Broken windshield. Wifey dropped full coverage 2 weeks ago. Liability won't cover it. Went to Glass-Plus. New one 300 plus install 100. Bring them a windshield to install-100.

Donor vans are just perfect for this. Learned something. Impossible to remove factory installed one and reuse. Solution. My small donor van has had its front glass changed before. Removed it with a piece of 30 pound test fishing string.

My van. Surveyed the situation. Remove the trim and run a wire around it? Nope. Crack crack crack. Trim around the windshield. Reuse it? Snap snap snap. The donor van-its window trim is soft soft soft. Will reuse.

Cover entire outside of glass with heavy duty duct tape (will try and post pics). Traced inside borders with tape and then cross hatched with letter "X's.

Now "MAJIC TIME! Took my sledge hammer and hit around the border of the glass up and in around 3 inches from most outer area. Once caved in (tape holding) I took a fiber glass saw and slowly cut out a circle. Layed a rub tarp across the hood then slowly layed the windshield on teh hood.

At this point I thought the under lying black calking would be wasted. Wrong. FActory insulation was salvagable. I took a small oak trim board and then used it to support a small standard tip screw driver and very carefully pryed off the glass and now my van is sitting in my back yard waiting fro its new windshield tomorrow.

I have the windshield caulking to use, but the way I will use it since the 3/8" factory caulk/insulation is not damaged, I will simply smooth over the factory underlying caulk by applying new caulk. The after market rubber beauty ring trim piece that I salvaged will be installed on the glass then layed dwon over the sealant. Noramal factory trim piece had 2 X-Mas tree barbs that just press into place. This trim piece is designed to cup around the shield and then over lap the pillar.

I'll keep you posted. Other than having a million pieces of small glass to vacuum up which I already di wasn't really that bad of a job. I have New YEar's week off and wasn't doing anything so really the pain I went through was worth the money I'm saving.---Boz

 

I've never tried that on a windshield, but every other application where I reused the caulk or gasket always leaked and I had to re-do it. I'll be anxious to hear how this goes. Good luck and happy new year!

 

True about the caulking. That is why I'm only applying a small amount to the top of the old pliable caulk and leaving the original alone. By leaving it untouched from the body I should be without a leak. Ford's original "caulk" so to speak is not straight from the tube anyway. After close examination it appears to be a processed material that sponges back from the touch.

By me taping-then punching out the glass in a controlled environment, it really was simple. Took the tension off of the sides and made it easy. Of course I used goggle and thick leather gloves. No reason to rush anything. Parked it in the back yard and forgot about it for a week until this afternoon. Happy New Year +2009+ to you and all of our other brothers as well.

 

I had a local shop replace my front windshield due to a big crack caused by a good sized pebble. Parts+labor+tax = $157 total.

 

I did wibdshied change. Get a kit of plastic parts of windshied. Yeah, it is possibel to change it at home, but you need someone to help you, becouse windhield is ruther heavy.

 

I think just to be safe I would put a bead of sealant over the existing caulk. I watched an installer put a windshield in my mother's Grand Marquis and he put a bead of caulk on that was about 3/4" high. The caulking tube had a V shaped opening that did that pretty easily. Remember, the existing caulking has already been depressed by the old windshield and flattened out. Even if it is still pliable, the curvature of the new windshield may not be exactly the same as the old one. I don't think you have to worry about the edges, but I definitely would put some sealant on the top and bottom. Just my two cents worth.

Klaus Cook
Houston, Texas

 

The big glass places (Binswanger, etc.) are just like hospitals. If you don't have insurance you pay through the nose. Example my mom's Grand Marquis windshield:
If I don't have insurance: windshield= 235.70 labor 112.00 install kit 30.00
w/insurance: windshield= 87.21 labor 67.00 install kit 15.00

Klaus Cook
Houston, Texas

 

$157? You wouldn't be fibbing would ya? Nice price. I should be in Cally then because here at the Pan Handle of Florida $100 hardly covers the install. $400 bucks just doesn't suit me. I'm a do it yourselfer through and through and since I've got parts galour just chilling I'd rather go down in flames trying instead of thinking woulda coulda shoulda. If I fall on my face in my attempt-well-quite frankly I'm at the starting point anyway.

I just finished my cheerios and will start the attack NOW! 65 degree's today and outside in my back yard listening to 95.5 rock. Warm weather is great and I feel for my colder brothers trhrough-out the nation. Was up in Minot in the 1990's so I feel your pain.

