Technical question about installing glass

I am installing new side glass on the driver side. My question is what is the inner depth of the channel? My new glass is thinner and I need to do the calculations to order the right thickness tape the glass sirs iin when tinstalled in the channell.

Thanks for any help you can give …..

TomT

 

Whenever I swapped from laminate to tempered glass I just used an array of tape and the trial and error method.

 

3M urethane

Hi Tom,
Good Luck

 

“I” think width vs depth is critical.

 

Squeeze the channel a bit tighter in the vise.

 

There are different thickness tapes.
Measure the width of inner channel, subtract thickness of glass, then decide by 2.
Some glass shops will have the size. You can also try the regular parts guys. I got mine from CW Moss.

 

Or use urethane in the channel to set the glass.

 

if using urethane, use a couple 1 inch pieces of setting tape or anything that will cushion the glass and hold away from the the glass touching the channel. A couple small dabs of urethane can be used. Push the glass into the channel and then use a small bead of urethane across the top of the channel to seal the channel and hold the glass. You want the bead along the top, so that if it ever has to be removed again a razor blade can cut it away from the channel. if you fill the channel and push the glass into it, it will be a struggle to get it apart again and cleaned up.

 

Thank you, gents!

 

Not trying to hi-jack your thread, but I'm in the middle of replacing both door glasses in my '48. Needed some spring clips that hold the channel to the mechanism, and some glass tape, so I went to an older glass shop here in town. There was an old guy sitting at the desk. He looked at the clips and told me he hadn't used anything like that in years, try O'Reillys. When I asked about glass tape, he said they didn't bother with it, they used 3M Urethane. Finally, I asked what he would charge to do the job, and he said he didn't do those old cars anymore.

I looked up the 3M on the NAPA site, and along with the urethane, there was a very expensive primer (about $40 for 3.5 oz.). I've not seen anyone on here mention primer, so I called 3M and asked if it was necessary and they said to use it on both the channel and the glass. Has anyone else run into this?

 

......Such a helpful soul. Sounds like he just wants to do quick in and out insurance jobs on new cars. That's what has seemed to happen in all phases of old car renovation. Even the older shops that made a living off of older stuff over the years are turning their backs on us.

 

Yes on the primer, We have 6 or 8 late model Ford Transit Connects at work, those ugly little work style minivans. Ours have a plastic side panel where the glass should be since they are work trucks. We just reset four of the panels. Ford used 3M urethane to set them with primer on the metal and plastic. Everywhere they missed the primer, you could see where the urethane didn't stick. Drivers were complaining about wind noisy, so I walked the lot and pulled four of them right off. We made sure to put the primer where it was needed.

 

When a windshield with urethane you must use primer on the opening. If you use it to set glass in a channel you don’t need it. Clean is enough. When you break that door glass after the urethane has dried you’ll wish you had used the setting tape. The tape is so much easier and a bunch cleaner. Your upholstery shop may have the tape.

 

For my windows being a hardtop with stainless frames. I'm talking about this method and I used this video as a guide.


I see a lot people mention urethane but it all about protecting the glass all around. One funny movement and boom it's cracked. Also I can't imagine cleaning out urethane from the channel. It not the way it was done in the past. but what ever works. And yes it would cheaper. But a high chance of it not setting correctly.

 

I can guarantee it's not cheaper. The primer, which I mentioned in post #10, is $40 for a 3.5 oz bottle, and the urethane, in a tube size similar to household caulking, is almost the same price. The main reason for changing the door glass in my car is that a previous owner used safety glass in the doors instead of tempered. It was cut to size and sanded by someone who didn't do a very good job and left stress points all along the edges which cracked making long runs across the glass. The setting tape that they used doesn't look anything like the tape that is currently available. It has a cloth-covered back on it and isn't smooth on both sides.

 

You can order from Steele Rubber products sample sizes in various thickness for the tapes. Try it out and see what works best.