Thread: Replacing Window Glass

The rear window gave me some grief.

One of the catches for the sliding glass was well & truly rusted in.
My 1st reaction was to weld a nut onto the countersunk screw but I was worried the glass might crack under the heat so U drilled off the head.

Then I welded the nut onto the stump. The heat also served to loosen the thread and I was able to save the clasp.




Another problem was one of the detent balls/plungers was stuck. In a fit of stupidity I tapped it to loosen it & only drove it deeper and completely inaccessible. Desperate measure were required & I gambled on the MIG by putting a blob of weld on the steel ball knowing the weld would not stick to the diecast aluminium.


This gave me someting I could grab with vice grips & pull it out. Then a sharp blow with a cold chisel split the blob off. Damage to the casting was very minor & not seen once assembled.

DOOR WINDOW PROCEDURE:

1. The easiest way to install new window channels is with the door tops off the vehicle. The door top is held onto the door bottom by two bolts that protrude from the top and down into the bottom. Removing the inner door panels ( not applicable to Military vehicles) you will see the nuts that need to be loosened to remove the door top. Do so.
2. Dig out the bottom channel with a small straight screwdriver to uncover the screws and remove them. Repeat for the vertical channel.
3. Note: Removing these may be as simple as unscrewing them, but more likely you will need a screw extractor drill bit or combination drill/countersink bit to pull them out or chew them up. A needle nose pliers may assist you in getting out the remains.

TIP: Don't despair, if you can't get the entire screw out, you can just leave the remainder in (as long as nothing protrudes) and just drill a new hole with the 7/64" size bit.

1. Removing the sliding glass is easy, just remove the vertical and the bottom channels and
2. lift out the sliding glass.
3. 4.Next, remove the top channel screws and the channel, the bump stop, and the retaining metal strip for the fixed glass.
4. 5.Carefully pry out the fixed glass. Remove the residue of glazing putty from where the fixed glass was removed and clean the places where the channels will go.
5. Wash the glass in soap and water, scrape any off residue with a razor blade or use rubbing alcohol.
   
   TIP : keep all the old pieces and use them to A: show you how the new pieces should fit and where, and B: show you where the screw holes are. I was lucky in that I didn't have to drill any new holes in the door top. With the old and new pieces side by side, upside down, I "eyeballed" where the old piece had a hole and used whiteout to mark where I needed a corresponding hole in the new weather stripping. I then turned the new weather stripping over and drilled the hole from the inside of the channel to the outside. I either have good hand eye coordination or very good luck; I consistently drilled through the white out mark. With the holes drilled and the arrangement of the pieces worked out, trial fitting is in order.
   
   
   
6. Install strips of glazing putty on the top, bottom, and front of the area on the door where the fixed glass was located. You may have to double up or thin down the putty to make the glass fit properly.
7. (alternate) Lay out the new parts (with holes drilled) and identify how the lower channel/fixed glass/filler strip all fit together. Some screws go through the filler strip and the window channel in places. Trial fit the new parts with the fixed window glass in the frame. Check the fit of the metal strip that holds the fixed glass in position; Is there a big gap between it and the glass or is the fit pretty snug? The answer will dictate how much sealer you will need to apply. You don't want the window rattling around, do you? With the glass in place, make some marks on the door top frame (to mark where to apply sealer). Try installing screws to see if all your holes line up. If everything is OK, then take apart the upper and lower horizontal window channels and remove the fixed glass. Apply a bead of Urethane based window sealer to the inside of the frame where the fixed glass will go. Too much will squeeze out and necessitate cleanup. Aim for a smooth, uninterrupted bead.
8. Press the fixed glass into the putty making sure the seal is good all the way around, then install the metal retainer strip, and don't worry about putty residue on the window or any irregularities in the putty at this point.
9. Measure the locations of the screw holes and mark them on the new window channels.
   
   TIP: White-out correction fluid worked for me. [Very good tip. In fact, go to an office supply/art store and get a pen with white-out in it. Very handy to have around.]
10. Drill the new holes using the 7/64" drill bit.

TIP: It is best to lay the channel on top of a piece of wood and even better if someone can hold it for you too.

1. Install the vertical channel using the 1/2" long screws, and bottom horizontal window channel using the 5/8" long screws. Note: I installed the vertical channel last.
   
   
   
2. Install the rubber wiper strip on the sliding glass and secure with the metal retainer strip.

TIP: A mallet works best to push down the metal strip and it helps to have someone hold one end while you work on the other end.

1. With your screw driver and 1/2" screws ready, place the outer pane of glass in the top
2. channel, then position the pane in the lower horizontal channel and carefully slide the
3. window and upper channel in place.
4. Slide the glass to the middle and install a couple of screws to hold the channel in place, then install the remainder of the screws. Slide the glass pane back and forth lifting up and pushing down slightly to see if it is contacting any screw heads, then torque down any offending screws.
5. Don't forget to reinstall the bump stop.
6. Using a razor blade, remove any putty residue on the glass. Fill in any areas which need more putty and smooth using a straight edge screw driver.
7. Since you removed the door top, it would be a good idea to replace the rubber strip that goes between the top and bottom. This is held on with pop rivets but I think weatherstrip adhesive would be fine. Tip for alignment: The rubber strip protrudes into the cab of the vehicle and doesn't really show much from the outside.