Posted by chriscase on Wednesday, August 22, 2007 at 17:45:51 :
In Reply to: tips on installing w-shield wstrip posted by greg on Wednesday, August 22, 2007 at 11:35:50 :
I used a bent piece of 1/16" welding rod for a hook/scraper to clean old glue out of the groove. Then I used a bondo spreader to push the bead into it's seat. The corners of my windshield frame were distorted, and didn't want to hold the bead, so I used a dab of black weatherstrip cement there.
I installed it dry, or with the slightest mist of WD-40. I'm not a fan of soap on metal- the soap is hygroscopic and caustic, and will lead to rust. wd-40 seems to evaporate completely in a couple days. Spray some on a window, and look for smudges later.
And after I filled and drained the acid etch solution out, I drilled 1/8" drain holes in the lowest corners, to let any water that gets into the frame drain out. My frame was really nice, but just getting some rust started in those corners, inside the glass channel. Seems the last 'restoration' included the smallest possible glass. And silicone put on the surface, not the glass bedded completely. And silicone seems to come un-stuck with age. Mine peeled off easily. I used Vul-kem poly-urethane sealant and/or 3M windshield adhesive on this truck. But no, I didn't completely bed the glass into the full groove, I also applied it later, but more so, to get good penetration- I might be the one who needs to remove it someday.
In my opinion, the stick-on and u-shaped rubber glass seats are not water proof. The leaky front and back glass is a major cause of rust out. What with windshield frames going for what they do these days...