Technical Someone tell me what I did wrong!

I bought a windshield seal for a '40 Coupe from Dennis Carpenter and enlisted a friend's help in installing my new windshield glass. I used a 3/16" diameter cord, lubed it with dish washing liquid, lined it all up and proceeded to try and install the glass. the first two or three inches went well as I pulled the cord and I thought I was home free, but then the seal began to tear. So, now I've got to buy another seal and start all over. Can someone tell me what I did wrong that would cause the seal to tear? Too thick on the string perhaps? Any help will be appreciated.

 

Lube the seal, lube the opening , no rough edges on the opening, and glass or opening the right size,maybe a smaller string.

Practice with your oldseal before you screw up the next one

 

try using Go-Jo hand cleaner (non pumis?) that seems to work better than dish soap. don't be afraid to be generous with it, for safety sake, you might even apply some to the pinch weld. It will clean right off. 3/16 rope is what I use. I think the package said "Clothes line rope or something to that effect. Make sure the pinch weld is smooth, de-burr any rough edges with a file. If it hooks and does not want to "flip" to the outside of the pinch weld easily, try to carefully use a blunt ended pigs tail, or take the point off a o ring hook tool and use that to coax the rubber in place. Good luck.

Fenderless

 

I 2nd the gojo suggestion no pumice. good luck

 

Lube EVERYTHING except the rope. I used to be a glass installer and we did a shit load of school buses that use a rubber gasket. I'm also assuming you had someone pressing from the outside, while you pulled the cord from the inside. They don't need to press too hard.

 

One thing you may want check before you try another install is how well the new glass fits the hole. Make sure It's not too big. Also, 3/16" cord should be all right. I think it's about what I used. For lube I used non-ammonia foaming glass cleaner.

HAMBer Gasolinescream sent me this a few years back. I followed pretty close and it all went well. I didn't use the grease though.

Glass
Gasket
Thin strong cord. Rubbed with a candle to wax it.Helps not tear rubber.
Socket extension to use as handle through loops
Pot of grease
Small brush
2 old tyres or a stand of some sorts


Get your glass stand (2 old tyres on top of eachother) and put the glass on tyres with the INSIDE of the glass facing you, ie upwards
Take your new gasket (preheated in sun or bucket of hot water) and fit around the screen and make any join in the rubber is either at the top or bottom. Use old one for reference. If not join in old one put your join in the middle bottom of the screen. Looks neater. Use your thumb and forefinger to open rubber when putting it on, you'll see what i mean.
For the next few days stick in the sun and allow the rubber to form and settle on the glass. This really helps trust me.
With the glass back on the tyres again inside of glass facing you idenify the lip of rubber that normally hooks around the bodywork.
Take your cord and insert into the lip about center bottom of the screen. Run the cord (either way doesn't matter) and when your about 2/3 of the way up the side take the cord out, double back on yourself about 3" and re-feed the cord back into the rubber, over the cord you just put in and continue along around the top side corner, to just past the center of the top of the screen.
Hopefully what you have created is a small loop of cord on the side of the glass rubber. The idea is to do the same in the center top , other side and finally the bottom where you started.
Looking at the sceen you should now have it fully roped , all the way around with a loop pretty much in the center of each side of the glass.
Next grab your pot of grease and your brush and paint a good smear of grease over the cars window aperture and then the lips of the glasses rubber that would meet the body.
Grease is hands down the best sealer and all i've ever used. Its a wet seal that won't shrink or crack, cold and warmth doesn't worry it either and also helps preserve the cars windows aperture. None of my classic car jobs have ever leaked, period and i'd argue my case anyday!
Now grab a mate or 2 and lift the glass into place. Ideally you want someone on the outside putting light pressure on the glass as you work it and holding it in place. One mate is good , 2 is better. A sucker on the inside if doing on your own does the same job but needs one of your hands.
With you on the inside start by pulling the cord (always pull towards the middle of the glass as you go around and not towards you) and work about 4-5" of rubber lipped in. Do not at any time hit the glass!!!! The rubber may just be over, it won't be fully over until the whole glass is in and located. For now you just need a good constant pressure on the glass and don't let it slide.
Then work about the same of the top in and do the same for both sides. bit more bottom, bit more top etc etc. Your aiming to suck the glass into the aperture and work it in. If you've done it right the glass shouldn't need much tapping in. If it does lightly bitch slap (very technical) it in, working it in as a unit and not one side/corner.
Once in go around the rubber and with gentle pressure push any excess grease out. Clean it up and job done.
If the glass needs to come out at a later stage the bodywork and rubber will only need a wipe and a clean to be like new, No hard sealer/silicone to scrapre off your paintwork.
Honestly if you have a little experienece with a mate you can do this. If you can't be bothered for whatever reasons at least you know a few tips about getting one done.

