Ive got an 81 year old windshield frame off my 28 Tudor (ford) for the life of me I cannot get it apart, any ideas as to how to get it apart? I soaked the screws with PB-Blaster for over 6 months, heated them no luck.. ended up drilling them all out because they were so froze up (rusted in place) still cannot get the frame to seperate. any one got a picture of what these look like un-assembled? I need to install new windshield glass, but this old frame will not budge
on mine i had to bust out the glass and hammer a wide chisel on the bottom track where the glass sits,real close to the corner.hope that made sense
Glass is out..from what i can tell the top of the frame is what seperates from the rest of the frame..
I dont think the Plymouth windshields or the frames for that matter are the same design as the fords.
Did you try heating the sides upper ends to expand them from the top cross piece if they dont pull apart or hammer apart then,try to fill the channel where the glass sits and use a small bottle jack to seperate them...work from side to side with jack. the top piece needs to come straight up...not angle up..my2c
Been trying just this..no luck so far..although the first time i tried pushing the top frame off with a bottle jack it started to bend the top frame near the corner..because the guides for the top frame will not let go (guides that go down inside the side frames will not release for some reason, probably rusted and swelled up too much)
Bottle jack my ass, quite beeing such a pussy, grab it with both hands and pull. Ok, I'm sorry for the bottle jack comment
Thats why I said to heat the outside of the frames to expand it away from the part of the top frame that sticks down in it....Or maybe you do not have all the threads or screws drilled completely out....
I just knew you would come on here and solve all my problems...lol afternoon Grits..hows it coming along?
pretty sure i got em all one in the front on the window frame, two inside next to each other on the side near the top..(this is for each side..total 6 screws) sound about right? im going to set this bitch on fire soon..just to see what happens..that should be enough heat ...right?
When all else fails..order a new frame...not being a wise ass just considering your time and frustration
Yeah, Ive thought of this too..may come down to it. but the original frames are built better , or so im told. hell , if it will not behave for me, i may just cut it at each top corner,(with a thin saw blade) and tig or weld it back up after the window is back in it.. will not make a difference until i need to remove the glass again..if ever
Doing good brother and you? I feel your pain with that windshield, kinda had the same thing here, I just kept monkey'n with it and wammo one day it just let go. I'll PM you this evening after work. Take care
i tried welding a crappy windshield frame back together with the glass in it once....the glass did not come to well. the whole mess ended up scrap i have a new aluminum repo frame in my `28 tudor....it was great to work with, but expensive even back 13-14 years ago. how much are they now?
hangin in there brother. I messed around with it 6 months ago knowing it had to come apart..I let it sit in PB-juice for 6 friken months..sprayed it again before attempting to un screw all the screws..no luck soooo I pulled out the drill motor and drilled out all the screws..Bitch still wouldnt budge so I heated it up..and added more PB-blaster..still no joy. heated it up and tried the bottle jack idea..same story..sucker is still holding stong I think the metal guides that go down along the side rails (inside) have swollen and have a death grip on the window frame.. if this next attempt to get it apart dont work..its getting cut!
the nice ones are like 4 hundred i think...no f-ing way im going that route..but the steel "original style ones are like 200 at sac. ford. bummer is..this one is nice..and clean..and original. Just gotta get it apart.. you can bet i will find a way to get it apart before i pay 200 bucks. just hope i dont screw it up getting it apart
Get rid of all of the rust with big tub and vinegar? I have used vinegar to free up some stuff that wold not move otherwise.
i know ply are different,but the same idea,gotta hit it with the hammer and chisle right at the corner where the inner brace is,one good wack is what it took on mine.also ruined my model a by welding one up with a tack weld after doing the cut method.if you cut it you might be able to drive the peices farther down into the channel and put a new corner brace in
i really dont want to go beating on it too much..they are not made for that kind of abuse..i know if i go to smacking on it..i will definetly end up with junk and have no choice but to spend the money on a re-pop frame. if i can get the corrosion build up off the square pegs that go down each side from the corners, it should part fairly easy..Im going to try to be patient about this, and save me the $$
Soaking in phosphoric acid will eat the rust out and perhaps free it up for you. I've been using it on my 51 truck with pretty good success. Here's a before/after of the radiator support.
ive used phos.acid before..it does a nice job, and it does something to the metal to protect it from further corrosion..I got a small bottle of it in the shop..another good idea thanks
The frame itself is in good to very good condition, very little surface rust on the inside edges.. but down deep in the inside of it all its hard to say, Im sure the "pegs" from the top frame down into the side frames were never painted, so thats where its rusted tight.
if you get yours apart before me, let me know how it goes. if you go home tonight and remove 6 screws and it comes right apart..dont tell me, I may end up slitting my writs I will try to find this thread when i get it apart, or what ever i end up doing to show why it was such a bastard getting it to come apart
Hot vinegar will boil out the rust, but anything steel around the area will be rusty within hours. 50/50 vinegar and water over open fire outside away from other metals should work , but oil right away to keep rust from reforming.
Get a pair of those cheap Craftsman Bar clamps, the type where you pull the pistol grip to tighten the up. They dis-assemble, take the removable end off and move the the adjusting end to the other end return the removed piece to the other from where it came from. You just converted a clamp to an expander. Place one in either corner and tighten away. Give it a shot of heat and PB. Let it sit with force on it, come back later, tighten handle and give her another shot of heat and PB. REPEAT, REPEAT, Good luck.
Ahhh..nice idea..If the Phos. Acid or vinegar ideas dont get it..I'll give this a shot. or combine all 3 and send this dam frame to its knees
I am not to sure if I would try the Phos. acid or vinegar. The windshield frame is hollow and once that stuff gets inside, I don't know if and how you would neutralize and prevent future rust. Bad enough they rust from the inside out with general exposure to water. Even if you get it neutralized how to you prevent future rust out? Beside dipping them in paint or something?
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