Fitting Windscreens or Hatch Glass

[RB30X]

I rang around today to get prices to fit the front and rear screens to my 240Z. I already have the glass and rubbers but they want to charge me over $100 each screen to install them using my own rubber seals as apposed to $325 for supply and install of a new front screen.

 

Does anyone here have any experience fitting screens or advice. I'd like to do it myself providing it could be done properly. My rubbers are in good condition and I could get a few extra hands if needed. It would just be a pain to pay someone $250-300 from my Zed fund to spend 10mins using my gear and walk away.

 

Also what is that stuff some people use to coat the section of the body where the screens goes to prevent future rust?

 

FYI, they still had 240Z front screens listed in stock but no rear screens. No rubbers though either, you have to source them yourself.

 

Cheers guy.

Tim

[twosixty]

I think it is worth having a go yourself. I got the rear hatch done by a windscreen guy. Then later I had a go at changing the seal on the windscreen.

 

For any minor rust spots I just gave it a bit of a clean up and put some zinc paint on it.

 

I'm sure there is more on about this on the net somewhere but here are some simple steps...

Get a mate.

Put seal on screen/hatch.

Grab some 6-8mm rope/cord, (smoother the better). Push it in the gap in the seal (where it will sit in the body)

Have the ends at the top centre of the screen.

Put a sikaflex sealer or similar on too if you choose to use it. Dont have to.

Sit screen on car.

Sit inside the car and slowly pull the cord out of the seal, this will pull the rubber seal over the body lip. Get your mate to apply some gentle pressure on the screen. Work your way around the screen. Hey presto.

[Sirpent]

260's discription of fitting the screen is correct,

 

Also add that the screen must be seated as cetered as posible as once the screen starts to seat itself onto the body chanel and you get to the corners, if you are misaligned you wont be able to shift it.

 

Ropes should be crossed over at the bottom centre of the screen, this is where the install should start, as the ropes are pulled and the screen starts to seat, your "Mate" on the outside should give the screen glancing palm blows downward to make sure it sits in 100% otherwise when you get to the top center final rope draw it may be awlfully tight and I have seen screen crack as a reult of the tension being applied.

 

Originally, butyl rubber sealer was used, this stays sticky under the seal for life, but stops water penitration, if you use Sikaflex, it will harden, problem is if you have to replace the screen in the future you will have to cut the rubber seal to shreds to get the screen out again meaning you will need a new seal.

 

Id suggest sticking with the butyl sealer originally used.

 

Question, are you re-installing the chrome strips?

[twosixty]

Sirpent's additions sound like he's done it a few times! As I said I've only done it the once, but I think its easy to save a couple of hundred dollars.

 

Re the chrome strips, I put them in the seal first before putting the seal on the car. Is this the correct way? Isn't there a specific tool to put them in?

[RB30X]

Ok I'll source some of that sealer and study these notes.

Thanks a lot.

I've only got 2 out of 3 sections of the front and rear trims . I was going to leave them off until I source the missing pieces.

[Sirpent]

Guys, the strips should always go into the seal before fitting the screen, no specific tool is required you just have to make sure they are not warped due to having been (Pardon the expression) yanked off previously.

 

The strips are not only for asthetics, the original reason they were used was to actually lock and strees the seal to insure the seal sealed against the outer glass.

 

Yep Ive done a SH*T load of these back 20 years ago when I had my panel shop.

 

Butyl sealer is readily available from places like Repco etc, run a bead on the seated area of the windscreen channel, place the screen in place and follow the previous instructions.

 

For clean up as it will compress and probably escape the seal area onto the turret, use prepsol / prepwash to clean up the excess.

[chris240]

Hmmm I didnt realise the chrome strips went in before 

myself and a mate (rhino73z) used plastic picnic knives, some morning-fresh dishwashing liquid, well over 1 hour & 4-5 stubbies to install those *##%!! strips..

[Sirpent]

They are a PR*CK either way, but Id say it would have been harder how you did it.

 

When the screen seats as the rope is pulled out, the ribber edges squeeze in, the strips actually stop this action and thus push the rubber hard against the body work.

 

The best way to seat them before putting the screen in is to place them in the cavities then mask tape them so they dont pop out while you fix the screen in.

 

 

[RB30X]

Butyl sealer is readily available from places like Repco etc, run a bead on the seated area of the windscreen channel, place the screen in place and follow the previous instructions.

 

When the screen seats as the rope is pulled out, the ribber edges squeeze in, the strips actually stop this action and thus push the rubber hard against the body work.

 

The best way to seat them before putting the screen in is to place them in the cavities then mask tape them so they dont pop out while you fix the screen in.

 

 

Is it bad if the strips don't get installed at all??

