Topic: Vent window: setting the glass

[Angela]

I'm looking for tips to set the vent window glass into the stainless steel channels. I am using 1/16" thick glass setting tape, arriving at that thickness by measuing the SS channels & Glass as follows:

Width of channels = 0.340" - 0.350"
Thickness of glass = 0.230"
Channel - glass = 0.110" - 0.120"

I've read everything I can find and practiced multiple times yet repeatedly fail. I encounter two main problems:
(1) I don't understand how Ford originally got the setting tape to bend nicely around the lower front corner of the vent window glass. I've even tried gentle heat yet cannot get the tape to form around the front corner of the glass without bunching up and being way too thick at that spot.
(2) Each and every time I attempt to slide the glass & setting tape combo into the channel, the tape tears at the section of the SS channel where the latch is located.

Tips/ suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks. 

[TLea]

cut some small pie shaped cuts out of material where it turns corner

[Angela]

OK, good idea on the "pie cuts". I tried that and it works better, but the setting tape still tears around the vent handle long bracket before I can get the glass fully seated into the frame. What's the trick? I tried warm soapy water and I also try a heat gun to soften the tape... neither trick worked.

[suskeenwiske]

Angela,

I don't have any ideas...yet, but will have to do the same thing you're trying to do. Where did you get this tape?

Thanks

Ray

[Murf]

I sprayed WD-40 on everything that slides, both sides of the rubber and have at it.  It is a crap shoot if it tears the rubber or not, but usually it will work.  For what it is worth, when I remove the glass a little pry with a small screwdriver and spray WD-40 UNDER the original rubber and wiggle the glass just slightly back and forth and keep the solvent running under the glass and have had very good luck saving the original rubber which looks more like a preformed piece of rubber rather than "setting tape" that is now available.  I suspect that Ford had pre-formed parts and did not use any tape in the first place.  The solvent and wiggle method takes quite a bit of time but has served me well for many years.  Have only used the tape to help someone out who wrecked the original rubber.  Good luck

[ruppstang]

I sprayed WD-40 on everything that slides, both sides of the rubber and have at it.  It is a crap shoot if it tears the rubber or not, but usually it will work.  For what it is worth, when I remove the glass a little pry with a small screwdriver and spray WD-40 UNDER the original rubber and wiggle the glass just slightly back and forth and keep the solvent running under the glass and have had very good luck saving the original rubber which looks more like a preformed piece of rubber rather than "setting tape" that is now available.  I suspect that Ford had pre-formed parts and did not use any tape in the first place.  The solvent and wiggle method takes quite a bit of time but has served me well for many years.  Have only used the tape to help someone out who wrecked the original rubber.  Good luck

+1 on the original rubber

[Angela]

Its sounds like the original rubber/tape is the way to go, yet I don't have that option since the original rubber fell apart as dust, having spent its life in the CA sun.

I'll keep practicing and re-trying to set the glass. All attempts thus far get the glass about 50% seated and then the tape tears at the latch bracket. Grrrr....

----> Oh, I forgot to ask about the width of the setting tape. I haven't seen anyone selling wider tape, yet is seems like a much wider tape is needed to allow it to span the height of the vent window handle bracket, as can be seen from the original assemblies. Can anyone comment on this? Using the standard 1.5" rolls of tape won't render tape in the entire height of those brackets.

Ray, you asked where to find the tape.... NPD sells it. You can also find it all over ebay.... just search on "glass setting tape". For this vent window application, one typically needs 1/16" thickness.

[must69]

Angela, I am having the same difficulties as you with installing the glass in the ss frame. How did you finally resolve this?
Thanks.
Phil

[67gtasanjose]

Angela, I am having the same difficulties as you with installing the glass in the ss frame. How did you finally resolve this?
Thanks.
Phil

Gee, I hope your "difficulties" are NOT a direct cause for your recent "parts wanted" ad today

I say this because I am also ready to assemble my original glass into the frames in the next day or 2...hoping I do not experience these troubles too.
I do have another set I could try to extract the original rubber from but they were from the dessert area and likely as brittle as what Angela described and what I removed from my original frames