Half a dozen failed windshield install attempts...

[69chevytrucker]

i paid a mobile glass guy to do my front window and he broke the first one when it was 95% in but he got it in on the second try in about 20 min and it only cost me about $250 and he supplied the glass and gasket. he used a metal hook type tool to pull the rubber in as he went along i would never give it a go too nervous i would just get the pros to do it

[Jrainman]

I was going to attempt this myself ,but I decided to call a Mobile glass company to come to my home and do the install , Gasket and tinted glass 230.00 installed .well worth it.

[davepl]

We're going to give it another shot tomorrow, and if that fails, I'll tow it in to a local glass shop that has a good rep with older stuff.

One point: I have reproduction trim. Now granted the window that was in there was installed with it, but the L channel seems a touch too shallow. I went back to my original trim (2 of the 3 pieces anyway) and we'll see if that helps at all as well.

[Cape Codder]

Put some sunglasses on and drive it down to the glass shop.

[D.PASSMORE]

These can be a PIA. I had a AM glass that bowed out along the top. Never would install correctly. I purchased another AM brand it fit a much better. I think Wes at classic heartbeat sells PPG windshields, if your need a sure fit glass.

[davepl]

If it's helpful to anyone:

I have PPG and OER, they look about the same. OER is a touch wider, but they're the same height. The PPG is a little thicker.

[NoNeck]

Dave, I feel your pain.

We had a reputable glass shop install a windshield purchased from them and a Precision gasket. Our truck had the wide trim and was original to the truck. After repeated attempts to install the windshield the glass shop guys gave up. They called in an expert (old guy) and he came out to give it a try. He had the windshield installed 30 minutes later.

He did several extra steps that the rookies missed:
He put the windshield gasket out in the sun to make it softer.
He used a TON of soapy water in the channel for the trim.
He worked the "L" shape completely into the rubber and made sure all corners lined up.
He used a super thin rope in the channel and worked the gasket into the pinch weld from the inside a few inches at a time.

Maybe this will help you.

POP

[davepl]

Thanks! Our major challenge has been getting the window to lay flat enough against the opening to be pulled in. Because it appears too tall, when it's in at the bottom it's WAY out at the top, and vice versa. So it all goes fine until you get about half way up (or down) the A-pillar and then it's just too 'far' for the seal to jump the gap.

What about vaseline in the pinch welds? Other than I'm worried petroleum jelly could ruin the rubber seal, it sounds like a good idea.

[BLT gmc]

When i replaced my windshield, it also appeared to be way too tall. I used myself on the inside and a helper on the outside. Once we got the bottom down in the bottom of the gasket it fit well. We used a full can of windshield cleaner in the groove as a lubricant. It did take quite a bit of effort to get the glass down it place. Good Luck. Bruce.
IMO i would avoid petroleum, the glass cleaner leaves no residue and is safe with rubber.
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[Woody]

Was showing a friend that works for Safelite Glass my truck the other day and he was looking at the windshield I installed several years ago. He said he always Gojo'ed up the gasket to get them in on these trucks.

[davepl]

Managed to get it 95% in last night. I'll still take it in for them to "redo" it as our stainless popped out of the corners near the very end :-(

But at least I know the glass sort of fits. Even with the seal seated properly on both sides of the pinch weld it seemed like the glass still needed to come "up" and sit into the channel, but that it was too tall.

That might answer part of the "too tall" question though - perhaps it sits ON the pinch welds, and not between them. That way it doesn't need to be small enough to fit through the hole and it's not.

So, it's possible. This particular truck is a serious bear though compared to any others the people who've worked on it have run into for some reason!

[Grumpy old man]

It's not the glass , who installed the last one ?

[davepl]

Originally Posted by Grumpy old man

It's not the glass , who installed the last one ?

Well, that last shop (a glass shop in WI) said they belt-sanded the glass to get it to fit. So in that sense, it was the glass, but I didn't need to modify the glass. I have the last 3 pieces that have been in this truck and compared them. The original (unknown brand) was the thickest, followed by the OER, followed by the Pilkington. The OER seems about 1/4" wider than the Pilkington but the same height.

My OER arrived with a defect in the laminate, so check yours carefully. In my case it was hidden under the shipping bumper.

