THE TIME HAS COME! SCREEN REPLACEMENT

[maxstu]

For me to renew my windscreen glass and seal...... as the massive cracks (yes cracks) in present one could be getting somewhat dangerous now According to the condesending gentleman with a blue tit on his head.

Got a good donor windscreen. I've got a new windscreen seal from AH Schofields too. Also have read and re-read all that's pertinent and available either in Wiki or internet. And I reckon I've got a sound mental picture of the procedure using the cord method, a rubber mallet and if all else fails, a crowbar ( I'm joking )

Tip one....get a spare windscreen.
Two........get a willing mate.
Three..... gently ease new seal on to donor screen. Do not use Fairy liquid though. How about talc instead?
Four...... feed cord round groove of seal and place excess cord inside driving area. Offer screen up to frame seating bottom of seal properly. Then from inside draw cord to pull rest of seal in to place as willing mate adds gentle pressure to appropriate area of screen from outside. Could talc be used here to help seal glide over screen frame too?

I would grately appreciate any final tips please to prevent me being rushed to A& E this weekend with multiple glass injuries

Thanks
Stuzo

[Titus A Duxass]

That should do it, but don't use talc or any lubricant.
Try keep the string in the centre of the screen when you are pulling.

I always start with the string at the top of the screen and the lower edge of the screen seated in its place.

[maxstu]

Seat screen base and pull from the top with cord.

Many thanks

[ermie571]

Stu - they crack really easily!!! Be warned!!!


We chickened out.....provided autowindscreens with £40 and they came, took the old one out and put the new one in, and disposed of the old one.
For £20 they would have come along and put the new one in for me. Took them less than 20 mins to do the whole lot, not had any issues with leaks etc etc.

Take care and good look

Em
x

[gsmoke]

I've done all my seals and my tips are to use loads of KY jelly!! (previously mentioned on here somewhere).
Put loads into the seal and use fingers or a brush to make sure that all is covered, then loads put more around the frame. Also make sure your string is well coated. A windscreen takes two tubes worth.
When you offer up the screen and seal its worth spending time to line it up in the frame absolutely perfectly so it sits evenly and in the frame as much as poss.
If you do the above, pulling the string over the lip is easy and takes about 20 seconds.
So, lube it well and line it perfect!
The hardest thing is buying loads of ky and ensuring that you dont get seen by anyone you know!

[maxstu]

Hi Em,

I see your point & really appreciate your concerns and wise words of warning. But a man has gotta do what a man....blah de blah

I'm now beginning to realise the scale of economies in force here. Especially as you mention how cheaply an expert will charge for fitting on my behalf. Or even if I banged in a new one through my insurance. However I've got a good feeling about this windscreen fitting adventure and intend to push ahead and try for myself. You can draft a reply post heading" I told you so!" for general viewing over the weekend

On the other hand ( hopefully still with four fingers and a thumb after this weekend ) anything to do with overhauling gearboxes...I read your recent plight......would certainly cause me greater consternation and much alcohol abuse. Then a courier to Mr Aidan "gearbox guru" Talbot in the morning. Horses for courses I guess Em. Thanks a million though.

Hi gsmoke,

Thanks for the sound advice mate ....

So off to Boots for a thoroughly embarassing purchase of KY Jelly, is it? Might as well stock up with Anuflux, Prep H and johnnie's while there Can't I use grease or vaseline on screen surround instead? Agree with getting alignment spot on. Have measured and found exact centre of both bottom & top lip then marked paintwork with marker pen. Done same to top and bottom of donor screen. So just a matter of lining marks up and start praying. Oh joy

And coming back to using fine talc...or not, I thought that would be ideal for stopping chaffing when drawing cord through windscreen seal. Plus it contains nothing that affects paintwork or cause premature corrosion?

Kind thanks to you all. Will post outcome on sunday night. If I can still use a keyboard....
Stuart

[gsmoke]

Hi Maxtu,
I have read that grease and vasalene will deteriorate the rubber over time.
I didn't mark the frame or screen but when you place the screen and 'lubed' seal into the frame, try and put it in as much as possible and evenly, if one corner is a few mm out than the others, it makes the sting pulling of that corner more difficult. You just push in as much as poss.
When the screen and rubber is in place, and nice and even, the screen will stay in place on its own. If youv'e used enough 'lube', most of the hard work is over.
With your assistant pushing down on the screen start pulling the string out to get the lip of the rubber over the frame and bobs your uncle.
Most importantly approach the job in a calm and confident manner. Like a dog, your van will pick up any bad vibes!
Good luck!

[Helga]

Wouldn't putting ky just make it easy to come out again too? I.e. at the wrong moment?

I chickened out last week too - £25 quid at my local garage...

[Titus A Duxass]

Wouldn't putting ky just make it easy to come out again too? I.e. at the wrong moment?

Exactly!

[jed the spread]

As far as putting it back in, the string gets abit snagged in the top crorners and comes out easly. Instead try pushing the windscreen seal againt he top of the opening then start to pull the string from the bottom. This way the top is already inplace and as you work round it doesnt get snagged. Did one on Saturday and it worked better for us this way,

jed

[maxstu]

Thanks to all for your replies.......

Firstly the screen fitting became a non starter

After taking onboard all advice I decided to approach this bit of important maintenance with much gusto. However, on closer inspection, the metal under the old seal was too rusty to make fitting a donor screen worthwhile. So she's off to the body shop today for welding to replace part of lower screen surround.

The man with the mig reckons I should pay an expert to fit the screen instead. I duly noted his rapidly diverting fearful eyes when I asked why he doesn't fit himself? (Jeez, you would have thought I had just accused him of being an axe murderer!). He mellowed when I added he would not be held accountable if broken, providing I was there helping. Pick up some secrets of the trade perhaps?

So stay tuned and I will update when there's more to write.

Jed, got any piccy's you can post on the forum of tent pitched on top of your van? Sheer brilliance....or close to insanity :

Thanks again,
Stuart

[T'Onion]

Jed, got any piccy's you can post on the forum of tent pitched on top of your van? Sheer brilliance....or close to insanity :

Search Jeds posts , there one with a link to his vidoes , loads of his high tent of doooooom

[maxstu]

Good idea.

Cheers for that Mark

Stuart