Windshield removal

[Ken B]

Is the any chance of removing the old front windshield with it cracking?
If the chances are low I won't be gentle

 

[SquareRoot]

Is the any chance of removing the old front windshield with it cracking?
If the chances are low I won't be gentle

There's a huge chance of removing it with it cracking.

 

[Bextreme04]

Is the any chance of removing the old front windshield with it cracking?
If the chances are low I won't be gentle

Its easy to remove without cracking as long as you aren't trying to keep the old seal. Just pull the locking strip and cut the entire outside lip of the seal off. If it doesn't have the lock strip then just cut the lip off. The window will just fall out at that point. Have a professional shop install the window with a NEW seal.

 

[Ken B]

Cool
I was gonna do removal but yes glass Co. on install

 

[bucket]

I'm a cheap ass with stuff like that. If I've got it and it's good, I'll use it and do it myself. That's if it has the lock strip type seal. There's one style of seal that doesn't have a lock strip... never attempted to reuse that kind yet.

 

[Ken B]

i do have the lock seal. so hopefully i can get it out undamaged

 

[Scott91370]

@Bextreme04 nailed it!
I did two windows this way. One worked the other didn't. The broken one was 75% loose but whoever installed it decided to use some sort of liquid sealant and one small push - CRACK! Right where the sealant was.

The one that worked was so easy it's crazy. Cut the entire outter lip of the seal then gently pushed as close to the edges as I could - from the inside of course.

 

[Ken B]

Thanks guys but a bit confused. Cut on outside or Inside .

 

[bucket]

Thanks guys but a bit confused. Cut on outside or Inside .

Outside. Slide a razor blade into the channel where the glass goes, then cut all the way around the perimeter.

 

[Grit dog]

Maybe my windshield wasn’t installed right, but it sure came out easy enough. Never felt I was pushing hard enough to crack it and did not hurt the seal at all. Now this is the only one I’ve removed but it was easier than expected.
The seals are still soft (both front and rear windows). Was considering re-using them with new lock strips, but also they are likely original or at least very old.
Any reason this is a bad idea (leaks or ???) aside from maybe they don’t last “forever”?

 

[bucket]

Maybe my windshield wasn’t installed right, but it sure came out easy enough. Never felt I was pushing hard enough to crack it and did not hurt the seal at all. Now this is the only one I’ve removed but it was easier than expected.
The seals are still soft (both front and rear windows). Was considering re-using them with new lock strips, but also they are likely original or at least very old.
Any reason this is a bad idea (leaks or ???) aside from maybe they don’t last “forever”?

I reused mine on my '78. It was probably the original, or at least as old as '88 according to the 1988 state park sticker that was on it. It was soft and pliable still. When I removed it, I found that the window frame pinch weld flange was all distorted in the lower corners. This was due to how the spot welds were poorly done at the factory. I don't know how it didn't leak. I thought it would be best to straighten out the flange with a hammer and dolly. But I found out that by fixing the flange, the old rubber didn't seal against it very well. It leaked kind of bad at first, but slowly got better as the rubber formed itself to the new flange contour. After a full summer's worth of heat and sun, it doesn't leak anymore.