 

So again for the novice:

You run a bead of butyl along the section of the windscreen channel where the rubber will go either side of. Do you just need to smear it on the outside of the trim bit or both outside and inside.

 

Then with the rubber seal on the screen you install smooth 6mm rope inside the rubber seal where the body would go. You start from the top and end up with both ends of the rope at the bottom of the screen.

 

Then you sit the screen in position ensuring its centered, then with someone pressing firmly from the outside, you slowly pull out the rope from the inside. Doing this pulls the inside half of the rubber strip onto the inside of the car leaving the outside half holding the screen on the outside.

 

And the chrome trim (if previously installed) assists the outside section holding the glass to stay on the outside and not slip inside?

 

Just making sure I've got it. Thanks again.

[Sirpent]

OK

 

Old School Windscreen Fitting - 101

 

#1  Run the rope / cord starting at the top of the screen all the way around with both end overlapping each other at the bottom centre of the screen / seal.

 

#2  Run a bead of Butyl Rubber Sealer (Thickness of a soft drink straw) on the mid way point of the channel the screen will sit into.

 

#3  Place the screen into the channel making sure that it is centered and that the main point of first contact is at the rope intersebtion point, insure the ropes are sitting on the inside of the car overlapped.

 

#4    Urge the screen to sit into the contact point as firmly as possible, while someone assists from the outside, take one rope and at a 45 degree angle to the screen in the direction that you will pull the rope commence pulling (The rope that is) your assistant on the outside should push downward on the screen at the outerside of where the rope is being pulled out with the palm of their hand and force the screen downward.

 

#5  If at anytime during the entire pulling (Rope that is) process the rope feels like it is struck, continue pulling (The rope that is) while making circles with your hand, this will ensure that the rope does not tare into the rubber seal but rather work its way at differing angles to allow release of the rope so as to continue.

 

#6  When you reach the first corner, stop just afte the bend, go to the other rope and do the same until you round the first corner.

 

#7  At this point check that the screen seal on the outside is sitting equally on both pillars so as to justify it is centered, at this stage the screen will still have some give, if you have to move it left or right use glancing blows with a full open hand to the outside of the screen in the direction you want it to move.

 

The best way to describe this is to take you mate stnd in front of him, if you were to slap his face, this would be a side on blow, if you were to move your hand towards his cheek with an open hand and allow it to hit and deflect off his cheek this would be a glancing blow, so yes practice blow jobs on your mate first.

 

#8  Go back to the ropes and pull ech one around and just past the the next bend on the upper turret corners, then check the outside to see if it all looks equal and centered.

 

Continue from the inside with both ropes now at the same time pulling them towards the centre and each other, the screen should now seat in place.

 

#9  Finally from the outside, using the glancing blow technique (No not wax on wax off) on each corner of the screen to make sure that there is total seating.     

 

Finally, becuase the Z's use vynil trim that is glued onto the screen channels which the screen sits into, make 100% sure that you have used a good contact cement to hold the vynil in place before attempting a screen fit, the rope can force the vynil to move and crease as the screen seal grabs and the rope is removed resulting in unsightly folds which can only be fixed by removing the screen again.

 

Pheeeeeeeeeeeeeeew

 

 

[haul]

Hi Tim, If you need a hand let me know I was a panel beater and have done a few screens.

Cheers Tony

[RB30X]

Ahh thanks Sirpent. Vinyl trim........I didn't see any of that in my box of goodies that came with the car. Lucky you mentioned it, I would've tried installing it over the steel channel. I'm guessing its similar to the stuff you would fit around sections of you bonnet if you cut out a hole for an air filter, or an intercooler piping through a guard etc.

 

Thanks for the offer Tony, I have to track down some bits first.

[Sirpent]

No No No tim,

 

I was reffering to the vinyl trim of the interior which goes from the roof lining to the windscreen and on the windscreen pillars to the screen .

 

 

[RB30X]

Well the glass is in. Wasn't too much of a job, I'm glad I didn't pay someone $250 to do it or I would've felt robbed. Thanks again for the instructions. I got some of that Butyl and some rope and it all came together well. The trick in hindsight is that once the bottom of the screen or hatch is in after much checking of side clearances, and once your half way around with both sides of the rope, is that you keep pushing the glass down into the seal at the bottom so their is less pressure on the top. That and use heaps of auto silicone spray on the rubber seal so it is very flexible and forgiving, i gave mine a liberal spray and soak over night.

 

 

 

[twosixty]

Looks good.

Nice hat.

[Sirpent]

Congrats Tim, looks great.

[Zeddophile]

For some reason, there's a big sense of achievement in getting a screen in without breaking it, isn't there! (well, for the first couple anyway).  Well done!