Does anyone no the best way to remove and old windsheild and replace it ? I got a old windsheid form a salvage yard, and it has old adhesive on it and I'm catching hell trying to remove it. I've used razor blades (21 so far) alcohol (had a few shots myself ) paint thinner which work for a while until it made we dizzle (but that could have been the shots I had earlier ). I can't imagaine what it's going to be like trying to get this stuff off the vechile not the mention trying to remove the windsheid.
I was told to use high strength fishing line or wire but I don't see how to get it threw the windsheid without breaking it and having glass everywhere. Any help would greatly be appreciated.

 

To remove the adhesive, you might want to try that orange stuff that Home Depot carries. It's a paint stripper and I think it's called Citrustrip. It's supposed to be less harmful than the traditional methylene chloride type strippers, but doesn't seem to work as fast (on paint, anyway). If that doesn't work and you are really determined, you may want to try the paint strippers with methylene chloride. It's nasty stuff so make sure you use a respirator even with good ventilation. No matter what you use, if the windshield has a rubber strip around the outside, make sure you keep the paint strippers off the rubber.

There is a special tool you can buy to do the job of getting the old windshield out, but as you noted, it's essentially a thin wire. NAPA may have something or Lisle tools. You have to push the tool between the window and the window frame. I don't have any tips on how to do it, just what's in the manual.

 

try a guitar string, just push it through, and then pull it all the way around, friend told me that

 

You can start cutting the adhesive diagonally across a corner of the windshield. Once the cut is through, it's fairly easy to push the end of the wire through. It's generally a two-person job.

There is another style of tool available that has a hooked blade, but I have not used one.

Cheers,
Eric

 

If you want the easest way.......My brother showed me and he had the window out in less the 15 min.

If you didn't get it, Go back to the junk yard and get the rubber gasket for the window or from a busted out one. Make sure it's still rubber-ey.

On your van take a sheetrock knife and cut all the way through the rubber just over the window. Do it all the way around. Then just pop out the window, pull off the rest of gasket.

 

If the windshield has the rubber gasket around it, then JT's method works the best, but you will destroy the gasket.

If the windshield only has a bead of butyl rubber sealant holding it to the frame, you can use the cutting tool to break the seal. The tool has a small blade that's attached to a handle. Located between the blade and handle is a cable with another handle. You insert the blade through the sealant and start pulling on the handle attached to the cable, and use the other handle to keep the blade at the right angle.

My experience with the butyl rubber sealant is that they usually stay soft and sticky for essentially life. The last time I had to remove them, I was able to pull it all off pretty much by hand. That included from both the glass and frame. The ambient temperature had to be just right, but I can't remember what it was. You might try using one of those razor blade scrapers for glass.

 

I haven't been able to change the winshield due to the weather (rain, cold and now snow) But I did get the rubber strip off from around the window I just pulled it off. I looked liked it was adherd to the window then placed on. After taking the rubber strip off, the windshield looks like its just lying on top off the van with a bunch of a sealant underneath. It looks like somone else replaced it also. It's glunked on everwhere ! I removed all the sealant off the windsheild I got from the salvage yard. I used a flat edge razor and a litte Citrustrip to remove anything the razor didn't get (Thanks for the tips Mikeman and xlt4wd90). I can't see where to cut to get the wire in. The windsheild sits in a grove and it doesn't look like you can get a blade in there with out damaging the paint. How clean do you have to get the surface to put the new sealant ? One guy told me to get a wire brush for a drill and take everthing off down to the metal. Spray on some primer and then a color coat then add the sealant. It sounds like a litle over kill to me. Does anyone have any suggestions ? Also how much sealant do put down for a proper seal ? How do I replace the rubber stripping ? For all those that replied thanks I need allthe help I can get.

 

I also am replacing a winsheild i got the old glass out but there is a rubber seal left on the metal flange on the truck that seams to be alot harder to remove than the adhesive does this rubber have to be removed or can i put the new adhesive on top of it and then the glass Thanks

 

I had to have the one on the Wife's Aerostar changes a few months ago. I had a long talk with the guy changing it. when you take out the old windshield you have to srape off as much of the old sealant as you can. Then you have to wipe it down with this cleaner stuff, then he sprayed on some stuff that was a catalist for the sealant. Then he put a bead (bigger than a 1/4" smaller then a 1/2")all the way around. Then he cleaned the glass around the edges real good You need to be wearing gloves at this time). Then he sprayed it with some of the catalist spray. Take the windshield and set it in and press around the edges it get good seal.

On my insurance I had a $100.00 deductable for windshield replacement. I checked around and found a place that pays your deductable, so it didn't cost me anything to get it replaced.

Jay

 

Thanks for the reply the rubber thatis left on the metal flange looks like a factory seal of some sort it doesnt look like sealant that has squeezed out .the edge around the inside is to straight i wonder if i can put adhesive on top of rubber thatis left on metal edge it is in good shape