I have the name somewhere, but in brief it was "the glass shop that the autobody shop I used for paint sub-contracted the glass to".

[Grumpy old man]

A glass shop installing a windshield for a high dollar restoration shop told you the owner they had to "belt sand the windshield" to get it to fit ? Wow ! I'm sure you'll get it all squared away no problem .

[D.PASSMORE]

Your bringing back nightmares of my install. Once I got it to fit in a decent way, I massaged it for quite awhile with little blue plastic tools, curved pic, plastic mallet. My trim popped out on top edges too. Just worked back in with tools and flattened it a bit with soft blow plastic mallet. It finally came all together and NO LEAKS! Amen!

[midniteblues]

Hey dave, sorry to read of your troubles.

Back before I learned of this site. I broke 2 windshields(1 new one and 1 used)one trying too get them into the kids 67 with no trim.
On our 3rd attempt with another used sheild it slid rite in ezpz and in short order.

I had no experience in these in these yr trucks then . But I did succesfully manage to get one into a 77 and a 82 I had way before.

Somewhere I read on here KY jelly works good. But I don't know if it's the same ingredients as vasaline.

I have a new one sitting here for my 67, kinda been worried about the install day on that one.

[davepl]

Originally Posted by midniteblues

Somewhere I read on here KY jelly works good. But I don't know if it's the same ingredients as vasaline.

I've heard vaseline is bad for latex, they taught me that in health class I think. But I don't know about rubber, so I used a fair bit of vaseline this time around.

In some ways it made things harder, as the window slid around very easily. On the other hand it made things simpler to align and center, for example. So on a future install I'd still recommend it.

[davepl]

Originally Posted by Grumpy old man

A glass shop installing a windshield for a high dollar restoration shop told you the owner they had to "belt sand the windshield" to get it to fit ? Wow ! I'm sure you'll get it all squared away no problem .

That's how hard this truck is to install glass into. I'm not making this up, I had a witness :-)

When you're the second or third guy to deem a truck impossible, you know there's -something- off about it. Just don't know what. Maybe Jesse that I bought it from chopped the top half an inch like he said (in jest).

[crakarjax]

Any petroleum product will degrade rubber over time, so you should prefer a silicone type of lubricant instead.

[truckster]

Originally Posted by crakarjax

Any petroleum product will degrade rubber over time, so you should prefer a silicone type of lubricant instead.

Use soap or glass cleaner. Silicone will make it difficult to get a seal with butyl-based sealant if you have any leaks.

[crakarjax]

Originally Posted by truckster

Use soap or glass cleaner. Silicone will make it difficult to get a seal with butyl-based sealant if you have any leaks.

Good point, never thought of that. If there are leaks, is it common to shoot some butyl-based caulk into the seal or something?

[Cape Codder]

We used to lift the rubber with a glass stick and squeeze windshield sealant from a tube under the rubber if they leaked. As far as rubber set windshields go I have replaced a lot over the years while doing body work and I worked in a GM truck dealership in the 70's. The only one I ever broke was one of these trucks. You need to be sure the bottom is in and all the way down before trying to pull the top corners in. The 73 and up shields seemed to just drop in after dealing with 67-72's.

[truckster]

Originally Posted by crakarjax

Good point, never thought of that. If there are leaks, is it common to shoot some butyl-based caulk into the seal or something?

Yes, the recommended sealer is a flow-grade butyl sealer. The factory specified sealer at the top corners, but you don't necessarily need it. I only use it if I find a leak.

[Ochre Ogre]

Dave
When you get this worked out would you mind letting me know who you had do the install? I have fogging around my window and would like to get it replaced, but would like to find someone that knows what they are doing, including keeping the chrome trim.
Thanks

[davepl]

I'm taking it to Euroglass in Redmond, they're a high dollar shop (does all the Bentley, Mercedes, Audi stuff) but with techs old enough they still can do our trucks, and they still have the tools and knowledge to replace the glass in the quarter windows, that sort of thing.

It not that doing all the high end import stuff makes you special - but keeping that business for decades when those customers are picky, that makes you special. Anyone can do it for a while.

So I'm told, and Yelp agrees, but we shall see when they meet the test of "Dave's Truck", and I'll report back.

Drove it yesterday with the new glass in it, it's a world of difference from the tint band that was in it before! Definitely worth the hassle.