According to the FSM, there are supposed to be some heating wires embedded in the adhesive that retains the W/S to the body. I can't see them. I am looking on the outside of the left hand pillar after removing the trim. I do not know if this is a replacement W/S or factory. If it is a replacement--do they have the heating wires, or is that factory only.

Is piano wire. or hot knife the next best way to remove the W/S? I don't care if I break it. I am removing to make sure there is no rust before I repaint. The W/S is so full of sand pits that I will not reinstall it. The dash pad cover is poorly glued, and I want to see if I can remove and reinstall that, too-- so removing the W/S makes that job easier, too.
Any other removal tips/ advice appreciated.

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

I was under the opinion that the wires imbedded in the seal were used one time and cut off after installing the glass and heating the seal

The heating wire is factory / very old replacement. They're glued in with conventional windshield glue now.

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1991 350SDL. 230,000 miles (new motor @ 150,000). Blown head gasket

Tesla Model 3. 205,000 miles. Been to 48 states!
Past: A fleet of VW TDIs.... including a V10,a Dieselgate Passat, and 2 ECOdiesels.
2014 Cadillac ELR
2013 Fiat 500E.

So, assuming ( danger!) that the W/S has been replaced in the past 30 + years, I can stop looking for the heater wires.
What is the best removal technique left? Hot knife or piano wire, or BFH?

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

Having pulled bunches of gasketed / glued WS, here is what I do to remove glued glass.

I use mig welding wire ( I might try thin aircraft cable next time ) , 2 vise grips and a multi tap 6 volt battery charger.

Make a bathroom stop first! ( really )

Remove exterior / exterior WS trim, cover the dash.

Work the corners first, this reduces the chance of breakage! Starting about 3 inches from the top corner and working from the inside, poke a small hole in the sealer between the WS and pinch weld. Do the same about 3 inches down on the side. From the outside feed some wire through the top hole, do the same for the side hole.

Connect the free end of the wire to vise grips then clamp the battery charger turn the power on at a low setting. What you are doing is heating the wire so it melts the sealer. Work the wire back and forth to cut the glue, be very careful that the wire does not get caught between the 2 layers of glass.

After you cut all 4 corners, work the bottom / top sides. Do not pull the glass if it is stuck, it will break. You might have to recut some areas as they might have stuck back together.

Where you cut the sealer depends on how much work you are going to do. Cutting between the glass / sealer bond will allow you to put new sealer on the old sealer then drop the WS in. But, you risk nicking the edge of the glass.

If you cut against the sealer / pinch weld, you will have to repaint the steel to prevent rust. ( Not painting is a trick low end installers use to keep costs low. )

The mig wire will sometimes break and need replaced, short wire needs less power. The wire should not be glowing red, just hot enough so it oozes through the sealer.

There are some glass installer sites on the net, but they state that they don't accept posts from " home installers ". However that has to be good info in the posts.

I just got a WS for my 91 300SL today $ 134.99 ( I picked it up ) from windshieldstogo. They have warehouses all over the US. Pilkington is the parent company, the WS I got was from China ( ack ), but it tons better than paying $ 1,000 + for OE glass.

Using my area for pricing

Glass only $ 122.05
Glass and install $ 225.05

Thanks all. I will be doing this, soon. Not this weekend, but soon. I am trashing the W/S, so except for the mess, I don't really care if it breaks--which probably insures that I get it out in one piece.
'

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags