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Model specific boards => Golf mk2 => Topic started by: Mew on 21 March 2006, 02:47

Title: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: Mew on 21 March 2006, 02:47
Could someone tell me what is involved in re-fitting a mk2 windscreen please.

I think i've got the idea of removal: cut the seal with one of those tools or a sharp knife. But what is involved in putting it back in? I'll need a new seal if i have just cut the original, any ideas where i can get these and how much? What else do i need to do?

Thanks for any help, Ben.
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: rubjonny on 21 March 2006, 08:30
Its a piece of piss to refit, the way I do it is seat the seal onto the car along the bottom edge, then fit the screen.  Then fit the rubber onto the screen the rest of the way round, and push it into place while pulling the seal from the inside & pushing from the outside.  Some silicone lube helps here, whatever you do DONT use washing up liquid as it has salt in and will eat the frame!
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: Veedubgt18v on 21 March 2006, 08:49
or you can put the rubber seal round the windscreen when its not on the car then feed a piece of rope or cord into the groove in the seal. offer the windscreen up to the car with the loose ends of rope inside the car and with someone pushing down on the outside pull the rope out gently and it will fold the seal into the inside of the car.

either way works shouldnt need silicone lube tho its a tight fit but not that tight. when its lined up properly it just pops in nice.
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: stan_deezy on 21 March 2006, 09:00
Yup I agree: doesn't need lube: in fact it can make it more tricky because it's difficult to hold onto when slippery.
Just done front and rear screen (solo, without any help) and will pass on one tip for you: when people say "use a piece of string" the bigger the thickness of the string the better: I used some of that blue nylon type rope that you use for clothes lines: worked a treat and the job took minutes  :smiley:
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: rubjonny on 21 March 2006, 09:27
or you can put the rubber seal round the windscreen when its not on the car then feed a piece of rope or cord into the groove in the seal. offer the windscreen up to the car with the loose ends of rope inside the car and with someone pushing down on the outside pull the rope out gently and it will fold the seal into the inside of the car.

either way works shouldnt need silicone lube tho its a tight fit but not that tight. when its lined up properly it just pops in nice.

Yeah my method is the same as this, except if you seat the seal on the car first, you can locate it in the bottom easier and wont be as likly to miss the lip and hit the bodywork.  Lube is mostly used on the lip round the hole, so the rubber slides on easier.  Like you say its a double edged sword, on my MK2 it went in easy as pie, but on the mk1 cabby the lube made it difficult to get a good grip, so we ended up wiping most of it off!
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: VeeDubGTI16v on 21 March 2006, 09:37
might be a good idea to use waxoil instead of lube :huh: 

when the bottom is in put some weight on the top of the screen so it locates right :nerd:
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: Simpson on 21 March 2006, 09:54
i use thick speaker wire, works everytime.  :smiley:
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: wellfan on 21 March 2006, 10:33
Just one further point, it is not necessary to damage the original seal when removing the damaged windscreen. I agree with all previous points, as it really is very easy to replace the glass with a piece of string/rope. I had a total respray a few years back and removed all windows beforehand and replaced them all myself, without any help, after the respray.
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: rubjonny on 21 March 2006, 11:16
You can get the screen out without cutting the rubber, but its tricky. Safest option is to cut the rubber, the windscreen is particularly fragile.  The rest of the glass will pop out now worries tho.
I think of it this way, tis a lot cheaper to replace the rubber than the windscreen ;)
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: Veedubgt18v on 21 March 2006, 12:28
however if the windscreen is broken put a blanket on your bonnet and kick the sucker out.....

i remember using waxoil now tho ta mark
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: Mr Blue on 21 March 2006, 12:38
just get the insurance to replace your screen with a fresh new one or i think awesome gti sell new screens for 75 quid

i hate replacing rear quater glass. right pain
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: Veedubgt18v on 21 March 2006, 14:01
yeah but you will get a 50quid excess. i got a screen from the scrappy for 25quid. your choice depends how much money u got......
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: Mew on 21 March 2006, 20:29
Cheers guys, sounds easy enough!

Is the windscreen seal a main dealer only part as i can't find anywhere online selling them? Any ideas on price?
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: monzablue16v on 21 March 2006, 20:53
Yup and if it's anything like the rear screen one it's about £75 which is not nice, blanket on the bonnet and push from the top quite forcefully to get it started then it will pop out. ;) don't cut it unless you have to. :)
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: Mew on 21 March 2006, 21:26
Hmm, starting to have second thoughts about this now. So to remove the screen without cutting the rubber i just push out at the top?

The reason i'm asking is that my plan is to tinti my windows. I will be using all of the original windows so its not like i can just kick out the windscreen. Well i can, but i don't want to!
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: monzablue16v on 21 March 2006, 21:50
Your not taking your screen out to tint it are you :laugh: you can only put a sunstrip down to the level of oe sunvisors in the down position anyway.
To take it out put a blanket on the bonnet and some padding, get in the car feet on the top of the screen and push it with an assistant catching it on the outside, it will pop out of the seal then just work it around. If it's fragile it could smash so be warned :laugh:
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: Mew on 21 March 2006, 21:55
Your not taking your screen out to tint it are you :laugh:

I am indeed!

