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Discussion Topic:
1937 windshield water leak
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mzahorik |
07-08-2018 @ 12:58 PM
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Member
Posts: 209
Joined: Nov 2009
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I have been chasing a leak at the top center of my 1937 four door Ford. I replaced the rubber a few years ago and it seals all the way around except at the middle top. It looks like the windshield is a little low. Can I make an adjustment by moving the upper hinges somehow so that the windshield and seal can be moved up so as to make a better seal? Thanks Mike
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trjford8 |
07-09-2018 @ 6:41 AM
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Senior
Posts: 4227
Joined: Oct 2009
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You can adjust the windshield up and down, but that may not solve the problem. I suspect when you installed the new rubber you may have not completely cleaned the channel where the rubber is retained. A small piece of old rubber in the channel may be causing the new gasket to wrinkle and causing your leak. Also you need to make sure the corner drains in the body are clean and the rubber hoses attached to those drains and properly routed into the cowl panels.
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mzahorik |
07-09-2018 @ 8:58 AM
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Posts: 209
Joined: Nov 2009
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Thanks for the reply. I had the frame completely cleaned and painted (powder coated actually). I think the seal is in correctly, it doesn't look wrinkled. The body channel was cleaned and painted. The corner drains were opened and the hoses replaced. I know the leak is at the top center. I have sat in the car during a rain storm and witnessed the water dripping from the upper moldings. When the windshield is closed, the seal at the top fits into the channel. Should the seal contact the roof line and seal there? Thanks Mike
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40cpe |
07-09-2018 @ 11:22 AM
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Posts: 477
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I don't know whose seal you are using, but I installed a new Dennis Carpenter seal a few years ago in my '38. I finally got good results by loosening all the hinge screws then jiggling/wiggling the frame until it was square in the body opening. Then tighten the screws without moving the frame any more than necessary. My seal has a flat surface that seals the frame to the inside of the body opening. That flat surface has a lip on the inner edge. On my installation the flat portion with the lip wouldn't go in the bottom of opening if the frame was too low.
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mzahorik |
07-09-2018 @ 12:38 PM
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Posts: 209
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That is interesting. My seal is from Carpenter. Looking a little closer, I see that the bottom part of the seal overlaps the body proper while the at the top the seal drops into the window channel. I am wondering if this new seal has a smaller lip than the old one? Looks like if I could move the windshield up maybe 1/8" to a 1/4" the seal would over lap the top and just touch at the bottom. I think this may be a better seal. I try your idea of loosening the hardware and trying to push up on the windshield. Then see what happens, thanks, Mike
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mzahorik |
07-09-2018 @ 3:17 PM
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Posts: 209
Joined: Nov 2009
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Well..... I successfully busted off a couple of the screws holding the windshield hinges in place. But that aside, with both of the top hinges removed, I placed the windshield in it's hole so that the seal at the roof line overlaps the roof, instead of falling into the channel. This looks like this is correct. BUT, I think the windshield is frame needs to be bent a little. The center of the frame does not fit to the body as the rest of it does. So... something has to be done here. AND, with the windshield in this position, the upper hinges can not be raised enough to hold the windshield in this position. I need another 1/4" of up room. So my question now is does the windshield seal overlap onto the roof line? Mike
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40cpe |
07-09-2018 @ 6:58 PM
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Posts: 477
Joined: Jan 2010
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If I understand your question, the flat part of the seal with the lip on it should go INSIDE the windshield opening all around and seal against the inside of the opening. I'm sure the external lip that touches the body plays a part, too, but on my car it is not consistent enough to be a good seal.
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mzahorik |
07-10-2018 @ 7:06 AM
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Posts: 209
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Here is a couple of pictures. In these pictures, I have the upper hinges removed and the windshield seal is against the roof line, not in channel. This seems correct to me, but the hinges are a long way from fitting to windshield. Even with all the adjustment on the hinges and mounting plate moved out. This leads my to believe that the seal does fit inside the channel, that seems to the only way the upper hinges will mate to the windshield and close right. I need to see another car. Mike
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mzahorik |
07-10-2018 @ 7:06 AM
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Here's another picture.
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40cpe |
07-10-2018 @ 10:21 AM
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Posts: 477
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Here is my take on it: Adjust your hinges so the top of the gasket will just barely close into the top of the body opening with the windshield in the out position. I would initially put some rubber lubricant around the gasket to help it slide into the opening. With the top of the gasket snug against the opening at the top and centered side-to-side, the regulator should pull the bottom into the opening. As mentioned above, having the channel that the lip fits into perfectly clean is critical. You might have to get creative and fashion some tools to clean it thoroughly. It takes a lot of trial and error to figure it out, then when you are done you forget how you did it.
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