TR2/3/3A TR3 Windscreen Assembly

[martx-5]

OK, tommorrow I'm going to attempt to put new glass in my windscreen at the Triumph tech session at RATCO's. Hopefully, I can do this without any major trauma. I have everything apart, have all of the parts and have installed the tenex pegs to make sure none of them poke through the frame.

<span style="font-weight: bold">What I need is some tricks and things to watch out for.</span> I have a thinner then normal windscreen that I bought from Moss (for $75), so I'm hoping to get the original glazing strip in there...original being the one I bought from Moss. How are the corners at the top handled with the glazing strip??

 

[Mickey Richaud]

Hey, Art -

Pretty straightforward job, but I do remember that you have to be careful to use the right screws in the right places. They are different lengths, and if you use one that's too long, you'll crack the glass. Test-fit each one before snugging them down, and you should be OK.

I don't remember any particulars about the corner glazing strips, but I'm sure someone else may shed some light there.

 

[DougF]

It's been a while since I did mine. I reused the original strip, the product I bought from TRF was more of a rubber and was too thick. I figured when I do it again, I will hopefully use the original again or some wide friction tape.

I don't remember what I did at the corners.

The biggest thing to watch out for is the length of your side screws. Most of what are sold are too long and will crack your new glass. Compare what you are using to the original and cut them to proper length.
Also make sure the arc of the glass matches that of the frame. It's easier to tweek the metal than it is to buy new glass.

 

[TR3driver]

Silly me, I just took mine to the local auto glass place and had them do it. They supplied the strip and only charged me $5 as I recall. Of course that was over 30 years ago, so likely prices have gone up a bit

 

[martx-5]

FIVE DOLLARS...I had to drill the heads off the screws for the corner brackets to get them off they were so corroded. A new set of those from Moss was <span style="color: #FF0000"><span style="font-weight: bold"> <span style="font-size: 14pt">$32</span></span></span> Just try and bring one of these to your local glass guy. If he takes the job, you better have deep pockets.

 

[TR3driver]

Well, I did have the frame fully stripped and ready to go back together, all they did was put the glass in the frame. ISTR I even put the corner braces back myself.

 

[Moseso]

When installing the bottom "draught excluder" rubber seal, which has a front and back side to it, due to the angle of the "T" shape, I think I went the wrong way. I installed it with the angle going the same way as the windshield-to-scuttle angle. Put another way: angled forward. It doesn't seal tight to the scuttle. I'm guessing from this experience that it should go the other way around, with the angle of the seal rubber opposing the angle of the windshield to the scuttle.

Any comments from those-in-the-know?

 

[martx-5]

Intuition says to angle it the same as the windscreen, but that is wrong. It should be angled back.

 

[TR3driver]

 

[Don Elliott]

Here is the rubber strip that I used. It looks like a Moss number.

 

[martx-5]

Yes Don, that's a Moss number...same one I have.

 

[Moseso]

Intuition says to angle it the same as the windscreen, but that is wrong. It should be angled back.

That is the same "intuition" I had, and the same conclusion that I have come to -- having first acted on the intuition. Thanks for the confirmation!

 

[martx-5]

OK, the glass is in the frame. Everything went pretty good. Had only one real glitch. Before we started, I checked all the lengths on the stanchion to frame screws, and they were all the right length. The longer ones go in the bottom hole. I think that's where people have run into the problem of cracking the glass. They inadverdently put the longer bottom screw into one of the top holes. I also checked the curvature of the frame to the glass, and it was dead on.

Anyway, the glitch I ran into was that the heads of the screws that came with the corner bracket kit were too large to fit into the frame. I wound up turning them down on the lathe...which was easier then widening the recesses in the frame. I just stuffed the gasket int the frame, made several V-shaped notches where it went around the bend at the top, sprayed some silcone in the groove, and the glass slid in without too much effort.

Thanks for the tips, it made the job go without any major surprises.

 

[sp53]

Take the about 8 foot by 2 inch rubber stripe and center it edge wise on the glass with the seam at the top then use pinching clamps or have someone hold it place while you tape it all around to hold it in place. Use a lot of (black)tape and go round and round the glass to get a good pinch fit. Then after you are done fitting the glass into the U of the chrome frame and all the screws are in, trim the excess rubber off.

 

[Mkutz]

I have a related question -- when I took my windscreen apart, there was what looked like to be a lead shim strip that was fit all the way across in the upper side of frame (where the tenax pegs are) that fit between the frame and the glass. Was this factory, or a DPO modification?

 

[Don Elliott]

This is something that someone has added.