Paging Woody (911 content)

I need to pop the windshield out of my 964 to fix a small rust bubble under the edge of the gasket before it gets any worse. My previous attempt to POR-15 it in-place has not worked.

Have you ever successfully got one in/out again without breaking the glass or should I be sourcing a window before I start?

Pelican lists two gaskets - one is $48 from a german OEM supplier, one is $204 and gen-you-wine Porsche. I know which one I'm going to buy but is there any reason at all to consider paying 4x as much just so I can be aware of it to properly kick myself in the ass for cheaping out at a later date?

Sorry, no Woody here - but I did replace the windshield in my 85 targa. While I expected to break the old cracked one, it stayed together. I talked to a guy that had done a couple of 911 windshields. He thought the riskiest part was the install at the top corners. I didn't have any real tricks - just a warm day and ran a thin piece of plastic around the windshield/gasket surface to open things up a little before I started pushing. Mine wasn't leaking, and the gasket looked good, still felt pliable so I re-used it. Oh, if you've got a radio antenna in the glass, don't forget to reconnect it or you get to do it over

FWIW I'd go with the $50 gasket - worst case, if it's close there's good sealants

In reply to oldtin:

Thanks. My gasket does look pretty supple (heh-heh) so I'd be re-using it if possible as well. What sealant did you use? I have a ton of good expensive 3M rubber sealer here from doing door seals on the Chevelle. The Porsche folks seem to recco Wurth rubber cement as the "only" option but I imagine rubber == rubber and what I have works tanfastically. Is there some magic I'm not seeing?

I'm no Woody either, but a buddy and I did the one on my 911. He had done them before so I pretty much just helped. He ran a thick piece of string, not thin kite string, but thicker around the seal. After getting everything in place, I kept pressure on the windshield as he worked the string around to seal it. I think the key to getting it to seal was the pressure as he worked the string.

I used the cheapo seal and no leaks on mine. Well, no leaks from the windshield...it leaks from like four places on the targa top.

You want fun? Try putting in a rear glass targa window in a 911. I had to resort to calling in the expert. Guy came and it still took 3 hours. We forgot to put the aluminum trim back in, but no leaks there either.

I have not had to do this but...let me just say this.

My '87 coupe got a new windshield not long before I bought it. It also got a new headliner at the same time, so I don't know if they replaced the glass in the course of doing the headliner or vice versa. For all I know, the original may have broken when they were removing it for the headliner job. I can dig out the receipts to see what gasket they used, but I'm pretty sure that they used the cheap one because I'm not thrilled with the way it fits in one corner. I'll try to post a photo.

Also, your 964 probably has the radio antenna in the glass, so watch out for that when your pulling out the old windshield. That's even more incentive to avoid breaking it.

Do you have full glass coverage on your insurance?

Don't think there's any magic - I used 3M - Had one small leak at the lower left corner at the install - added a little sealant and no windshield leaks since then. Some folks get worked up about brands. Wurth is known to work (und it sounds so German) so that's probably where that gets the rep as the only stuff.

I'm pretty sure I know which gasket I'd buy next time (sorry...). It doesn't leak but it bugs the crap out of me.

Seems like an installation issue.

Yeah, that edge just seems like it got stuck in the windshield channel. Have you tried slipping a thin, plastic putty knife or similar under it, working from one end to the other?

The BMW windshield goes in and out the same way. My advice is to make sure you have a place in mind to put it that is free of obsticles. I got mine out succesfully only to trip on something when setting it down and falling on it, breaking it. Paid someone to put the new one in.

It didn't, and I don't think it's an installation issue. It's significantly lighter duty than an original. I can easily pull it up to where it should be, but it soon just drops back into the groove.

So, how do you get the old gasket out w/o ruining it? I just went to look at it more closely and I expected the center rib to pull out (like an E30 or 2002) and make room for squishing the rubber out of the way easily. It even looks the same as my E30 but this one on the 964 seems to have the plastic center molded right into the rubber itself.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/101_Projects_Porsche_911/79-Glass_Removal/79-Glass_Removal.htm

Whoops, that may not include 964s...

Looks like 911s went to one-piece/no metal trim in 1989 (although mine was a one piece with no trim). Fast way but wiping out the gasket - cut it with a razor knife. Saving the gasket (if it doesn't work will cost around $350 for the new glass) - slip a plastic putty knife or similar between windshield and gasket - squirt some soapy water (or silicone - skip the silicone if you are planning on painting anytime soon) between gasket and windshield. Technically folks say get suction cups and pull. I got inside - passenger side - close to middle and pushed on windshield with feet (good to have a catcher on the outside and try to spread the force across as much of the top of the windshield as possible). This puts a good deal of force on the glass - felt like it was on the verge of breaking, then it popped out of the gasket at the top.

Be careful, and you shouldn't have to replace the glass.

Shoot me a PM, and I'll see if I can get you a better price than "The Bird".

A few years ago my local glass company would do any install for $40 plus materials for something like this. If you bought the gasket through them (often cheaper than buying yourself) they would warranty the work-meaning it was on them if the glass broke.

Considering the cost of some windshields, I would have payed double just for the piece of mind.