can ya point out glass swapping threads?

[vstech]

I gotta get some glass for my 84 300D Manual euro, and I have a donor 240 to pull from.
what's the best way to get the glass out without damaging it?
also, on the car with the broken out windows, how best to get out the PERFECT condition rubber?

[Billybob]

Originally Posted by vstech

I gotta get some glass for my 84 300D Manual euro, and I have a donor 240 to pull from.
what's the best way to get the glass out without damaging it?
also, on the car with the broken out windows, how best to get out the PERFECT condition rubber?

Originally Posted by vstech

I gotta get some glass for my 84 300D Manual euro, and I have a donor 240 to pull from.
what's the best way to get the glass out without damaging it?
also, on the car with the broken out windows, how best to get out the PERFECT condition rubber?

Your asking about the front and rear windshields I assume!

Front:

Loosen the trim going down the exterior A pillars, a couple screws along side the windshield and then use a sharp edged block of nylon/plastic or hard wood to push the anodized trim up along the gutter enough to allow you to swing it out of the way on one side or the other. Remove the wiper arms. In the cabin remove the A-pillar cover and the cover between the sunroof and the top of the windshield after removing the visors and rear view mirror.

With everything out of the way get two flat blade screw drivers, one regular size and one large one. If they are well used without sharp edges or corners that's best. Take the large screwdriver and from inside the vehicle with both hand holding it put the tip onto the rubber seal's inside feather edge about half way from the edge. Then push the whole screwdriver sideways holding the tip to that rubber so you move the innermost edge of the rubber enough to get it to slip behind the opening's sheet metal edge. The edge of the rubber will catch behind the sheet metal effectively now outside the car. grab the smaller screwdriver and use that to hold the rubber in that position, if you pull the large screwdriver out with nothing holding the rubber there it will likely just pop back inside. Then move about an inch or two along the opening and repeat the pushing of the rubber edge outwards. After a couple inches it will stay to the outside and you just move along pushing the rubber outwards tucking it outside behind the sheet metal opening. You only need the top edge and a little more than 1/2 of the seal along the A-pillars pushed out and you can lift the entire windshield with the seal around it out of the opening. Once you get it loose enough, get outside the car, gently swing that exterior A-pillar trim out of the way and lift out and up from the windshield top edge while at the same time lifting the bottom edge up and out of the opening.

Get it completely out and stand it up somewhere where it won't get kicked or fall over. Many of these 123 cars will be rusted in the channel along the bottom edge, so you might need a little work done before you put glass back in.

Rear windshield is the same basically its just thinner glass so you need to be more careful. Don't forget the rear defroster electric connections!

If your going to install the glass, clean up the seal and have it warm is always best. I take an 8" piece of 3/16"th copper tubing, run your braided nylon parachute cord through that, it allows you to stick the end of the tubing with the rope dangling out into the space where the rope goes and very easily run the rope along inside that groove by holding the tubing perpendicular to the seal groove and as you move it along the rope goes through the tube and into the groove.

Overlap the rope along the top edge so you can pull it from either side to flip the seal inward.

Get the windshield roped up, seal in place, trim in the seal, lube the seal's inside feather with a little with liquid soap of KY jelly. Position the windshield in the opening, you really need at least one person and two is even better to hold it and apply steady pressure to it as you get inside and pull the rope. Start on one side as the rope will be pulled towards the center because the overlap, grab the other end and pull that, you will pull both ends of the rope and the seal will flip in along the opening's top edge. Have you assistants push the entire windshield upwards into the opening and keep pressure on the upper corners as you pull the ropes one at a time down the A-pillars. Have the assistants put pressure on the bottom corners as you get down there, then pressure along the bottom edge as you pull the rope across that from both sided at the same time. Usually you can shove the windshield around a little to get everything tight, look closely along the inside edge that the seal has flipped inside along its entire length, if not you can use a hooked tool to flip any small sections that didn't.

Use a long block of plastic or hardwood to set the gutter trim back down in place and reinstall the screws that secure the A-pillar exterior trim.


I would practice removing the glass from the car where it's cracked first, at least you don't have to worry about slipping and cracking it! Just be careful as it is almost free that you have a helper or two to lift the glass up onto its edge so that it doesn't collapse and bend the trim when it does.

[vstech]

I wish I could practice on a simply cracked window... both front and back got smashed in with a crowbar or something. totally blown out rear, and the front has a hole you could crawl through.

[Billybob]

Originally Posted by vstech

I wish I could practice on a simply cracked window... both front and back got smashed in with a crowbar or something. totally blown out rear, and the front has a hole you could crawl through.

Well I meant just to get the feel of flipping back the seal, I'm right handed so I use my left hand near the tip of the screwdriver to pull it it the direction you want it to go and the right hand to apply enough pressure to keep traction of the tip on the rubber and to give it to push at the end of that movement to get the edge to fold outside the sheet metal. It's really quite simple and easy you just don't want to get careless and not pay attention so you let the screwdriver's tip slip off the rubber as you lean into it and dink the glass your planning on using! You can use something like an MB nylon wedge tool so you don't have to worry about hitting the glass with steel but I find the tip is too wide and the tool itself is too short.