The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Trying to install my first split windsheild....

1947 AD 3600. I cant seem to find any posts on installing a new windshield. I've got new glass and rubber. The rubber is super loose on the glass. Even when I lean it against the cab opening. I know the rope drill, but I cant keep the rubber against the glass......tape? Please help bolters.....super frustrated. Marko

Not sure what you mesan by by loose, the gasket should be snug on the glass. If you have the gasket for the stainless trim, thee mouldings go in the gasket before installing in the truck. If the gasket isn't staying on the bottom arch, masking tape will hold it. Just did mine Sunday and remembered another tip. A suction cup is handy to help pull the Windshields into the A post. If the gasket doesn't fit the corners good, carefully work a piece of rope or screen spline into the groove. With a new gasket I like to give it a few days for everything to settle in before shimming. Sometimes the rubber just needs to form to the body. Also, if you chase the threads in the division bar, don't run the point of the tap into the moulding like some dummy I know! Hope this info helps. John

Thanks for the reply John. By loose I mean the brand new rubber gasket does not fit the brand new glass snuggly. I'm thinking this is because of the convex curve of the bottom edge of the windshield (cowl area). I like the idea of masking tape. I'm guessing I place the lower edge of the windshield first, then work my way up. By the way what do you mean by "shimming"? Are we talking about the expansion strip we put into the gasket? Thanks for your help sir!!

Or do you mean the stainless trim?

Tape is necessary on almost any glass\gasket with an inward curve. If you have stainless trim it goes in the gasket after putting the gasket on the glass, BEFORE installing in truck. The shimming I mentioned is done by CAREFULLY working short piece of vinyl screen spline or rope, I've even used a piece of wire into the groove between the glass and gasket. This shouldn't be required if the corners of the glass weren't cut or ground undersize. Start pulling the rope at the bottom center, do one side, the start at bottom center for the other side. The only lock strips on these trucks are on the back glass and on the quarter glasses if you have a 5 window. Hope I haven't totally confused you, its harder to explain than do, but after doing hundreds of rubber set glass parts over 40 years, I never really tried to write down what I was doing!! John

If your gasket has a groove in the outside its for the stainless trim. If you don't have the trim it will be almost impossible to seal the windshields with this gasket. Also, if you do need to shim, use a plastic windshield stick to work the shim in. A handy tool for rubber gasket installs is a cotter pin puller, aka radiator hose tool. This is used to help get the gasket started over the pinchweld, especially on the newer trucks that have a double lip on the gasket. Round the point on it first. A new one will easily puncture/ tear the rubber. John

Marko,tinnerjohn has covered all the bases.
As he says sometimes it's hard to put these techniques into words,I too had lower corner fit issues as shown in this picture .

Just to reiterate,the front rubber if NO chromes are involved should be a solid rubber with NO groove.
Only the rears use a flexible lock strip/insert in either black rubber or plastic 'chrome'.
The front with the stainless trim doesn't perform the same function to 'lock' the glass in place but without the trims as John mentions it will be nigh on impossible to gain a good seal.

My windshields were cut from templates I made from a glass kit a friend had bought from a vendor,the fit was truly awful!
I've also used the 'shimming' method in the past as mentioned above but in this instance it was just too much of a gap.
As a consequence I resorted to re-templating from the aperatures and cutting new glass.

A good side of a windshield cut too small is that they are easier to install! That would assist the cowl vent, but it might have leaked a bit.

Thanks Tinnerjohn and Jockbolter50, the windshield is in place. Using tape at the bottom edge of the glass at the pinchweld I was able to use rope and a 90 degree pick (with the point rounded)to position the glass. Sure looks sweet and nicely detailed since I painted the dash and windshield pillars beforehand. Whole install took about an hour,including the inside trim molding. This forum is the best!

Glad you got 'er done,and I concur,the 'bolt IS the best!