Itinerant Air-Cooled

**locate a replacement windshield before undertaking this operation**

Quick Leak Repair If You Like Your Seal
Glue 22ga speaker wire around the perimeter of the glass to swell the seal out just enough to stop leaks. I used 3M weatherstrip adhesive going about a foot at a time. Cut to length at your last glue run.

a) remove wipers, visors and pull inside rear view mirror right out. Get your lanolin (Go-Jo) waterless hand cleaner out and pry the inside rubber back so you can run a lubrication lap around the inside edge of the windshield seal. Start at the upper corner where you can pull the rubber back with a finger. Slather along the headliner! Push carefully at the top right of the windshield distributing as much force broadly as your two hands will allow. All you want is to see the seal move. Work the movement towards the center of the car and down towards the dash. Do the same on the left side. The lanolin will work in a bit. Now push the windshield out at the top corner and along the side and the top towards the center with both hands and see if you can find a spot to push the inside bead of the seal past the pinch weld. Push and pry simultaneously across the top. Once the windshield has released the seal along the top, you will note that the seal sides are holding the windshield just fine so you can hop out and pull the glass outwards at the sides and pick up off the car. Set aside.

b) Clean the windshield channel, or replace if horrendous. BobD's had two minor rust spots at spot welds (this car was poorly put together! I don't think the assembly line was giving half a damn at the end of the model run, the spot weld divots were razor sharp, the channel was wavy as all get out and it looks like the metal edges were not correctly aligned when the spot welder came slamming through) :



c) Clean off any old rough splatter of headliner glue and wax the upper surround, then rust-catalyzer prime any rust spots and the lower channel along the pinchweld (both sides) and give it 24 hours to cure. Topcoat with either vehicle's paint or anything else if you are keeping it hidden under the seal. Apply carnauba wax to help the seal find its home during installation:


d) Remove seal from glass, carefully if you have the deluxe trim. Only glue 22ga speaker wire along the perimeter of the windshield if you are reusing an otherwise nice supple seal that has indeed leaked already. It is a laborious task with lots of glue/set/wait-ing, but no more leaks is fun, too.

e) Clean seal! The reason these seals leak other than contraction due to exposure, is that the seal grooves slowly fill up with dirt. Eventually, like bald tires hydroplaning in the rain, the unit pressure of seal against body drops below water's ability to wick. By cleaning the grooves, you regain some pressure/traction. I scrubbed the seal squeaky clean inside and out and through each groove. Let dry in the sun where warmth will help keep it supple.



f) Install trim in seal groove if you have deluxe model. Be very careful not to twist the trim. Blob on lanolin hand cleaner inside the glass groove of the seal. Start the seam of the seal at the exact center of the upper run of glass and work it around equally. The last corner requires gentle strong persistance (especially when you are baby-sitting the chrome moulding). Now set the rest of the speaker wire in the body channel of the windshield seal along the top and down the sides. Run it around the bottom corners about 2" and tape the speaker wire to the glass where you can reach from inside the car. Do NOT criss cross the wire and run it all the way across the bottom. We want the bottom channel free.

g) From the outside, set the windshield on the bottom pinchweld and find the groove. The windshield will settle into the groove. Center in the opening by test pushing the sides. You can reach in the door openings and feel the rubber at the bottom edge of the windshield from inside, pull it with your finger and slide the seal edge up over the pinchweld and up the sides towards the headliner as you gently remind the windshield to stay put with your other hand on the outside. I got an easy foot up the left side, walked over to the right and pulled the seal edge up the right pinchweld run a good 8". Now the windshield is in place save for the top. Stand on the bumper and firmly push the seal/glass down and in. It will likely say no. Go back to each side from inside the car and pull the rubber up with a finger under the edge, yes it will pinch you a bit as it pulls over the pinchweld, but endeavor to reach the headliner on both sides. Now go push the seal/glass in along the top again as much as you can.

h) Pull both sides of the speaker wire simultaneously towards the inside rear view mirror and watch that headliner! The glass will suck in as the seal finally makes it entirely over the inside of the pinchweld.

i) Push the entire outside of the seal in towards the body firmly. You are trying to get the grooves of the seal to slip towards the "seat' of the windshield channel. Reinstall the wipers, visors, and inside rear view mirror, clean the glass, and check weather proofing at the car wash.



This work is worth the pain and the cost just to see out a clear windshield and to know that the front of the car will stay dry.
Colin

I am going to have to call "horse pucky" on this one Colin.

I know you are Colin (the bus guru and the finest bus mechanic I know), but I fail to see how it can be done with just one mortal human being. The laws of physics are working against you.

So in short, even with 2 of us working on it gently with new German seals warmed up in front of the salamander heater, I broke the windshield. It is difficult to find "nice warm Florda sunshine" here in Maine in April. I am going to watch the "windshield replacement guy" when he comes to do it. I will be secretly taking notes on how they do it.

Window installation has never been my strong suit, and is not likely to ever be. Just the way it is, I guess.

Randy in Maine wrote: So in short, even with 2 of us working on it gently with new German seals warmed up in front of the salamander heater, I broke the windshield.

Tell me EXACTLY the instant it broke and what you were doing. Oh, and read:
http://itinerant-air-cooled.com/viewtop ... =65&t=9438

Installed the new one with no problem single-handedly no tools.
Colin

Randy, when I did with my son it was not hot out either. It would be really tough for one guy to do it with lots of running around pushing here and there slowly to get it in but I do think you could do it. With two of us going slowly it took an hour to get it in and of course my son (27 yrs old) kept saying "sh*t dad, this isn't going to fit" until it slowly sucked in to place. I found a guy who had a 10 year old New PPG windshield in his stash of parts (mostly bug stuff) so thats how I got my new glass.
Yes, the best part now it driving in the rain and no leaks!!

