seans
Member
I arranged to have my cracked windshield removed today, and a new one installed tomorrow, so I could clean out any rust and treat scratches left by the installer to avoid the rust horror stories found in this forum.
Well, the installer used what basically is a Sawzall with a putty knife attached, from inside the van, to cut the urethane seal. And when he was through, he had left scratches through the paint all around the windshield cutout, AND through the body paint above the windshield where the knife slid well past the windshield.
Here is the kind of tool he used. If you see an installer about to use one of these on your car, YOU MIGHT WANT TO STOP HIM IMMEDIATELY.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhzFlMsWQmg (use starts ~ 2:45).
Someone who is trying to save a few minutes will NOT use the tool as shown but will instead plunge through the seal until the tool is stopped by the window frame and can go no further. This will also trash the moulding (though arguably it should be replaced anyhow.)
When queried about the damage, the answer was "I paint it with primer before I install the glass." About the damage above the window? "I can put primer there too, but I only have black" (this is a white van.)
No wonder Sprinters with windshield replacements are prone to rusting badly.
I spent *hours* cleaning out the channel, rubbing it out with rubbing compound, prepping rusty areas with naval jelly, cleaning again with alcohol, masking it off, priming with etching primer, laying down white primer, and finally laying down paint, all the while keeping the engine running and the windshield area under a tarp to keep the metal temperature up.
I found today that there is a special knife with handles designed for windshield removal (not the piano-wire type tool) and it costs less than $30. If I had known about this beforehand, I would have pulled out the windshield myself.
Well, the installer used what basically is a Sawzall with a putty knife attached, from inside the van, to cut the urethane seal. And when he was through, he had left scratches through the paint all around the windshield cutout, AND through the body paint above the windshield where the knife slid well past the windshield.
Here is the kind of tool he used. If you see an installer about to use one of these on your car, YOU MIGHT WANT TO STOP HIM IMMEDIATELY.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhzFlMsWQmg (use starts ~ 2:45).
Someone who is trying to save a few minutes will NOT use the tool as shown but will instead plunge through the seal until the tool is stopped by the window frame and can go no further. This will also trash the moulding (though arguably it should be replaced anyhow.)
When queried about the damage, the answer was "I paint it with primer before I install the glass." About the damage above the window? "I can put primer there too, but I only have black" (this is a white van.)
No wonder Sprinters with windshield replacements are prone to rusting badly.
I spent *hours* cleaning out the channel, rubbing it out with rubbing compound, prepping rusty areas with naval jelly, cleaning again with alcohol, masking it off, priming with etching primer, laying down white primer, and finally laying down paint, all the while keeping the engine running and the windshield area under a tarp to keep the metal temperature up.
I found today that there is a special knife with handles designed for windshield removal (not the piano-wire type tool) and it costs less than $30. If I had known about this beforehand, I would have pulled out the windshield myself.
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