The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Windshield woes on 1954 Chevy 3604, help needed

Had an experienced Glass Shop come to the house to install a new windshield and back glass on my 1954 Chevy 3604 today. The Steele Rubber windshield gasket fit the glass perfectly per the "glass guy" but they could not get it installed. He took measurements and said the glass was about 1/4" too tall for the window opening. The original glass and gasket appeared to fit very well with only issue being a crack in the center top to bottom. Unfortunately I trashed it before getting the new glass. I purchased the glass from a well known supplier. So, I've done some research and cannot figure out the windshield opening dimensions using the information in the assembly manual section 1. I wanted to check to see if maybe something is off with the opening. Anyone have a simple diagram I can use for reference or the windshield dimensions? They installed the rear window in about 15 minutes. Go figure. Please share your advice, experience, knowledge , it would be appreciated. Thanks!

If the new rubber fit the glass perfectly then I don’t understand why the glass would not fit . Does the rubber fit the cab without the window ,

"He took measurements and said the glass was about 1/4" too tall for the window opening."

Is the window itself/alone taller than the opening?
If yes, you are in a bind (excuse the pun).

The seal + window is a very tight fit.

Presumably, the installer was using/pulling the "string-in-the rubber grove" trick/technique?

it
Yes, it fits the opening, goes over the pinch welds.

yes

The window fits in the opening, Tim. But not much room around it. The "glass guy" said that the glass needed to have 1/4" space all around when placed into the opening. He ordered a glass from a manufacturer in Canada and is going to compare it to the glass I purchased from Classic Chevy (made in Taiwan).
The Original windshield was fine other than a crack down the middle from top to bottom and a couple of BB strikes. I never thought to keep the old glass when I removed it. I measured the cross section of the Steele Rubber window gasket and it measures .325" from the top of the base to the bottom of the window groove. At a 1/4 space all around it would compress the gasket .075". Does that sound right?

My 1954 windshields were very hard to replace.

They were quite tight.

We used a lot of unscented personal/body lubricant. It is water-base - it can easily and completely washed off.

With one windshield, we used the optional (RPO) stainless-steel surround/insert. That was interesting/scary.

Interesting, they used nothing....not soapy water spray or anything else. Wonder if I've chosen poorly?? Anyway it would be great if someone could tell me if they thought the 1/4 inch "gap" is required "all around" the glass if you centered it in the opening ?

Most soap is not good with rubber. It is hard to remove; and, supposedly it might degrade the natural rubber (over a period of time).

DO NOT USE SILICONE-based/containing LUBRICANT.

I did not want to offer this: I have a NORS GM 1954 windshield.
I did not want to take it out of the original shipping box.

Measure your windshield, top-to-bottom in the middle.
I will compare that measurement with my windshield.

Tim, as soon as I can get it back I will, the "glass guy" took it with him to compare to the "windshield made in Canada". I can tell you the "opening" in the center of the cab where the glass would sit inside of is 15- 42/64" ( 15.656 "). Thanks for all your help Tim, I understand your reluctance to opening that box. With you having an original we can get to the bottom of this .

I have the windshield out of my Canadian 1314, that I kept as templates. Want me to measure those?

Yes, please, Trevor

Thanks

Trevor, that would be great, thank you! Tim can keep his NOS one in the box and not have to open it. Thanks!!

I have an original USA. It's 15-7/16". I can do a finer measurement if needed.

15 5/16
25 3/16

Or there abouts.

I hate pointing out the obvious, but I don’t think you can compare the dimensions from the two piece windshield to the one piece in a ‘54.

Correct Phak1 , need measurement from a windshield for a 1954 or 1955 1st series truck.

buoymaker , thank you and yes if you can get a finer measurement that would be great! Appreciate the help.

That's interesting. The FAM, which is based on the '54 models has a vertical dimension of 15.16 between the top and bottom pinch welds. 15-7/16 is 15.4375, or nearly 9/32" bigger than the FAM dimension. Does the glass fit outside the pinch welds? It would have to given bouymaker's measurement and the FAM dimension.