Been reading up on it on the VOSA website and it appears the windscreen must let 75% light through and the 2 front windows have to let 70% of the light through. That's alright though as i only want a light tint. At the moment the windows look very clear with it being a grey car.

http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosa/publications/tinted%20windows%20information.pdf if anyone wants to take a look.
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: rubjonny on 22 March 2006, 08:26
Trust me, if you cant afford to buy a new screen you want to cut the rubbers.  If you don't want it to crack, it willand if you were going to bin it anyway it will come out in one, it is the law of the sod :grin:

How about a top tint green screen, I got mine off ebay for a bargain price:
(http://www.moddin.net/images/temp/golf/gti9.jpg)
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: Veedubgt18v on 22 March 2006, 08:50
yeah i got a top tint replacement green tint for 20 quid from a scrappy. had to hunt for one without stone chips tho......
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: rubjonny on 22 March 2006, 08:56
There was a good top tint screen in A1 down in wokingham... for about a day.  Then one of the gibbons who works there put a forklift through it to move the car  :angry:
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: Veedubgt18v on 22 March 2006, 09:02
and they all are actually gibbons, not a bad scrappy tho havent been for ages is there anything good down there??
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: rubjonny on 22 March 2006, 09:47
3 GTIs atm, and 2 Jettas.  A few MK3s and Passats too!
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: VeeDubGTI16v on 22 March 2006, 10:17
im going there sat ed if you wanna come.

i bought a windscreen rubber about a year ago and it was nowhere near £75, more like £30! the prices have gone up now though, a bottle of oil is £18 now :cry:
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: rubjonny on 22 March 2006, 11:08
If you need a screen seal, get one from a scrappy, plenty MK2s with trashed screens to choose from :)
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: Veedubgt18v on 22 March 2006, 11:43
only if we can go early im going to the rugby at madjedski. gotta be in bracknell by half twelve. unless you wana go nxt sat?
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: Mew on 22 March 2006, 16:18
If you need a screen seal, get one from a scrappy, plenty MK2s with trashed screens to choose from :)

Dunno why i didn't think of that!
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: barkstar on 23 March 2006, 00:36
and they all are actually gibbons
I'm sure you'll find that its compulsory for all scrappy staff to be knuckle draggers  :grin: When I got a set of std struts for mine the guy couldn't find his tools so he chopped them out with a 12" petrol powered cutter front and rear!! That was after he'd smashed a perfectly good pair of parcel shelf supports off. Always pays to take your own tools and do it yourself, though in this case I did get free inner wings and the ends of the rear beam!!
Barkstar  :nerd:
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: Veedubgt18v on 23 March 2006, 13:23
3 GTIs atm, and 2 Jettas. A few MK3s and Passats too!

and the corrado G60.........
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: rubjonny on 23 March 2006, 15:13
Oh yeah how could I forget, I spent several hours stripping out the leccy mirror and 1 touch window loom out of it!!
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: Veedubgt18v on 23 March 2006, 15:57
kept that qiuet you cheeky b a s t a r d snigger snigger  well the is nothing left on it now thats worth anything!! :grin:
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: Mew on 27 May 2007, 14:56
Well, over a year later i got round to replacing my windscreen! What a b!tch!

I couldn't get it out without kicking the sh!te out of it, but fortunately i didn't need it as the reason for removal was a big crack. Getting it back in was fun too. I was trying it without any string and it wasn't happening, so a quick trip to asda and one washing line later and it was back in within 5 minutes  :cool:

I now have a nice green tint with blue top strip screen.  :cool: Just got to put the rest of the green windows in now!
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: Thom89 on 28 May 2007, 19:55
There is no need to tint your windscreen! just doing your side windows is enough, that will greatly reduce the amount of light in the car, giving the appearance that the screen is already tinted.. not a good time to do it anyway..it was anounced on the news last week that police were clamping down on tinted windows... best of luck
Tom
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: rubjonny on 29 May 2007, 09:55
thom, we're talking oem fitment green tint, not gangsta black tints  :grin:
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: Thom89 on 29 May 2007, 21:18
Hmm, starting to have second thoughts about this now. So to remove the screen without cutting the rubber i just push out at the top?

The reason i'm asking is that my plan is to tinti my windows. I will be using all of the original windows so its not like i can just kick out the windscreen. Well i can, but i don't want to!
thom, we're talking oem fitment green tint, not gangsta black tints  :grin:
Am I still wrong?...
Tom
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: rubjonny on 29 May 2007, 22:41
I now have a nice green tint with blue top strip screen.  :cool: Just got to put the rest of the green windows in now!

Yes ;)
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: dubmaster77 on 29 May 2007, 22:46
Where you live mate???? Im a car body glass fitter for a living!
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: Thom89 on 29 May 2007, 23:21
I now have a nice green tint with blue top strip screen.  :cool: Just got to put the rest of the green windows in now!

Yes ;)
Well, I give up!
Tom :cry:
Title: Re: Windscreen removal and refitting
Post by: Chris-White on 30 May 2007, 00:16
I now have a nice green tint with blue top strip screen.  :cool: Just got to put the rest of the green windows in now!

Yes ;)
Well, I give up!
Tom :cry:

Its definitely OEM top tint green, i should know, i had to move it when mew made me mow the lawn last week!   :tongue: