How to make the job easier - tips & tricks

[Robert06]

Butyl Tape. I don't think you're even allowed to get that stuff near a windshield. Strictly urethane. I had a windshield replaced on an older car of mine at a body shop. The guy the body shop hired wanted to install the windshield with just the rubber gaskets - maybe using some butyl if there's leaking. I got rid of him - FAST!

Is butyl still used for sealing body panels, maybe side glass?

[Lee]

Did a 65 Mustang w/s & b/g some fool put in with urethane while in a body shop. Customer decides he needs a headliner(get a much nicer job with glass removed). Car is painted and sealed with urethane(and it still leaked because the fool that put the glass in couldn't get it right). It took a 1/2 hour to get each moulding off without damage(9 Mlds). If the windshield is never going to come out again and is going over a cliff use urethane. If it is for a customer do them a favor and use a soft seal so you can get it apart if need be. These cars were not designed to provide roll over protection and very few w/s's would pop out. In fact in the early 60's it was decided that the windshield should pop out in case of a front end collision. The early Corvair, Type 3 VW's and early Porsche 911's had pop out w/s's.

[bill4117]

as much as i agree with using whatever is original to the vehicle NGA has determined that urethane needs to be used in ALL adhesive sealed windshields, and that all rubber gasket set windshields need to contain a urethane sealant. An old company of mine is in litigation since an isuzu heavy duty truck with a gasket set windshield wasn't installed containing urethane and in an accident the passenger was ejected through the shield. (no seatbelt).

That being said .... if it's MY classic car getting restored I want 100% original!!!! If that means butyl so be it.

[sydfloyd44]

The famous one is the G Series van. Many techs used to switch the post 1980 vehicles to gasket. After 1980, GM changed them to urethane. All post 1980 G vans in a gasket must be switched back to urethane. (that is if there is any pinchweld left from all the rust!!)


Hmmm, did I open a can of worms?

[AH-A/G]

we covered this on the other site and you don't have to pull every cowl . You can do a safe install without pulling cowls on a DW1168,DW1169, DW848,DW1099 and even a DW1319 if you know how to install glass.

[sydfloyd44]

Be absolutely sure you use a round bead also.

[AH-A/G]

As i stated in a previous post and many post on the other site WE DO NOT USE ROUND BEADS. I a tech runs a V- cut on the body like normal when he gets to to bottom by the cowl , with the cowl proped up an a dw1168 or with the trim strip removed on a dw1319 you can run a V- bead angled up just a bit so when the windshield hits the glue the glue will be in the exact factory location , Not pushed off the pinch weld or stuck to the cowl.

As I said before we pull cowls on the ones that require it but come on to pull acowl on a dw1169 or a DW1168 or even a dw1319 is just plain stupid and some of the vehicles are not suposed to have the cowl removed unless you are working on the heater or the wiper motor.

[sydfloyd44]

I guess I am just fortunate to work for a company that requires cowls be pulled. As busy as we are each day, we never seem to have a problem taking the extra 'minutes' involved to take a cowl off and put back on.
I suppose the biggest problem is for those of us that "do not know how to install auto glass", but think we do. If "we" would not pull a cowl, push the lower bead and do a better job glueing the cowl on than the glass, who is to say we will ever find out that EVERY job we do is truly safe.
Sure is funny how I can pull a cowl and INSTANTLY say "nice to see the last installer didn't pull the cowl". How on earth could I determine that so quickly considering if I pull all cowls, I couldn't know what I am doing???
I sleep VERY well at night. I bet you do too.....
As I learned a long time ago, this is an issue that is, was and will always be. Those that think it is not only OK, but "better", don't worry, us "not-so-skilled" techs will just keep being ***100% positive*** our customers are getting a safe install, 100% of the time. All at the cost of less than 5 minutes.

[Glasseye]

Cowl removal, yes or no ? - 2 points
1) CUSTOMER - if a customer perceives a job is being " shortcutted" it will lower the confidence in our profession. A customer is not impressed by how many jobs you do but how well you do theirs.
2) MANUFACTURERS - at least 1 replacement windscreen is highly likely in the life of a vehicle. If the designers took this fact into account when planning fixings it would be win/win all round

[DaRookie]

Cowl removal, yes or no ? - 2 points
1) CUSTOMER - if a customer perceives a job is being " shortcutted" it will lower the confidence in our profession. A customer is not impressed by how many jobs you do but how well you do theirs.
2) MANUFACTURERS - at least 1 replacement windscreen is highly likely in the life of a vehicle. If the designers took this fact into account when planning fixings it would be win/win all round

Heh. Good comments. Learned in the service that if you don't find time to do it right, you will find time to do it over.

Or: Don't worry about the tricks of the trade, worry about the trade.