The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Vent Window Glass.

I ordered Chevy Duty replacement vent glass for
my 55/1st. Set the new on the old for comparison...exactly the same. Dry fit the glass into the assembly and snugged it up to the division strip and marked the glass so I wouldn't set it into the frame too far. Soaked the setting tape and installed the glass. Trial fit the frame into the assembly with new hinge rivet. The window closes right up to the division strip rubber...BUT it is barely seated in the vent window frame. It almost seems like the glass has to be larger. Stuart.

Stuart,
I am about to do this same job. One of my vents was smashed and the other was missing so I cannot match up the new to the old. But they do seem small on the dry fit.

Did you replace the rubber coated steel weather strip that is riveted to the division bar on the vent side?

Can I ask what did you soak the setting tape with? Did you use cork/rubber tape?

I did mine with RTV instead of setting tape following some advise to do so. They had been apart for four years. When they were all set up, I noticed that the window went further into the frame than with the tape and they would not catch the seal. I had to redo them and I left the glass sticking out about 1/16" past the frame. This gave me an ideal seal.

There are diff thicknesses of the setting tape available, also newer glass is thinner. I had to buy a whole roll($12) to get the correct thickness for my last glass installation, if anyone needs some holler-it is 1/16" thick IIRC-if I live to 100 I will never use it all. Maybe the Chinese simply cut their vent glass a little small?

I could write a book on this...well at least a four day script. I spent my Memorial Day weekend restoring the vent windows on my '54 3100. I purchased the vent glass, setting tape, weatherstripping/molding, rivets (even the swivel rivet)for Classic Parts (Chevy Duty). That was the end of the easy part, Oh the dry fit went well so that makes it misleading. I soaked the setting tape about 25 minutes in 5w30 motor oil I had purchased by mistake. Then slopped the oil in the vent channel, cut V's into the setting tape for corner and bends, then form the setting tape around the edge of the glass, then proceeded to push the vent glass into the frame. I ran into an early stop, so I got my trusty rubber mallet and pounded the poop on the edge of the glass. Surprising, I got it to seat into the corner and it stopped. I had wished it would go another 1/16" further but it wouldn't. It's weather tight, and shuts fine. I can't imagine installing the vent glass into an installed frame using setting tape.

Does anyone know the proper setting tape thickness for vent glass, compared to door glass?

3/32

Please do your selves a favor. Don't soak the tape in oil. Use the oil as a lube to slide it in. The oil is used to swell the tape, making the glass fit tighter, soaking it swells it up and can make the install more difficult. If need be you can stretch the tape to make it fit easier, The oil will swell it up enough for a tight fit.

OK, great tips on a project I'm about to under take. My question is how do you get the glass out of the frame short of breaking it? :confused:

This may help some.

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=15107151&uid=2902753

Wilbur,

Excellent advice. If the dry fit is not a little tight, your glass is too thin and/or your setting tape is too thin.

Tim

Rich,

My attempt ended in total chaos. Follow any of the tips in this thread and you will probably succeed. When I get ready to try this again, I plan on rereading all the above posts and looking at Houston54's picture album on the subject.

Stuart

You want the dry fit to be snug but not loose. If it is loose try to double up the tape. If it is to tight, stretch the tape a bit. Lube only the frame side of the tape, install around glass and slide in, trim excess off.

Thanks guys. I was away for a few weeks on vacation. I read Houston's tutorial...very helpful as usual.

My dry fit is very tight. I will try stretching the tape to get the right fit. I will try this weekend and let you know how it goes.

55 1st... I used a little gasoline to get the glass out. Just a few drops on each side to disolve the original tape. the windows slipped out in a few minutes. Mine were already broken unfortunately.

Rich

My vents and door glass are in and I could not be happier with the result.

Thanks all!!

Rich