation: install new weather-strip to the w/s, apply silicone to the groove where the aluminum trim goes and press that into place fully and carefully - you can bend it easily. Use DOW 111 compound which is a silicone grease [from McMaster-Carr] on the w/s and the windshield opening [after you have removed all the foreign stuff there]. Using a 1/8 nylon cord stuffed into the groove where the pinch weld will go, cross over at the bottom and with two assistants set the w/s into place at the bottom. This is where the experience counts. Someone has to know where to push, how much to push and slap and the inside guy has to be the cord puller and verbal guide. pull the cord ends evenly while your assistants push and slap to keep it going where it's supposed to go. Pull the cord all the way around until they meet at the top.

Scituate's not that far, I've never done this but am willing to assist.

Good Luck - Len

Argeo · 06-21-2005, 06:25 AM

Hey Len, thanks for the advice. I am having trouble finding one person to help so any help would be appreciated. Seems like all my help lately like to work in 15 min intervals which doesn't really work when installing a window. The window is all set to go, trim is in and the rope is already in the gasket, I am just waiting for some help now. I still need to put the rear window together. I hope it will be easier now that I have a bit of experience.

Are you in Boston?

David

BGCarrera32 · 06:27 AM

If you have no help available, you can always run a 1" wide or so cinch/ratchet type strap over the winshield and through open doors around the A-pillars. Don't use too much pressure (duh- you'll break the window) but you can snug up the strap and give it a few clicks to maintain pressure on the window and suck it down as you rope through the seal to the inside. I did this with a friend basically supervising (watching to make sure the seal was o.k. on the outside) and the whole install was over in like 15 minutes- no joke. Easy.

Edit: I set the bottom part of the windshield in the car first, ran the cinch strap around, and then worked the rope a few inches at a time in equal amounts around the sides, finally meeting at the middle top (forward of the sunroof).

Good luck-
BG

Zeke · 06-21-2005, 06:37 AM

One of the tricks is to make sure the seal is bottomed out in the frame before roping and keep pushing it down. As you pull the ropes (individually or together, I've done it both ways) they try to pull the glass up making it impossible to get the lip of the seal to the inside at the top.

fiminod · 06-21-2005, 06:40 AM

David, I pm'd you.

Argeo · 06-21-2005, 06:57 AM

Not getting you Zeek?

I get the bottom out the window in frame part but after that you lost me.

Thanks.

Tim Hancock · 06-21-2005, 07:09 AM

If the seal does slide onto the lower pinchweld far enough, and as you work the cord up the sides, by the time you get to the top he is stating that the glass will be too high to allow the seal to engage the pinchweld at the top. I did not have any issues with this allthough I can see that it could happen. Just use plenty of lube and as you rope the seal at the bottom, just try to put some pressure on the glass in a downward fashion to keep the seal from popping back over the pinchweld at the bottom. If you lube it well the glass will pull itself in just fine in most cases. If the seal pops off the pinchweld during the install, no big deal, just start over by re-roping the the whole thing and start over. This will make more sense once you try it. I fretted over this myself until I actually tried it and was succesful putting in the back glass by myself due to my slave labor (AKA daughters) not being home at the time.

Argeo · 06-21-2005, 07:22 AM

Thanks Tim for the explanation. All clear.

David

Argeo · 06-23-2005, 05:00 AM

Just want to say a big thanks to Len (Fiminod) for helping me with my front windshield installation. Jeez, how many favors due I owe now, uhm something like 432 I believe.

Now for informational purposes:
Not sure if it was luck or not, but the time we actually got it in we tried it a bit different. First we did the rope trick starting at the top middle instead of the bottom and secondly, we used glycerine on the gap that the rope fed into. Coincidence, I don't know.

David