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Old 02-07-2015, 05:08 AM   #21
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Re: Leaking barn door window repair

We must be equally anal about not making a bigger mess in the junk yard than we find.

I've done the same thing myself, absolutely hate destroying a part someone else might need or want. It doesn't get us a better seat in heaven but maybe at least keeps us in the room?

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Old 02-10-2015, 08:19 PM   #22
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Re: Leaking barn door window repair

Heya,

Sorry for the delay in posting here again. With a list of things to do you don't always get to them in the order / speed you anticipate. In any case with a nice warm afternoon today and a few other things out of the way I popped the rear window out (easy-peasy with a putty knife and a near 80F day). The butyl at the top was dried out and crusty and seemed like it was pretty obvious where and why it was leaking, and exactly where I had seen it leaking.

Removing the butyl from the pinch weld and the glass took me about an hour, mostly putty knife then the rest with Goo-Gone, which seem to be most similar to mineral spirits but at least smells better Cleaning the butyl off the window spacer took the better part of two hours, including Kathi's help. That part sucked. I am no pro at this, but it ended up pretty damned clean.

New 1/4" 3M Window Weld went on easy enough, I gathered that you start and stop the window weld at the bottom of the window where there is a space to overlap them, at least that is what I did so I would have a continuous bead at the top and on the sides.

Putting the window back in, it seemed a bit tricky to get the bolts perfect. The bolts were already in, and the window popped into place just dandy, but getting the bolts dead straight so they would seat down nicely required a bit of fine tuning where the window had landed.

I snugged down the bolts slowly, 1/2 turn per bolt, in sort of an X pattern swapping around bolts. Eventually they seemed about as tight as I wanted to go, but there are larger gaps between the glass and the spacer in between the bolts and on the vertical sides of the window, than there were before. One of the bolts, from the outside, also looks like it could be seated down further.

I'm being gentle due to worry about breaking the glass, but I think that tomorrow I'll let the back of the van bake in the sun all day (should be 80F here) and then try to seat it down a touch further.

Opinions on this are certainly welcome. Looking at it carefully, it looks like the butyl has seated well and oozed out a tiny bit everywhere, but I am worried about the one bolt that looks like it needs to seat deeper to set the washer better to avoid a leak there...

Thank you all tremendously for the advice and guidance here, I greatly appreciate it!

Josh
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Old 02-11-2015, 04:54 AM   #23
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Re: Leaking barn door window repair

Photos of the areas of concern would be very helpful.

Glad this went so "easy" for you. Its not overly complicated but going slow, having infinite patience is the key. Your learning curve is pretty much over now---onward to others.

So far everything sounds like its pretty much as I'd do it. Cleaning all the older stuff off is tough no matter what sort of solvent is used. We in the glass biz have various plastic tools that are not only gentle on painted and glass surfaces most adhesives don't stick to them, not even epoxies.

Post some photos if you can.
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Old 02-11-2015, 09:15 AM   #24
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Re: Leaking barn door window repair

Hard to take photos of these areas, as it's hard to get the lens in at the right angle, but here are some that show two of the bolts that I feel aren't seated down far enough from the outside, as well as one of the gap between the glass and the spacer on the inside (this is along the bottom pinch weld). It appears there is a good seal everywhere with the butyl, so the gap on the inside is of less concern, I guess, but it is definitely not seated down as well as the other (presumably still factory sealed) barn door windows.
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Old 02-11-2015, 09:29 AM   #25
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Re: Leaking barn door window repair

A suggestion which needs to be confirmed by the widow dudes here

Loosen just the stud/nut you think is not seated and see if you can move it around a bit to seat better. It maybe that the threads of the stud hung slightly on the door metal. If that did not work, then I would loosen all the nuts to where they are still on the studs but loose. Then I would start tightening with the stud that was not seated as well and see if it seated more flushly. i also would not use "X" pattern to tighten. I would start with top or bottom two, tightening incrementally, up and down, up down, each side, but not diagonally.

My experience, that window is not moving much at all if the butly has seated, the hot day and direct sun may help you get the smidgen you need to have the studs seat better, but that is about it. That stuff is strong!

Good luck!
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Old 02-11-2015, 02:37 PM   #26
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Re: Leaking barn door window repair

Quote:
Originally Posted by JWA
OR refinished the heads with an epoxy paint, Plasti-Dip or POR-15 to keep them from creating streaks on the glass.
This is on my to-do list. Planning to remove one bolt at a time (maybe two), refinish it, and replace, so the window doesn't have to come off and I don't have to deal with new butyl. I don't have leaks, just rusty bolt caps.

Question: What can be used to remove the streaks on the glass?

Thanks,
Brent
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Old 02-11-2015, 04:31 PM   #27
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Re: Leaking barn door window repair

^^try acetone or nail polish remover (same thing basically).
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Old 02-12-2015, 04:37 AM   #28
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Re: Leaking barn door window repair

Quote:
Originally Posted by vwteleman
Quote:
Originally Posted by JWA
OR refinished the heads with an epoxy paint, Plasti-Dip or POR-15 to keep them from creating streaks on the glass.
This is on my to-do list. Planning to remove one bolt at a time (maybe two), refinish it, and replace, so the window doesn't have to come off and I don't have to deal with new butyl. I don't have leaks, just rusty bolt caps.

Question: What can be used to remove the streaks on the glass?

Thanks,
Brent
You could remove two bolts at one time, no real better way to choose which one(s). If you'd like to clean the streaks off the glass maybe remove them vertically, one side then the other.

I'd start with a lot of water and a new single edge razor blade to remove the bulk of it. After that I'd continue flooding the glass with water while using a green or white Scotch-Brite pad to CAREFULLY and GENTLY abrade the remaining streak away. With water always on the glass there's little chance of scratching the glass.

Once the bolts are refinished but before reinstallation use a very hard automotive paste wax on the glass---its a trick car show guys use to make their glass gleam. It has the added benefit of keeping those streaks away or easily cleaned off should they recur.
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Old 02-12-2015, 04:47 AM   #29
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Re: Leaking barn door window repair

Also 1Der has the right idea here about seating of the glass and bolts.

Along with his suggestion I'd remove them one at a time and check the plastic shoulder washers as they fit into the glass hole for them. Making sure they're clean and free of burrs on the underside they should fit flush to the glass without being pulled down by the bolt and nut. Its possible a bit of butyl has oozed into the glass hole and not letting the washers seat as intended.

1Der makes another good point about bolt threads being possibly hung up on the door shell hole. If you suspect this is the case and can find a 6" or so diameter suction cup use it to move the glass in the direction that free the bolt enough to seat fully; first loosen all nuts of course. It won't take much movement to accomplish this but as you already know it won't be easy to move the glass now but it can be done.

The small gap between glass and spacer shouldn't pose a problem other than the slight protrusion above the door shell now noticeable. Over time and with the help of the sun you can continue to snug up the acorn nuts, eventually the butyl compressing enough to achieve a more flush appearance.
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Old 02-12-2015, 06:57 AM   #30
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Re: Leaking barn door window repair

Quote:
Originally Posted by JWA
We must be equally anal about not making a bigger mess in the junk yard than we find.
lol, i at least try, and thats a LOT more than i can say for the others that im forced to share the junkyard with

Quote:
Originally Posted by JWA
I've done the same thing myself, absolutely hate destroying a part someone else might need or want. It doesn't get us a better seat in heaven but maybe at least keeps us in the room?
ill buy that for a dollar

nice work on window op. the others have posted good advice for followup.

i had/have some stuff at home designed to remove water spots from glass. it works really good for removing most anything from glass. i will see if i can find it and post up what it is.
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