Vetteboy77au

Some large hail cracked my windscreen on the weekend, so looks like its time for a new one.

I was wondering:

1) What is the basic process for replacing the windscreen
2) Does the weatherstrip which runs around the outside of the windscreen typically get damaged during this job?

Thanks

Chris

corvetteronw

I have read articles that show that the windshield gasket gets cut and destroyed during the removal process. Since the windshield is an integral part of the crashworthiness engineering on these cars (especially with an airbag) I think it is best that replacement be handled by a professional shop.
I'm sure someone else with experience here will step in soon.

1991 C4

I just had mine replaced last week, got a rock from a big truck threw at it. My insurance covered the replacement cost less deductable it was right around 479.00 plus 169 labor. Safelite was the installer and what they put in was OEM glass guaranteed for life.

Vetteboy77au

Thanks for the info, unfortunately I am in Australia, so its a little harder to find someone who will really know what they are doing. I am going to have to do a bit of searching.

I was worried about the gasket/weatherstrip because I want to make sure the insurance company allows for it (if needed) when they assess the damage.

Thanks

Chris

Redeasysport

Try searching for glassman he can give you the info you need.

Slalom4me

If you can wait, there is a good book that discusses windshield tools
and technique: Corvette Water Leak and Wind Noise Solutions by
Michael Davis. Mid America carries it



My vote is that a gasket has a high likelyhood of being damaged during
removal.

Take a look at the threads below and the links within some of the posts.
They do not address your questions directly but I think you will
benefit indirectly. Plus, several contributers indicate they have
first hand experience - you could PM these folks.
Frankly, one of the threads left me confused. There is a gasket (I paid
big bucks for one). There isn't a gasket, just use lots of sealant. The
factory didn't use a gasket but the replacement windshields go in with
them ... And so on. I don't know who is right or maybe everyone is
- perhaps the process changed through the years. Just don't let this
stop you from working through the threads. There is a lot of worthy
information and some part numbers.

.

Z51JEFF

Safelite makes there own glass and they are not an OEM supplier,what brand of glass did they put in the car?It might be possible to get an OEM windshield from Safelite but you would have to request this.All ive ever heard about Safelite was nothing good,you might want to check and see what they used.As far as someone doing the job on there own,only if your a masochist.I recently did mine,what a pain in the ***.

VtVette

I changed a windshield once. I will never do that again. It's one of those jobs we should be greatful that there are people who specialise and are proficient at the task. It is a MAJOR pain in the ***. A good glass man makes it look easy but in reality it's anything but. Well worth the money to have someone else do it and do it right.

Unless you've decided you absolutley have to change a windshield for yourself i'd let someone else deal with the headache.

MrRenoman

I can tell you from experience..."Let a professional do it". I'll explain why. The windshield is attached to the windshield frame with a thick bed/bead of black urethane adhesive. The visible black trim around the front of the windhield are: on top...a weatherstrip retainer/windshield reveal moulding, and on the sides there are two trim pieces, one is the windshield reveal moulding (the piece you see on the front of the windshield, and stacked on top of that mouding is the weatherstrip retainer. This is the piece the weatherstrip is glued into. In order to remove the windshield the weatherstrip around the windshield frame must be removed. If it is old and weathered then it should be replaced. This is the single most expensive part of a windshield replacement (except for the windshield itself). This part is also called a windshield frame seal and is confusing because it leads one to believe that this goes somewhere in the frame when the windshield is installed. The seal is actually the weathrstrip that goes around the windshield frame and seals the roof to the windshield and seals the side window glass to the windshield frame. If you ask a glass shop what's included in the install they will read that there is a seal, it's actually the weatherstrip. The weatherstrip is the reason the price of a windshield replacement is around $400 to $600. If your weatherstrip is in good condition (maybe recently replaced) you can carefully remove it from the weatherstrip retainer channel. Using a flat tool you can cut/scrape off the old adhesive occasionally cutting into the weatherstrip. These cuts can be fixed with the adhesive that will reattach it later. Under the weatherstrip are screws that hold the retainers and reveal mouldings to the windshield frame. An installer does not have time to carefully remove your weatherstrip regardless of it's condition. Time is money. They will rip it out, clean the channel, remove the retainers and reveal mouldings and using a long electric or pneumatic knife, cut the windshield out off the frame adhesive. They will leave the existing bed of adhesive on the frame. They will probably trim it or lower it down slightly to make room for a new bed of adhesive. They don't remove it completely from the frame. Once they lay down the new bead of adhesive, the new windshield is laid down. In order to set the height of the windshield from the frame, the installer will reinstall the top weatherstrip retainer/reveal moulding and the side weatherstrip retainers and reveal mouldings on the car using the same old holes the screws came out of. It's important that the installer have these mouldings when they install the windshield, otherwise the glass height from the frame and the weatherstrip around the windshield won't be in the same location for sealing and new holes for the side reveal/retainers will need to be drilled. If all is well, the new weatherstrip will be laid into the weatherstrip retainers and probably be glued in with the urethane adhesive. The factory used some sealant strips to seal these retainers to the windshield frame and the two side pieces to the frame and to each other. The factory used some type of sealant to glue the weatherstrip in the retainers. The installer will probably just use the same or similar urethane adhesive to seal these pieces to the car. This pretty much covers the removal and install. The problem with trying to remove the windshield yourself is that special tools or knives are required to remove the windshield. If you try to use the piano wire method you probably will ruin your dashboard and mess up/scratch up the cowl area around the windshield wipers. Also, you need a way to bond the new windshield to the frame and seal the trim pieces to the frame on top and side mouldings to the frame and to each other. The best products for this is what the glass company uses. If you want to save some money you can remove your old weatherstrip and then re-install it after the windshield is installed. Remember, the installer needs the reveal moulding and retainers to install the windshield so make sure they're available or don't remove them at all. I had repainted my car and installed new weathrstrip. When I replaced my windshield later I removed my near new weatherstrip and tried to remove the windshield myself. What a pain it is to get the windshield off the adhesive in the frame. It's not worth it. You'll break the windshield, scrape you hands, and damage your car. It is worth saving money by buying a new weatherstrip and install it yourself if you have the patience to do it. The glass company adds about $200 to the price of an install just for this piece. You can buy one for less and install it yourself or bring it with you to the glass shop for them to install. I don't think they care, as long as it's a quality piece. If you install this piece yourself you can probably buy quality adhesive from the glass co. Sorry for the long post, I hope this helps. Someone else may chime in, this is from my experience. There are probably other opinions so mine isn't the only one.

Art