Gentlemen, I need to remove the windshield and back gl*** from my 51 F1 as a prelude to media blasting. Although I may replace it (due to that smoky look) I would like to get it out in one piece. (As a template for the local gl*** shop, if nothing else.) However, the rubber is seal is not cooperating. It is as hard as a rock. I cannot cut it with any knives that I have, and heating it with a small torch has not helped either. Is there some trick to this ?? Many Thanks !~
Hmm...I have always just used a good box knife to cut it even if hard. Curious what others might have done.
It may cut better from one side than the other. Mine was OG and came out with a good Stanley knife. Maybe a whiz wheel would cut enough of the lip to allow it to be pushed out.
When the rubber gets hard it can be a challenge to remove it. My best advice is you’ll have to try different things to figure out how to remove it. I have used a putty knife and a hammer and lightly tapped my way around chipping or actually breaking off small pieces of hard rubber. I have a dull screwdriver that I have used as well. I do not hit it towards the gl*** or up from the outside. I hold the putty knife against the gl***, for sake of explanation, without touching the gl*** and I hit the rubber on the bulbous round part, hitting towards the sheet metal. Lightly tapping two or three times before it breaks off. Work your way around slowly and take care with your moves.
memory says those trucks had metal clips you don't see.... thats about all i recall... ask the F1 guys...
I use the utility knives on mine. I'm old and have lost much of my strength. I use a rubber mallet to persuade the knife through the rubber. Be aware that if the windshield has been replaced that what you have may be a poor template. Whoever cut it may have not done an accurate job of reproduction. Auto City Cl***ics has been mentioned many times as a source for gl***. There are no clips or retainers in the rubber. Cutting the inside lip is the easiest way in my exp. Same as the back window. If the gl*** has normal rock pits and scratches, it will make your freshly painted truck look poor.
I also would use a utility knife, I’d try it on the inside first, maybe the rubber is a little softer from not being in the sun. I’d would also use a heat gun, the metal around the gasket would heat up and maybe heat the gasket more evenly and help to release the gasket from the metal.
Just a crazy thought. If the knife is a tough fight then could try cutting the rubber with a soldering gun with the flat blade tip. Use a fan for ventilation with the smoking rubber.
Yep, only used that once on my 64 GTO about 25 years ago to save a nice windshield. Sawed on it for what seemed like forever and had about 4” or so left when I ran out of patience and decided it would surely push out the rest of the way...only to break it and waste all that time.
Southern California is the cosmic hub of dry, brittle rubber. Some ways to soften old, brittle rubber is steam heat, or chemical softening. Steam heat is kinda self explanatory. One of those steam cleaners like they use for detailing -or- steaming the wrinkles out of fabrics and leather. You can soften most rubber by allowing it to soak for at least 24 hours in a solution of three parts isopropyl alcohol and one part oil of wintergreen (methyl salicylate). https://www.amazon.com/Efficascent-...cphy=9031519&hvtargid=pla-1314593706647&psc=1 Methyl salicylate is a component in aspirin, 1 fluid ounce of oil of wintergreen contains as much as about 170 or so tablets of adult aspirin and can leach into your system through your skin, so you'd want to absolutely wear gloves while working with it. Mix up the solution, apply liberally (soaking rags with the solution and laying them directly on the rubber) then cover the whole works with plastic wrap, tape down the plastic wrap and let it set for a day or two. This should soften the rubber to a point where you can cut at it easier with a utility knife.
As mentioned, just cut the gasket (typically, from the inside). You're going to need new gaskets when you re-install.
I have just used a stanley box knife. After you cut the top and bottom put some duct tape from gl*** to body so that when you cut the rest the gl*** doesn't pop out and end up crashing on the hood. or engine, or ground.
I removed mine by using a box knife. No metal clips, I cut it from the front, then persuaded it from the back.
If the rubber gasket is really hard and brittle I use an old worn-out long handled gasket s****er and a rubber mallet. I like to start at one of the corners working parallel to the rubber so I'm not chipping towards the gl***, sometimes working from the inside is good, sometimes from the outside is better, take your time, be safe, wear eye protection.
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