Good luck!!!
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Make sure the glass is not cut too large. HRP

 

Set the rubber in the sun for a while before installing.

 

I actually hate to say this but I had some Carpenter's gaskets that came with my 40, tore one putting it in (I've done a lot of them so I blamed the gasket), the other side went ok but the glass was loose. Bought Drake's, both went in easy and the glass fit well. Not a Drake's fan but seems they have a better product.

 

One thing that I have learned to do installing them by myself is to go slow, pressure on glass with one hand and as you pull the cord make circles with it. In other words don't just pull it straight.

 

On this subject, I recently removed the glasses from my 40 coupe. The windshield gaskets had a groove facing out wards with a rubber strip of about 3/16 that presses into the seal to secure it in place. It was neat set up and I would like to obtain another set of gaskets similar to these. The gaskets were made of firm rubber not at all spongy. Do these sound familiar to anyone?

 

That's what she said.......

Sorry

 

73-87 Chevy pickup, k5 blazer and suburban

 

The gag must have fallen out of her mouth. She'll be sorry.

 

Doing the same thing on my '40 tomorrow. Shop that cut the class said he only recommends Carpenter gaskets, "all the others are junk". I installed the rear windows last week, Carpenter gaskets again, but I am not happy with the way the gasket puckers around the edges. Carpenter gives you a template for the rear glass(es) but not for the front......?? Rears were such a bitch to install I decided to let a "professional" do the fronts................we'll see how this turns out.

 

Had a problem similar with a 64 truck back glass... Turned out the rubber was actually to thick... Using a plastic trim tool I was able to get it in... But was difficult

 

I used simple green as a lube and speaker wire to do the back window on my '56. Took three tries but went in nice.

 

Waterless hand cleaner, without grit, and cord. First try, almost every time.

 

you ripped a hard rubber seal with rope? damn man i think you need to go slower and softer...."thats what she said"

 

I thought she said harder till theres a hole in the wall.... But maybe thats why I have 3 kids...

 

Best lube for windshield is KY jelly slippery as hell and washes off with water and don't eff up the paint. No bullshit. It doesn't dry out while your putting in on a hot day. It wasn't cheap but it is worth it. Plus it does have other uses.
Gerry in Colorado

 

When roping in a screen the rubber will rip if you pull it towards you all ways keep your knuckles on the glass while pulling .

Mickeyc the rubber you are describing is a std rubber for boats and old cars in England . It's on page 84 in this catalogue.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/lv259jgae4bosje/baines catalogue.pdf
This rubber is fitted to body first and glass then installed into it using a flat hitching tool .

 

Installed quite of bit of glass back in the early 70's, didn't like the rope myself. I always used a tool I got from the Mack tool truck, looked like a screwdriver with a couple funny dogleg bends on the end. Never prewarmed anything, just make sure the glass fit the opening, lube up read good with Go-Jo hand cleaner, get the bottom setting pretty much all the way down where it belonged and work my way up the sides and top corners till it was all lipped in. Give it a few healthy slaps to seat it in and done deal. Never broke one.

 

X2 on the circles........

the direction of the rotation depends on the direction your going and whether it's top or bottom, but the idea is that you tease the rubber lip over one string diameter at a time. Sounds like a slow process but is surprisingly fast and is a gentle affair. It actually pulls through very easily on the straights but in the bends and when the screen goes tight as it's almost in it gets a bit tougher, but you get there, and don't split the rubber. Works for me.

Chris

 

Sorry about your glass mate, but a couple of funny comments in there LOL
Rod

 

I liked to use a 1/4" diameter rope and I'd shoot it up with silicon spray and also the inside of the channel. I'd warm up the gasket, leave it out on the hood in the sun for a couple of hours or leave it inside until you want to install it. Definitely a 2-person job and you have to go slow with it. I've done plenty of these, even curved glass on the old Chevy pickups.

Bob

 

The glass guy around here was telling me the same thing, he goes to the local sex shop and buys a case of lube, water based, works like a charm and washes right off. We always gets a kick going in and buying a case, he has given up trying to explain.

 

Better than the silicon spray I was using, have to try it the next time.

Bob

 

Have done a few 40's. Make sure you lube it well (we use dish wash soap) and a cord and GO SLOW. The rears are much tougher to install than the windshield due to their size. Have had the best luck with Drake seals. Wife and I just did a 40 coupe install-the windshield went fine the rears took us an hour to get right. As you are pulling the cord you can tell when they are about to tear--time to stop and massage the problem area--corners are the toughest to get in with no puckers.

 

Thanks everyone for the instructions and the humor. A case of KY at a time? Now that will raise an eyebrow or two!