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TR4/4A Replacing Front Windshield Gasket

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KVH

KVH

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I replaced my windshield gasket last evening, all by myself. I don’t know whether I should be proud or ashamed. I can still hear myself grunting and squealing. I don’t know why I do these things. I am aching, and feel that I’ve aged significantly since last evening.
 
National Auto Glass at Grant & Stone did mine for 40 bucks.

Maybe you need to learn to pace yourself and pick your fights.
 
No, I had the windscreen frame off the car (which was why I couldn't do it myself). Even they agreed (after the fact) that it was a job to wrassle that thing to get the glass in.

BTW - the $40 was a few years ago so the price may have gone up. To their credit, they quoted 40 when I took it in and stood by it.
 
Assuming I ever do this again, how does that string trick work? I assume you drop it behind the lip, from inside the car, and then pull in toward the interior of the car? In other words, the trick is to pull the gasket lip in without having to slide a "non-sharp" tool into the track?
 
Yes, run it around then inside of the lip. I have done it twice. The first time worked. The second the string broke and my not gentle enough persuasion with a screwdriver (I was trying to pry the rubber and stay away from the glass) broke the glass, in hindsight wrong tool, wrong method, all kinds of wrong.

Rather than risk breaking another I had the replacement installed at my house. I watched the guy do it and took notes. My idea of using twine was all wrong, I thought thin would be easier to pull out. It wasn't, it dug into the rubber in spots instead of pulling it out, and it broke eventually. The installer used a fairly substantial nylon cord, probably somewhere in the 1/8" to 1/4" inch range. Tuck the cord under the inner lip with the two ends meeting in the middle at the bottom. Lubricate it with soap. Push it in from the front as best you can, especially on the bottom where you start pulling the cord. Slowly pull the cord out, the corners can be tricky, and heel of the hand pressure on the outside of the windshield will probably be needed at the same time you pull the cord. It is all pretty slick when it works right.

I was gun shy after the breakage, but wouldn't hesitate to do it myself again if needed now that I have seen the proper tools and techniques. Greg
 
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