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Topic: window rubber removal

Gumby, my '74 Kombi, has original window rubber.  No, that's not a good thing.  The word, Jurassic, seems appropriate here.  It's more a collection of thousands of codependant hard rubber pieces rather than the rings that SHOULD be keeping the water out. 

I'm about to start prepping Gumby for a few coats of light blue Hammerite and decopaged Gershwin sheetmusic.  Anybody ever delv into window removal?  Any tips, pointers, cautions?  Is this a job possible for a novice?  Whatcha think?

Brett and Gumby

  • From: City of Roses
  • Registered: 2004-03-29
  • Posts: 793

Re: window rubber removal

Hiya Brett,

To tell the truth, stationary (that is to say, non-moving) window removal is a snap.  All you need to do is slice the rubber and lift out the glass. 

Slicing?  Here's how to do it.  Holding a sharp thin blade parallel to the window surface, insert it under the lip of the seal and push into the seal.  Move the knife and follow the seal around the window.  What you are doing here, in effect, is removing the top of the seal.  The glass will then push out easily.

For the sake of safety it would be a good idea to have a person on each side of the glass when removing.  And a word of caution...........be extremely careful with the glass when it is out.  It is surprisingly fragile without support.

Mike

1970 Bus - The Ruptured Duck

Mike

1970 AS Bug
1970 Bus - The Ruptured Duck
  • From: LA, CA
  • Registered: 2004-04-01
  • Posts: 7

Re: window rubber removal

Well, that sounds easy enough.  What's it like going in with new rubber?  Is that, too, something the novice could do?

Brett and Gumby

Hiya Brett,

To tell the truth, stationary (that is to say, non-moving) window removal is a snap.  All you need to do is slice the rubber and lift out the glass. 

Slicing?  Here's how to do it.  Holding a sharp thin blade parallel to the window surface, insert it under the lip of the seal and push into the seal.  Move the knife and follow the seal around the window.  What you are doing here, in effect, is removing the top of the seal.  The glass will then push out easily.

For the sake of safety it would be a good idea to have a person on each side of the glass when removing.  And a word of caution...........be extremely careful with the glass when it is out.  It is surprisingly fragile without support.

Mike

1970 Bus - The Ruptured Duck

Gumbysdiary's Website

  • From: City of Roses
  • Registered: 2004-03-29
  • Posts: 793

Re: window rubber removal

Hiya Brett,

Easy out does not necessarily mean easy in.

To be frank, I would not try installing glass without having seen (and participated in) it done before.  If you have some liquid soap (I like using Simple Green - very slippery stuff), some clothesline, and a friend, you can install the windows.  It's all in the technique - fairly easy to do provided you have just a little experience.  Otherwise you do risk the glass and numerous small cuts.

And FWIW, I would almost always defer to a professional on the windshield.  It can be a real monster.

Mike

1970 Bus - The Ruptured Duck

Mike

1970 AS Bug
1970 Bus - The Ruptured Duck