Photoshop?

Well we put the windshield in the new seal and ran the "weedwacker" line along the top and down 2/3 of the way along the sides. Lubed and heated the seal. Dropped it into the bottm lip and every time we tried to get the seal up along the sides, it would pull out of the other side since it is a curved glass. We had about 1/2" of seal exposure along the top. Since we could not get it to go in and remain seated along both side lips, we opted to try to get it to start along the passenger's side first and to get that side in, but the drivers side was no longer making contact with the side lip. As I was pushing the whole window down from outside, it broke from the top at almost the center line, but the drivers side was still out about 1/2" at the bottom drivers curve point.

Upon hearing it break, I immediately knew it was not a good sign.

I am going to call the local PPG glass guy on Monday and see what he can do and when he can do it.

I worked my way up both sides slowly keeping them evenly distanced, then work the top starting at the middle and working across. Once the seal was half assed in place everywhere we started over again at the bottom and working the seal into the frame. I finally slid into position while my son was still saying "I told you its not going to fit". Use lots of lube

I figured if I did it your way that the glass would break as it has very little flex to it, some but not enough if you install one side and then the other with that much curve to the glass.

Well the windshield guy came out with my new one. He showed me a couple of tricks. $200 installed.

1) He was impressed with the new German seals or "gaskets" as he referred to them. Very tight. He told me that used gaskets are a lot easier to get in. He uses no lube and when colder than here ~60º, he likes to warm them up on the defroster of his lousy Astro AWD van. He always puts the seam at the bottom center of the window, no reason he just always does.

2) Instead of my "095" weedwacker line, he used a 1/4 piece of nylon rope, starting at the seam now on the bottom, and overlapping by about 3".

3) He starts at the bottom of the windshield, sort of sawing it into the pinchweld untill it gets a nice start.

4) He had a suction cup gizmo sort of like this...that allows you to "pump it up" and more importantly allows you to pull the glass in a lot. Amazing how much the glass will bend.

http://www.toolocity.com/images/product ... 8858B1.jpg

5) So he started at the bottom and pulled the ropes out on both sides, about 1/2 way up the sides. The suction cup allowed him to pull the glass inward to get the seal over the lip all of the way around.

6) To work the seal better he would use his suction cup and tap with an open hand (no palm) the outside of the glass.

Took about 40 minutes.

His little "tool" looked like a piece of my wife's teflon spatula but only a "finger" of it about 6" long and 3/4" wide. Plastic, no metal, to work the seal over the pinch weld as needed.

He ended up getting in one of the side windows that we were unable to get in completley. Again the suction cup gizmo was quite helpful with me thumb pushing from the outside while he was inside, to get a good tight seal all the way around. Just that window took him about 1/2 hour and I tipped him $50 for doing it right.

He told me to wash the car and to observe if there were any leaks. If so, to call him and he would come and fix any.

So I was wrong Colin. It can be done by one person alone.

Just not me.

I'm just a mere mortal and I took the windshield glass out and put it back in by myself on my bus. It's really not that hard IMHO.

RSorak 71Westy wrote:I'm just a mere mortal and I took the windshield glass out and put it back in by myself on my bus. It's really not that hard IMHO.

I have been around the block enough times to note that it is as simple as can be ... sometimes, and it is a complete horror other times ... Depends on the dimensions of new seal or new piece of glass.
A simple r&r of existing glass/seal, though, can be pretty simple.
Colin

That's good to know. I have to pull my windshield due to a leak and a rust bubble pushing the seal slightly out. Also gotta fix that Beetle windshield once and for all.
Is there a procedure for saving the seal and not breaking the windshield? Where do you start prying the seal? If I remember, it's from the inside.
I'll bet it's a lot easier with help though.

hambone wrote:That's good to know. I have to pull my windshield due to a leak and a rust bubble pushing the seal slightly out. Also gotta fix that Beetle windshield once and for all.
Is there a procedure for saving the seal and not breaking the windshield? Where do you start prying the seal? If I remember, it's from the inside.
I'll bet it's a lot easier with help though.

My windshield procedure is exactly what you and I wanted as far as reusing the seal, I only broke my windshield due to an easily avoidable error.
Subsequent removal has been no problem. As written in the procedure, you start where you can get a finger under the lip and lather that inside surface up with lanolin hand cleaner along the sides and top, do not worry about the bottom.
Colin

Facing the facts of post overnight rain mystery puddles in the steps of each door's foot step.up pocket, and a non mystery sighted drip near center in passenger foot place,and running without carpet or water loving under padding for long enough time to be putting windshield R&R back on the LIVE to do list.
Knowing some water sneaks into the cabin since I did small sill patch& replacement of old "ropegasket& stock windshield with PPG glass product installation in 2009.
Is the neat 16 gauge zip cord pack out idea the planned tactic for stopping leaks?
The write up looks thourough, suprise meter accordingly, reads zero.
thanks,circular driving itinerant one.

Boxcar wrote: Is the neat 16 gauge zip cord pack out idea the planned tactic for stopping leaks?

If the seal is pliable and healthy, yes, it will help. It is an annoying operation. I used 22g double speaker wire in the Squareback:

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=3943#p62503

Colin

Um, if it was not annoying or tedious every fool could do it?
22G Speakerwire/CHECK

Boxcar wrote:Um, if it was not annoying or tedious every fool could do it?
22G Speakerwire/CHECK

This fool was trapped to the flypaper of idiocy. The wires must be cut and joined perfectly. I used a severe angle between the edges for overlapping sealing security, meaning, do not cut the ends of the wires straight across, but at a 30* angle lets say. Let the adhesive set fully . . . then install the rubber then into the car.
Did that make sense?
Colin