Seep in my windshield....

[Stomis]

Well after taking my dash pad out I came to discover my windshield has two small leaks at the bottom of it. One gets like 3 drops of water after an entire night of rain and the other gets a small pool.

My windshield has been in the truck for like 3 or 4 years and is brandnew no problems with cracks or anything.

I really dont wanna pay $200 to have it re-sealed and risk it breaking on removal.

I was thinking about laying a small bead of silicon on the seal where it meets the windshield but Ive heard stories of this making leaks worse. What do you guys think?

 

[dyeager535]

I hate leaks. Leaks lead to rust.

However in the windshield department, I'm not sure what sort of solution can be made.

Silicone where the actual glass meets the rubber SHOULD be ok...that won't trap any potential moisture anywhere except against glass or rubber, so no danger of rust there.

I'd stay away from any sealants against the metal/rubber sealing areas those, as that WOULD invite rust.

I've never seen it, but it looks like mine might drip once in awhile from the seal area. Thinking about it, if the water gets under the glass (falls on windshield, moves to top of gasket outside, then maybe finds a "hole" to drain into, under the glass), since the windshield is angled, does that mean that the gasket surface on the cab side is "lower" than the area outside where the water tends to puddle up? Would seem to be a design flaw...

 

[gravedigger472]

I've been a windshield tech for 5 years and have dealt with many leaks. the best way to cure a leak on your style truck is to go to a glass shop and purchase some urethane windshield adhesive, rather than a silicone based. remove the locking strip from the windshield gasket and pry the outer layer away from the glass, but do not try to remove the windshield. also, do not use a metal tool, as they may chip the edge of the glass. apply some of the urethane to the now exposed gap between the glass and the rubber. be cautious, urethane is nasty stuff. once you have applied the bead, squish the gasket back down onto the glass. probably some extra urethane will ooze out. a good foaming aresol glass cleaner (i use Sprayaway) and a bunch of NEW sharp single edge razor blades can clean up the excess urethane. simply spray the cleaner over the urethane that has oozed out and take the razor blade, holding the sharp edge against the glass, scrape off the goop. if you get any urethane on the paint or your hands, 3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner (also aerosol) is a great way to clean it off. do this all around the windshield, top, bottom, and sides. any other questions just reply here ill help you out.

 

[Stomis]

Ah alright. So what exactly is the procedure for removing the outer seal? I'll definately do it the right way if I can do it myself.

 

[gravedigger472]

there is a locking strip that can be pulled out, its in the center of the black rubber molding. take a screwdriver and just pry the strip out far enough until you can yank it out by hand. a small wooden stick or a nylon windshield tool (auto parts or windshield shop usually sell them) can be used to pry the gasket away from the windshield. it wont come all the way off, just far away enough to get the tip of the urethane tube in to inject the goop. just insert the non metal tool in the gasket on the glass and work it around so you can see the exposed edge of the windshield.

the trick is getting the locking strip back in the molding once you are done. if you have never done one, it can be tricky, but windshield shops can sell you a tool that will help the strip "slide" into place, or you can try it with a screwdriver or something, just be careful to not puncture the molding.

 

[Stomis]

there is a locking strip that can be pulled out, its in the center of the black rubber molding. take a screwdriver and just pry the strip out far enough until you can yank it out by hand. a small wooden stick or a nylon windshield tool (auto parts or windshield shop usually sell them) can be used to pry the gasket away from the windshield. it wont come all the way off, just far away enough to get the tip of the urethane tube in to inject the goop. just insert the non metal tool in the gasket on the glass and work it around so you can see the exposed edge of the windshield.

the trick is getting the locking strip back in the molding once you are done. if you have never done one, it can be tricky, but windshield shops can sell you a tool that will help the strip "slide" into place, or you can try it with a screwdriver or something, just be careful to not puncture the molding.

Alright thanks!

 

[ryoken]

here's what the strip tool looks like...

I have one you can borrow if ya need....

 

[dyeager535]

IF you have to replace the windshield after using the urethane, I assume the seal must be replaced as well? I don't know if it's common practice to re-use the windshield seals or not, just wondering if the urethane stays tacky and could be re-applied to an old gasket?

 

[gravedigger472]

not necessarily. the urethane cures hard like rubber, does not stay tacky like a butyl sealant. i have replaced windshields that have been sealed with urethane and not had to replace the gasket. it just takes a little more time to carefully cut the sealant without damaging the gasket. 99% of the time the gasket can be re-used. only not it its been dry rotted and cracked or super excessive urethane has been on both sides of the glass.

the way i described leaving the glass in will only allow urethane on the front surface of the glass. basically just take your time with a thin flexible putty knife and you should have no problem removing the W/S even with the sealant

 

[Kenny78]

Not contradicting gravedigger, but I just used ultra black rtv from a caulking gun. I pulled a w/s from a parts truck and wanted to install it myself correctly. Tried three tubes of recomended urethane. BROKE my caulk gun. Ran to store, bought really nice gun. Broke that too. Got fed up after third attempt and bought two 10.5oz??? tubes of RTV. Generously applied to cab/seal and installed windshield. Had two small leaks from w/s to seal. Popped the lock strip out and applied RTV in seal. NO more leaks. I wanted to do it all at once but i was using screwdrivers to install lock strip which is time consuming.

 

[gravedigger472]

yeah the urethane is a really thick adhesive and hard on the gun, the parts store guns have a 12:1 thrust ratio, but to get the best out of it you can order a 26:1 thrust ratio. IMO it works great