You're very right!

For what its worth, I installed a windshield in a 54 6400 using a gasket the customer supplied. I believe it was made by Precision, whose parts I never really cared for, but it fit great. IIRC I got the glass from Pilkington (formerly LOF). John

kl hansen - for reasons I cannot figure out, I couldn't respond directly to your post but here is what I wanted to share -

Yes it fits outside the pinch welds. Looking at the cross section of the Steele gasket, it fits in the "window opening" in front of the pinch weld. I estimate that the opening is supposed to be 15.820 with a +/- tolerance of .020 at the center from the information found in Section 1 sheet 63.03 of the FAM, by subtracting B from C on ref. # 39 and 42 and adding those to the 15.160 pinch weld opening dimension you referenced. My window opening measures 15.750 using a tape measure. So I'm approximately .070" short from nominal and .050" short on low limit window opening, I think. So would .025 - .035 per side prevent installing a windshield? Another concerning measurement is the Steele gasket. The distance from the window groove bottom face to the face that sits in the window opening is .320/.325". If the window is 15.438 (rounded) and the window opening is 15.820 , that leaves .191" clearance. Would that mean the gasket compresses .135" roughly all around? I wish someone had a 1954 or 1955 1st series sitting around without a windshield and could take that center measurement. I suppose if the "Glass Guy" grinds away glass and makes it fit, all's well. My need to understand is overwhelming. lol

Thank you for the information, tinnerjohn. We shall see where this goes.

I had the same issue but with lots of persuasion it went in but I still think it was to big. Best of luck.

I had not seen those dimensions you mention (there are a bunch of them).Those reference dimensions at #39 and #42 are from the zero line (measured vertically), so with the windshield slanted back at about 30 degrees, your numbers you added to the pinch weld opening (measured at the windshield angle) would be slightly larger, so that would make your opening even smaller than nominal. You might try checking the vertical dimension from the floor to the center of the windshield frame holes shown at centerline and 18.88 inches off centerline. That should match the dimensions shown on the FAM if you add 11.88 which is the floor location from the zero line. That would tell you if your roof has somehow been crushed down a bit. I would think that would be pretty obvious, but would explain your shorter windshield opening.
But you're right, if your glass guy trims the glass so it fits you're good. Hope everything works out for you.

Kevin, thanks for the help. I've resigned myself to "it's ok if I don't understand it as long as it gets installed" .

Sorry it took so long.

Original removed windshield and the truck it was removed from:
Windshield top to bottom = 15 13/32" (the edges of the windshield glass are slightly rounded).
Windshield side (face) of pinch weld top to bottom = 15 30/32"
Difference = 17/32 = 0.53125
Div. by 2 = 0.265625 = tight, if expecting 0.5

I used a right angle held against the pinch weld and pushed to the top.
Same on the bottom pushed down.
Measured with a scale from the right angle edge to right angle edge.
Even with all this hoopla, paint, rust and unevenness of the window channel....

Thank You ! This really helps. The Steele Rubber thickness is .320/.325 so if you have .266 that means a crush of .054" which seems plausible. The "glass guy" said he needs .250 all around for it to fit well. Your measurements make his comments accurate. Appreciate the help!

If I may digress with a good memory. My dad was a body man and in his day he swore by Dum Dum sealant on the older windshield designs . Google and search this forum. I suspect today's windshield installers have their preference that is probably more eco-friendly. People would come to the shop with leak problems. The leak always seemed to roll over the dash and down onto their nice shoes, pants or dress. He would dry windshield and rubber seal. He'd pinch off a bit Dum Dum, roll it out like a noodle, pull the rubber back and work it into the gap. The stuff stayed "sticky" and didn't harden. A quick and lasting fix. He'd wink at me and say this is easy money.

I would say your Dad was a good businessman! Interestingly enough, the "sealer" that remained on the pinch weld when I removed the old glass and gasket was grey, roughly 1/16 thick and it was still "soft" and came off easily. Thanks again.