Mike,
I've removed the windscreen from the frame to
replace a dryrotted seal. I had to take the whole
frame apart. The glass would not lift/slide out any
other way. I wish I had replaced the glass, but
thats another story.
Actually, getting it apart is not that difficult-
Getting it back *together* is the interesting part.
You need 4 hands and 4 legs to balance yourself
and the frame. Good time to con, errr... invite
some friends over for pizza and brew... and help assemble. HINT: save
the brew for later.
Once apart, the pieces look like some alien gadget.
Rest assured with enough patience, the thing will go
together. BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR NEW GLASS, I've heard
of more than one club member with a brand new
(and cracked) windscreen.
If you decide to DIY, here's what I did. Hope it helps:
If you are using a new frame-to-glass seal, it comes in one big piece
(at least the Moss version did).
No matter which way I put it on, or how much I tried
to bunch it together, I always had seal leftover.
I made a command decision that is was too big- and
cut a 3 inch piece out of it to get it to fit nicely.
Installed, the two ends butt perfecty.
After you are done playing with the seal and have a
nice fit, lay a bead of sealer in the seal groove.
I used 3M windshield resealent. Its real purpose is
to glue new windshields in place- at $18 a tube, it is
probably overkill as a sealer.
This stuff is stickier than anything else I've ever
used. I had sealer on me, the glass, the dog, the
floor, my wife, the frame- everywhere. HINT: dont do
this in the family room and keep the thinner handy.
Once the seal is on the glass, I set it on a barstool
so I had access from all 4 sides.
Lubricate the frame channel with liquid dishsoap.
I used one of those disposable foamy paintbrushes.
I marked the center of the top and bottom rails and
the center of the windscreen and then lined the 3 up.
Once aligned, I used a large quick-clamp to GENTLY
squeeze the top and bottom rails onto the glass.
DISCLAIMER: Use this method at you own risk.
I cant remember, but I think the side rails have
threaded pieces that slide inside the top and bottom
rails. Add the side rails and you are done. On yeah,
you will need to wiggle the whole mess around for a
while. HINT: grunt loudly for effect and use a bit of white grease on
the threaded pieces.
A long narrow screwdriver helped line up the holes.
(push it through both sets of screwholes and wedge
VERY GENTLY). Start all of the screws before you
tighten any of them. Again, be careful doing this.
HINT: Save the bottom seal for another day; after
doing this, I didn't have the patience to install it.
Good luck and keep us posted...
--Scott
---Mikecquinn@aol.com wrote:
>
> I need to put new windscreen glass in my MGB. Do I really need to
take the
> whole frame apart or do I just need to take the top off of the
frame? Does any
> one have any experience doing the job or know if I can take it to a
windshield
> shop and trust them to do the job. Any Ideas of how much it costs to
have the
> glass installed.
> --Mike
>
==
Scott Hower -> howersl@yahoo.com
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