Author Topic: hard top side glass : how to install  (Read 4237 times)

rosch

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hard top side glass : how to install
« on: August 31, 2009, 20:13:45 »
Hi,

Read  a lot of threads in this forum on figuring out to how to reinstall the side windows on the hardtop.
Hopefully there is someone  with some helpfull hints to make this job a little bit  easier for me
Can anyone give me the correct sequence of installing the glass?

I started with mounting the U-shaped top chrome  strip(without the separate weather strip)
Then I inserted the glass into its  surrounding seal .
Now how to continue to get the glass with its seal into the correct position ?
Which side of the glass to slide in first  and how to install the extra weatherseals ?

I appreciate any hints/tips. Thanks !
 



VincentR

  • Guest
Re: hard top side glass : how to install
« Reply #1 on: February 19, 2010, 21:12:39 »
Hi Rosch

I've made the complete disassembly of my hard top and I know how tough is this work.
You won't succeed alone for the side glasses.
You have to get help from one friend : even with my uncle who was a car body restorer helped me, we had a lot of difficulties to do it.
In final we took 2 suction cups (one on each side of the glass), then hard top upside down on one table duly protected with soft and thick material, and one little diameter plastic (very strong) rope which was placed between the u seal and the glass slice/edge (then one operator was pushing the 2 cupes and the otherone was moving the rope in and out the hard top).
Before to do the operation we put a lot of glycerin in the seal.
But honestly I don't know how we succeeded : it was very hard despite the suction cups.
Forget the screw driver to use it as one lever as Gernold (SL Tech) says in his operation guide, I've done it and I broke a lit bit the slice of the glass (it is not a problem as thisone is in the seal at the end).
In final operation I 've inserted some sealing soft lung compound between the external lips of the seal and the glass (-->Terodicht from TEROSON Brand).
I hope you will succeed.
Don't forget to put hard sealing compound (inside the hard top) under each fixing screws of the top external chrome (or aluminium) for ski or luggage rack fixing (if your hard top is fitted with these 2 chromes; maybe it is not the case).

Don't hesitate to ask more questions.

Best regards.
Vincent R from France.


knockmacool

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Re: hard top side glass : how to install
« Reply #2 on: February 19, 2010, 21:26:05 »
Vincent

In the (paraphrased) words of the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid "Who is this Guy?"  More importantly, Welcome aboard!

George Des

  • Guest
Re: hard top side glass : how to install
« Reply #3 on: February 19, 2010, 21:58:22 »
I did this job a few years back. I believe you'll find one of my posts detailing how I used two flat steel putty knives wrapped with some black electrical tape to pad it against the glass. The window will pop in after some wiggling around with it. When it goes in correctly, it just sort of slides in almost unexpectedly. I was afraid I would break the glass but did three of them w/o breakage--why three? I had to do one twice because the seal wasn't set in correctly--ooch!

George Des

IXLR8

  • Guest
Re: hard top side glass : how to install
« Reply #4 on: February 27, 2010, 00:29:31 »
Hi--

Last time I was in Michigan, I discussed this very topic with Tim at K&K. He had just had a local shop offer to do a pair for $75 each, and it took the shop about a day and a half to get them in.

It was suggested to me that the edge of the glass can be touched lightly on a belt sander to reduce the corner point.

Emphasis on LIGHTLY.  Also, emphasis on a little bit at a time to prevent the glass from heating (and cracking). A little water bath might also be helpful to keep the heat down.

Tim said that he had heard of this as well, and he reiterated the cautions about LIGHTLY and HEATING.

I haven't tried this yet as my car is out for paint.  When I do try to reinstall the glass, I'll post on results.


Joe