164 back window removal

richardbradford said:

Hi,
has anyone successfully removed the rear window intact in a 164 with a jigsaw or similar?
Any tips on removing the trim without damage appreciated too.
Thanks

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I have done it but it is not easy using pneumatic air gun designed to use special blades that are for cutting window sealant,

It is easy to damage teeth on inside of trim pieces with cutting blade though.

I suggest you get a professional windshield glass shop to do it.

Thanks Steve,

financially not viable to pay someone the $200 to come and try and do it and still charge me if fail. Either I manage it or the glass is junk. Was planning to get a fine blade on a jigsaw and very gently cut around the rear glass. Not even sure how to get the trim out undamaged though. May never need the rear glass but goes against the grain to let it get scrapped.

Rear window hardly ever break, unlike front ones. When I scrapped my 164S, I left the perfect window in the car. The front one was broken anyway, but you could practice on the rear window before attempting the front one.

Good points, thanks.

Will try rear one first as most interested in saving that - would be harder to source if ever needed one. Sounds sensible to remove all internal trim before starting.

How does the glass sit against the body? On a lip or what? Would be helpful to know.

Cheers,

Richard

Sits in a recess. You need to cut the adhesive from the inside.

I removed one using an oscillating tool and a couple of different blades. If I recall correctly, I used a semi circular blade and a bent blade as needed and it came out much easier than I anticipated. The rear glass is different from the front glass. It will shatter rather than crack if forced. I have had no luck removing front windshields since even a gentle upward force from the oscillating blade seems to crack them.

alfahill said:

I removed one using an oscillating tool and a couple of different blades. If I recall correctly, I used a semi circular blade and a bent blade as needed and it came out much easier than I anticipated. The rear glass is different from the front glass. It will shatter rather than crack if forced. I have had no luck removing front windshields since even a gentle upward force from the oscillating blade seems to crack them.

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Hi,

were you working from the inside or the outside? Thanks

I think the lower edge was mostly from the outside and the rest mostly from the inside. Just get the blade into the adhesive from any position possible until it cuts through.

I just had a 164 windshield replaced. The guy worked with a long (2') home made razor blade handle and cut from both inside and outside. Interesting and looked like it could be successful.

Hi,
Still not managed to get mine out and on the verge of giving up.

Have managed to penetrate the sealant on the lower edge using a long blade, after bending down the metalwork lip below it (car to be scrapped), but reckon impossible to get the chrome trim off without shattering the glass. Cracked the front screen trying to prise off a stubborn side chrome trim - still not got it off ok.

Got one of those long, thin steel wires with a handle each end, for sawing through the sealant. Think it might get ripped up while trying to undercut the chrome trim teeth. Am I correct in that? Hope not. It is pretty much my last hope of being able to remove it - apart from maybe angle grinding the steel around the glass and taking it out like that. Daft idea?

All suggestions appreciated. Thanks.

I have tried to remove two rear windows and one front windscreen.
Only one rear window survived.....my first attempt.

I was super careful using all kinds of slimline tools and self manufactured blades.

The windscreens crack when one goes in at the corners.
Obviously there is a technique and a professional tool for the purpose.
The problem is that it is not worth acquiring those tools for once off operations.

We try nevertheless.

I think the rear window is bonded in just like the windshield and is removed and replaced using the same technique. The pros use a cheese wire type cutter inserted through the sealant from one side of the windshield and then pulled around the window perimeter from the other side. I've never seen anyone use a knife or saw.

I'm pretty sure those wire cutters are not expensive or hard to find.

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/windshield-removal-tool

Rear glass replacement

I just glued in the rear glass that I had removed a few years ago. I recall that removal was fairly easy with one of those cheap vibrating tools and a flexible straight blade. You mostly work from inside the car, keep the blade parallel to the glass and let the blade do the work. You want the blade between the sheet metal and the chrome trim but you don't want the blade to catch on the chrome trim. Just keep the blade against the sheet metal as much as possible. If you do the more accessible parts first, the glass will give some and make it easier to get into the corners.

For those wanting to reinstall the glass, one 10 oz tube of urethane sealant is sufficient. Amazon sells the stuff and you can apply it with an ordinary caulking gun on a warm day.

New plan: melt the glue out.

Anyone ever tried methylene chloride? Apparently this can dissolve the bonding urethane glue holding in the glass. It isn't viable unless you are scrapping or respraying the car as it will also remove the paint and damage other things but seems viable in my case - toxic liquid/fumes aside.