39 PU Windshield installation

Randy1944

Randy1944

Senior Member
I finally got my frame back from the machine shop. Does the middle strip come out? Does the inside of the frame come apart from the outside frame - to allow installation of the windshield? How about suggestions to help me install the glass? Thanks
 
Thanks for the site. I had found it by searching, but it doesn't really answer my questions. Another question: I am missing one of the clips that slide over the seam where the top and bottom come together - any suggestions or would anyone have one for sale? Thanks
 
The stainless clips can be made from some scrap stainless steel pieces. Having the windshield frame handy to shape to fit helps a lot. To the best of my knowledge, no one makes these. The center piece of the windshield is not made to be removed at will. I think it is attached to the bottom half of the frame.

I removed the old glass by holding a 2X 4 against the frame and pounding the frame from the glass. I assume that you are not using the old glass. Purchase new bedding from a glass shop. Wrap the bedding around the edges of the glass and use liquid dish washing soap to lube the bedding to the frame. Use that same 2 X 4 to seat the glass and bedding into the frame. Use care not to break the new glass. Glass can take some abuse when tapping into the frame . If you have not done so, now is the time to pick out the old rubber seal and sandblast, repair and paint the frame.
 
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Wrap the bedding around the edges of the glass and use liquid dish washing soap to lube the bedding to [/QUOTE]

The guy who sold me the new windshield for my '39 p/u said DO NOT use WD40 to lube the windshield. He recommended glass cleaner but I'm guessing that liquid dish soap would work also.
 
I had to break the glass into small pieces to work it out of the frame and it still fought me. After cleaning and painting I used pipe clamps to ease the new glass into the frame (NOTE: no metal to glass contact!!!) . Seemed a little less scary than pounding on it but you do have to go easy or it can break. I used dish soap that I put in a spray bottle as a lube. The clips are called "windshield frame seam clips". They are available for some window frames but I dont know if they are available for the '39. As stated above they should be pretty easy to make.
 
I just finished the windshield on my 39 PU a few weeks ago. I referred to a Chris Blattie thread on the HAMB. My glass went in with a light to medium hand pressure and a little windex for lube. I dry fit the glass with no tape a few times to make sure my frame was straight and twisted the frame slightly until the pieces would slide together easily and the gap was even. Pay attention to how the top and bottom align at front and side of the square peg, mine had a decided angle at the front that was made obvious when the flat glass was loosely installed, tweaking required. I used two layers of tape at the center post because the channel there was wider. One mistake I made was not observing/ removing a small burr on the edge of the frame at the parting line, that cost me a new piece of glass. With new glass in hand I then made sure everything was smooth, no burrs or bumps. Make sure the frame screws you use are too short to go through the frame channel and peg and contact the glass when torqued or the glass will break. I bought stainless, slotted, rounded CS screws from boltdepot.com, I think, when I was buying hardware to build a deck. Roy Nacewicz probably has the rounded head CS screws as well if you want more authenticity. I used a little anti-seize on them and a dab of lubriplate on the square pegs during assembly. I worked on a padded table per C. Blatties advice. When you trim off the excess tape use care at the corners with the knife blade angle or you may knick the paint like I did.
 
Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. I am still cleaning on the metal and hope to install the glass next week. Reading about how easy it is to break the glass is a little unnerving. I will let everyone know how it goes next week.
Thanks
 
Joe's Antique Auto has the proper screws. His set has 9 screws, 8 for the 2 halves of the windshield frame and 1 for the top of the center divider bar. Other sets I looked at only came with the 8 screws to hold the frame together.
 
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