Windshield frame rubber strip....

[Kevin T]

Greetings all,

I'm in the process of attempting to change out my windshield glass from a ratty frame to a better one. I have a new rubber strip that wraps around the windshield, but there's no way in hell it's ever going to allow me to insert the glass into the metal frame, due to the thickness of the rubber. Is there a special trick to this, or has anyone used other methods of sealing the glass in place inside the metal frame...??? Dare I say "silicone sealant"????

Any help is very much appreciated...

[Don Elliott]

Forget the rubber strip. It's too thick and you can't fold it sharply around the two bottom corners and it won't stay in place when you are fumbling with the assembly of it all. My original tape was not rubber, but was a fabric tape, black in colour. It looked like canvas that had been imprecnated with tar or black rubber. It was not stretchy. Instead of the rubber, get a new roll of black vinyl electrical tape. Put one layer of tape all around the glass. Centralize the tape on the edge and then bend it down each face as you would do with the rubber. Since the tape is stretchy and sticky on one side, it will remain flat and it will stay in place. Then do this for a second layer. Most times a third layer will be required, but check the clearance you still have after the 2nd layer to see if a third layer is needed. It depends on the thickness of the tape that you have. Then put it in the chrome frame, finish the assembly and then using a sharp hobby knife, trim off the excess tape that you don't want to have showing.

 

Let us know how it works out.

 

http://www.britishcarforum.com/bcforum/pho....php/photo/1919

[Kevin T]

Thanks, Don. I also had the cloth type strip on mine. I ended up using something called Rubber Splicing Tape. It's stretchy rubber similar to what I had, but about half as thick. The glass pushed into the frame very nicely. And I thought that was the hard part, until I got to putting the outer sealing rubber on the top and bottom of the frame. Jeez, what a job and a half. However, the whole set-up is now on the car and I'm quite happy that something more was accomplished over the weekend. The OD tranny.......well, that's a different story....

Thanks again for your reply,

Kevin

 

quote name='Don Elliott' date='Apr 8 2007, 10:58 AM' post='63956']

Forget the rubber strip. It's too thick and you can't fold it sharply around the two bottom corners and it won't stay in place when you are fumbling with the assembly of it all. My original tape was not rubber, but was a fabric tape, black in colour. It looked like canvas that had been imprecnated with tar or black rubber. It was not stretchy. Instead of the rubber, get a new roll of black vinyl electrical tape. Put one layer of tape all around the glass. Centralize the tape on the edge and then bend it down each face as you would do with the rubber. Since the tape is stretchy and sticky on one side, it will remain flat and it will stay in place. Then do this for a second layer. Most times a third layer will be required, but check the clearance you still have after the 2nd layer to see if a third layer is needed. It depends on the thickness of the tape that you have. Then put it in the chrome frame, finish the assembly and then using a sharp hobby knife, trim off the excess tape that you don't want to have showing.

 

Let us know how it works out.

 

http://www.britishcarforum.com/bcforum/pho....php/photo/1919

 

[BrianC]

I ended up using something called Rubber Splicing Tape. It's stretchy rubber similar to what I had, but about half as thick. The glass pushed into the frame very nicely. And I thought that was the hard part, until I got to putting the outer sealing rubber on the top and bottom of the frame. Jeez, what a job and a half.

The rubber splicing tape is probably similar to the self-amalgamating tape used in hose repair kits (which I carry in all our cars - useful for all kinds of repairs).

Castrol (red) rubber grease is the best way to get the seals in. Failing that, washing-up liquid or Swarfega.

[stuart]

I have just replaced a windscreen on one of my customers TR2 and used the seal sold by TR Shop without any thickness problem although it is entertaining trying to keep it in place as you assemble it! Healy 3000s have a similar type of seal and the one supplied for them was made of a sort of slimy rubber that required wiping over with petrol which would then stick to the screen making assembly much easier. Seal was obtained from SC Parts.

The reason for the difficulty in fitting the the seals on the top and bottom of the screens is that they have a slightly larger "T" section than the originals making the job a real pain in the a**e, typical repro part problem again.

Stuart.

[BrianC]

The reason for the difficulty in fitting the the seals on the top and bottom of the screens is that they have a slightly larger "T" section than the originals making the job a real pain in the a**e, typical repro part problem again.

For once (just for once) it's probably unfair to complain about the repros - the original StanPart rubbers were a pig to fit anyway - that's how I found the solution (no pun intended) many moons ago.

[stuart]

For once (just for once) it's probably unfair to complain about the repros - the original StanPart rubbers were a pig to fit anyway - that's how I found the solution (no pun intended) many moons ago.

Funny you should say that Brian as the last lot of Stanpart top and bottom rubbers i fitted went in a treat. Unfortunately as they were 40 yr old original stock they didnt last very long!!

Stuart.

[BrianC]

Funny you should say that Brian as the last lot of Stanpart top and bottom rubbers i fitted went in a treat. Unfortunately as they were 40 yr old original stock they didnt last very long!!

Stuart.

After 40 years I started to find that many things shrink and don't last as long as they used to

[martin]

Don't know if this is too late for you or not.

Fitting a new windshield glass is the only job I have vowed never, ever to attempt again. I ended up covered in washing-up liquid and black sealant while lying sobbing on the floor. But I did it in the end. I then screwed in a hood fitting peg, heard a little click and saw a crack slowly spread across the new glass. My reaction cannot be described here. I bought another glass and phoned a windshield fitter in the yellow pages. When he returned the screen he was very red around the eyes and said little.

The problem is that the original rubber was U shaped with thin sides and thick bottom so fitted onto the glass during handling and spaced the glass away from the edge of the frame. The rubber supplied with my glass was flat - too thick to fit with the glass but too thin to pack away from the frame.

My advice is:

enlist several pairs of hands,

use rubber packs glued in to keep the glass away from the pegs and other screws

or get someone else to do it for you.

Good luck.

[stuart]

Don't know if this is too late for you or not.

Fitting a new windshield glass is the only job I have vowed never, ever to attempt again. I ended up covered in washing-up liquid and black sealant while lying sobbing on the floor. But I did it in the end. I then screwed in a hood fitting peg, heard a little click and saw a crack slowly spread across the new glass. My reaction cannot be described here. I bought another glass and phoned a windshield fitter in the yellow pages. When he returned the screen he was very red around the eyes and said little.

The problem is that the original rubber was U shaped with thin sides and thick bottom so fitted onto the glass during handling and spaced the glass away from the edge of the frame. The rubber supplied with my glass was flat - too thick to fit with the glass but too thin to pack away from the frame.

My advice is:

enlist several pairs of hands,

use rubber packs glued in to keep the glass away from the pegs and other screws

or get someone else to do it for you.

Good luck.

Martin that is a perenial problem with the hood pegs, the secret is to fit them first to the screen frame and then check around inside to see if the screw thread is protruding then carefully file them off until they are flush. Also be careful with the length of the screws that fix the pillars to the screen as it is easy to do the same with them.

Stuart.

[john minchin]

The trick here is to use a number of large sash clamps as used for wood working. I use the the flat rubber strip and the job is remarkably easy. Machine Mart sell them.

 

My first effort was 3 grown men hitting with hammers and loads of washing up liquid.

 

I can not now recommend washing up liquid as it is full of salt.

 

I too have cracked a lovely new windscreen with the roof studs, my exclaimation was also 'special'. You need to grind them off very short.