 

Just pulled the masking tape away from the rubber trim. Seems to be holding. No problems at all. Other than the black rubber adhesive especially for this install I also used clear rubber caulking (all-weather) as an added rain preventative. I will post pics soon.

 

Gentlemen,

Try this site. It gave me a quote of about $182 total before tax (Zip 92683). I used it to negotiate the price with the local shop

Windshield Repair and Auto Glass Replacement - Safelite AutoGlass

I put in the zip code for Pensacola and it shows about $159 total before tax.

 

Leaving the old sealant on & putting new over it is like replacing a Head Gasket without scraping off the old one.

The old sealant and new doesn't bond together. Water will be able to seep between them.

You have to scrape all the old sealant off down to the metal. Then you have to wipe the
metal and the glass with a cleaner that doesn't leave a residue.
Then you have to wipe a acting agent on the metal and glass. Then put on the sealant.
Now WITHOUT touching the edge of the glass. (The guy that replaced mine used special gloves and suction cups)
Lower the glass into the hole.

Had to leave and answer the phone so I didn't see what he did to finish it up.
Never had so much as a drop come around the Windshield.


JaY

 

Copper- I appreciate it. Very nice info. Allot better than the price from Glass Plus here in Niceville. If my fix doesn't take I'm calling them. I'll save your post.

Jt-Very nice info. from you as well. If I'd have heard my take on this windshield from somebody else I would have responded the same as you. As it turned out the sealant isn't what I uncovered when I removed the glass. There was a soft rubberized felt gasket under the glass. I choose not to disrupt the original seal from the body to the felt. I cleaned off the broken glass from the top of the felt and tested it. The clear silicone rubber that I choose is a number 10 (the best) when bonding metal to glass. My rubber outer beauty ring that usually is pressed in around the glass fits around the glass like if you cupped your hand around your wrist(you fit the glass inside of the rubber ring and then a flat is what yu see after everything is done). I glued the gasket ring around the glass and let it skin. Then after it set up I installed the rubber gasket seal and windshield as one unit. Before lifting the windshile donto the body I first applied a bead around the windshield pit. I installed the glass and pressed it in firmly. I then next installed the two bottom lastic blocks that hold and support the windshield in place. Before the rubber set up I pressed firmly down on the glass + gasket seal and then applied duct tape to help in the set.

All that I have to do now is clean the extra sealant off the body and glass. I appreciate all of the advice. Like I said originally-I'm doing it my way-which will either aford me the pleasure of lucking out or falling on my face. I'm not out any money other than the sealant soooooo...I'll keep you posted on my success or failure. Either way I can either help give advice on what I did or talk them out of it should this be a failed endevour. I will honestly tell on myself if it doesn't work.--Peace out Boz

 

to insure a quality seal between glass, rubber seal and the special bedding OEM sealant; clean the glass and rubber seal with a non residue cleaner.
especially don't want any hand oils on seal surfaces=guaranteed leaker

acetone works well on glass.
rubber quick wipe down with light amount of acetone on old cotton T shirt material and let air dry

wear chemical gloves while cleaning with acetone
wear clean hvy duty thick cotton gloves while installing window to protect seal integrity.

lots of freeze/thaws and rain here in Pac NW tests window seals.

easy to keep out perpetual sunshine

 

Mine was $225 installed. No insurance involved. I'm in Maine.

 

Drove it to the base this morning. In the cloak of darkness was the best way to play it. Bunch of my buddies at lunch time were like why? How come? Look at all of the extra silicone you've got on the windshield and the door framing.

True-true-true. Yep-It looks like @$$ right now, but I haven't cleaned it up yet. Goo Gone-some citrus clean and just a whole lot of scrubbing will clean off the paint and the filth stained glass (5 years of sitting around).

I've never done anything like this and that was probably my driving force. I wanted to test my abilities. I haven't tried running a hose over it yet an might just wait for the first rain. Rubber silicone will cure and be a very tight fit.

It is in its ugly duckling mode right now and I couldn't be happier. What's next? Well, the battery solenoid 2morrow. Along with the starter maybe. I just replaced my ignition cylinder. Very easy job to do. Not exactly by the book, but that is the way I do things. Easier on some things but I make it harder on the next. As long as I'm turning a wrench I really don't care what time it is or what day it is in the week. I'm in another world when I'm in my maintenance mode. Just me and my all wheel drive baby!