Wing Vent Window Weatherstripping

[wHATANERD]

I purchased a set of Chrome Wing Vent Windows last weekend at a local wrecking yard, The only problem is the weather stripping is shot, I've seen replacement pieces in the numerous part catalogs available for our trucks, and need to know the best was to disassemble and replace the rubber around the vent, and the felt channel for the big glass. any suggestions would be greatly appericiated,

Thank, Whatanerd

[russm57]

The wing vents are a pain. We've done all that but it's been a while. I remember you have to grind off the rivet at the pivot point and a couple of other rivets, I think at one corner. The pivot point rivet is a special rivet, not a pop rivet. You need to buy it and the tool for flaring it - even then, the one we bought didn't work as well as it should have, but we made it work. You have to do all this with the frame out of the truck. The other rivets can be replaced with pop rivets to the best of my recollection. I think the felt on the big glass just pulls out, but it may also have rivets that have to be ground out. A dremel type tool works well for this. The new felt just pops in, no rivets or screws.
Wish I could remember a little better. But get in there and study it. I assume you know how to get the frame assembly in and out? That in itself is a trick.

[Hutch]

wHATANERD
The pivot rivets does not have to come off when replacing the gasket. If they are in good shape just leave them intact.
I did not replace mine when I installed new gaskets, this way you save time and money cause you won't need the special tool.
You will have to drill the rivets out of the channel. They are pretty easy to replace as long as the nose of you rivet gun will fit down inside the channel.
Take one of you old vents apart for practice you will make some mistakes the first go round and you do get better at it the more you do it.
There is some pretty detailed information in the archives about this procedure; you might do a quick search to see what you come up with.

[russm57]

I stand corrected on the pivot rivets, I think. I said it had been a while, and unfortunately my truck is not here to go look at and jar my memory. We had to take those pivot rivets out for some reason though. If it wasn't to replace the rubber, I'm not sure why. If I get a chance in the next couple of days I'll look at it and write back. We're in the middle of having a new driveway poured so I have the truck parked elsewhere for a few days.

[wHATANERD]

Thanks for the replies, I'll probaly be starting the upgrade in a few days, I still need to order replacement rubber, also one of the glassed in the chrome setup is missing, and I will need to salvage the glass out of on of my existing vents. I know it's going to be difficult job. however I know I'ts going to make a dramatic inprovement in the trucks appearance. later on I also plan on having the windshield, and rear glass rubber replaced with the deluxe ubber with the chrome inserts.

whatanerd

[Blue Beard]

Have to ask, whats the pivot rivet...?

[JimKshortstep4x4]

The upper pivot point of the the vent window is a special rivet and aptly named "Pivot Rivet".

I use an old spark plug top, (the part that screws onto the spark plug) as an extender on my pop rivot gun so as to get into the channels. It works very well but a short piece of tubing will work, also. Just slide it onto the rivot and it will fit into the channel and install the rivot as normally done.

Jim

[glock35ipsc]

Good luck with this! I went the lazy mans way and just bought new vent window assemblies :p Although, my frames where pretty nasty looking on the outside and the handles were WAY worn out. Maybe I'll get around to fixing them and replacing the seals and giving them some paint.

Ah, someday............

[MOTHERTRUCKERS]

The pivot or king rivet is the rivet the wing window pivots on at the top. In my opinion when doing vent rubber replacement get the correct rivets and setting tool when you buy the rubber, they are special rivets made for vent window rubber replacement. We used to rebuild vent windows for customers before the reproductions were made. The hardest part is seating the rubber into the groove on the frame and the straight seal piece into the cups top and bottom before you rivet them in place, we found it much easier if the pivot rivet is removed first to gain a better angle in setting the rivets.

Rebuilding 2 vent windows
rechromed frames 60.00
rubber seals 39.00
rivets 5.00
rivet tool 5.00
king rivets 2.00
AGGRAVATION ????

2 reproduction complete chrome vent window assemblies shipped to your door 279.00.

[stringpickin]

Hello and Good day everyone,,

Question, Since this string is about wing windows. I have a problem. I replaced my old ones with brand new ones. They leak air like a sieve. I contacted the manufacturer and says, oh, well we tell all of our customers we cannot guarantee they won't leak air or water, that is why we recommend removing them completely and going to a full window electric set up, or seal the wing windows shut with Silicone. I could not believe my ears. And they didn't tell me that. I spent around 320 bucks for those things..

Has anyone had the same problem and then figured out how to make them work without sealing them shut? I mean come on.. Any advice about what to do about these new leaky wing window assemblies is greatly appreciated... The main reason for going with brand new ones was because I have heard they are a pain in the neck to rebuild. Plus my original posts were a little dinged up and etc..

But these new windows, Even at speeds as low as 35mph's the things leak miserable and are terribly loud. Even putting a few business cards behind the closing handle is not enough to keep the air from leaking. If I press with my finger on the front corner "hard" in I can just get the leak to stop.. Inspecting it from the outside, while parked of course. It appears that the window does come up against the rubber seal although slightly. By appearances seems like it would be enough especially if a little more pressure was applied to the inside. But apparently not...

Any advice on what can be done to fix this problem that is different from what the builder of these factory replacement windows said. Unbelievable. Maybe someone knows of an expert in rebuilding these windows, or is a great auto glass person that knows something, or maybe you have had the same problem and fixed it. I appreciate your help very much...

Hope your day is a great one

Thank you...

[chickenwing]

I rebuilt my wing windows. It was a pain. I wish I had known of the spark plug top trick. That would have eased things up a bit. I used the real rivets on most of them. Some of them I could not get to set correctly so I went with the pop rivets. Had to use rivet washers though. ....I remember the back side of the rivet would interfere with something.... Can't quite remember what. Maybe Mothertruckers could tell ya why he recommends not using the pop rivets.

My vents seal up fine. I remember when I was working on the latch you could play with the various washers on it to tighten up the seal. Dunno if I ended up doing the latch "correctly" but it does seal up nice. Maybe you could get some more of the latch hardware and tinker with it to tighten it up.

[crustysarge]

I did mine a few weeks ago, time consuming but not overly tough. I placed the window channel on 3 small spacers I cut from 1/4 or 3/8 pipe to support it and had the wife hold it while "punched" the rivets into the gasket. I used one a piece of round stock the same height as the 3 spacers to "block" the rivet while I punched it. Worke OK for me but by the time I finished the cheapo tool was shot and I barely got the pivot rivet installed correctly on the second window. The tool just mushroomed as it was cheap/soft steel.

As mentioned earlier, getting the rubber into the grooves was tough, dishwashing soap a calm mannered wife helped. I did however notice that once I installed on the truck the outer lip on the bottom fit poorly, tended to bulge out a little in one area. I left the vents closed tight for a week and now it is better. They are tough to close at first but once the rubber formed it is much better now.