poorboy, challengersteve has been kind enough to give me a lot of info and like you say, no-go on skipping the gasket. I'm going to use the 3M products he suggested, and hopefully get the glass company guys (I need their assistance) to take their time the second time around, and get it right the 2nd time around. As I did the first time, I'll have the glass out and the channel clean and ready for the install. Even though this is warranty work this time, they won't have to spend time removing the glass and cleaning the old urethane out. I've already done this part, and it was no fun.

Here is a picture of the gap between the windshield and the body of my truck after I remove the brand new gasket that was installed. Seems like it’s quite a gap for that gasket to fill but I am not familiar with what is normal. I wish I had paid more attention to the original windshield and gasket when I remove them for the new install. Although the original gasket was pretty much dried out and destroyed so I don’t know if it would have been much help. I am about done removing the sealant remnants and to call glass company for attempt #2.

I made red lines where glass lip is and where metal body lip is. Pretty large space for window gasket to fill. Hope that's normal.

Pretty normal! As the glass is installed, it has to move (shift side to side and top to bottom) for the rubber to fit over the pinch weld and over the glass. If you watch the process, they basically put the rubber on the metal then pull the rubber through the gap and onto the glass.

Two guys were installing my glass together, one inside and one outside of the truck. When the guys installed the corner windows on my 49 Dodge truck, it was a real battle to get the rubber to move around the corner. The two corner windows took nearly 4 hours to install. The guys installed the 2 piece windshield, the two corner windows, and the center back glass, took about 6 hours, over 2 days. I supplied the glass and the rubber, they charged me $500 (on a $400 guestimate) for the install, I gave each of them an extra $20. Those corner windows were a [censored].

One thing to note, was when the guys installed my center rear glass, they took a few extra minutes to be sure the glass was centered in the rubber after the glass was in place. The guys that did mine did not use any sealer, they used the foaming glass cleaner on both the glass and the metal when they were installing the glass, then they used the foaming glass cleaner to be sure the window was centered in the opening. The truck hasn't been out in the rain yet (too much uncovered bare metal), but it looks really good, I'm not expecting any issues. Gene

Thanks Gene. That’s the impression I got from ChallengerSteve who is also very knowledgeable. But when I saw that gap I was a little worried but I’m glad you two have dispelled my worries. I have a feeling the gasket itself may not have been a very quality one because with a couple of tools and some foaming glass cleaner they had it in in under an hour and the impression I had is you really have to work those things in. Keeping my fingers crossed for the second try and I have the 3M products challengerSteve suggested. Thanks again for the info. And to think I was asking about installing the glass without any gasket before I saw this huge gap! Yikes. Larry.

The guys that installed my center rear window had it in and centered in about 20 minutes! It took them about 15 minutes longer to install the two piece windshield and get it centered. They did lock on a pair of suction grips and pull the glass around to get it centered though.

Out of curiosity - how long did the factory need to install the windshield and did they use some special equipment?

Update: I FINALLY found the time to remove the newly installed windshield and clean every bit of urethane out of channel and off windshield. It's all super clean now and I have appointment for tomorrow with glass company....attempt number two so I'm re-reading this. I have the primer and other 3m product and just realized the primer might have been only for butyl tape which is fine if so it was inexpensive. Just want to know for tomorrow.

Gene, I'm not sure what you mean by sealing "both sides of the metal". I see what you mean though by size of the glass. My glass is so much smaller than the opening. Seems if it were larger glass it would push in and seal better with more force into the gasket.

Larry, The gasket that fits over the top of the pinch weld is split. Once the gasket is placed onto the pinch weld, part of the gasket is on both sides of the pinch weld. (like its on both sides of the glass). Often glass companies will only put sealer on the outer side of the pinch weld (if they put any sealer on it at all) but don't put anything on the inside of the steel. The problem with that is, any gap in the seal to the metal on the outside, or any defect in the metal, or any defect in the seal itself will allow water to well up and seep between the inside of the pinch weld's steel and the rubber gasket. That water build up eventually runs out between the rubber on the inside and the metal under the rubber gasket. You usually see the effects of this on the bottom corners of the windows, but the water intrusion can come from any place around the metal.

The typical cause of the water leak between the gasket and the interior metal is often places where the rubber gasket doesn't lay perfectly flat against the outer body at the corners.

The rear window on my coupe has a pretty tight corner at the top edges. The corner is so sharp, the the rubber puckers away from the car body on those two top corners. Those two areas have been bonded down a couple times by the glass guy with urethane and now lay pretty flat. The problem is, in heavy rain, water still pools at those two corners, and ends up running out between the rubber gasket and the inner steel at the bottom two corners. The last time, I made the guy put sealer on the inside of the gasket, all the way around. The water leak has stopped, even though I can still see water that pools at those two top corners.

Seal both sides of the glass at the pinch welds. It may make it harder if the glass ever has to be replaced again, but the current glass is now sealed. Gene

Got it Gene thanks 👍 so about a month ago when I called and very politely told them that it was leaking extremely badly and not just a little bit that could be filled with more sealant they were polite and said they would redo it and I told him I would pay for the new gasket because I don’t want to be unreasonable and I know it’s an old truck. I told him I would call after I removed the windshield again and cleaned everything very thoroughly. I don’t expect them to do the grunt work just the skilled work. They said they could get the new gasket no problem and would have it on hand. A week ago I called and said I finally have everything ready windshield out everything clean and ready for new install and reminded the person they were to have the new gasket and the lock strip that I would pay for. No problem and we set up appointment for today. One guy shows up early 20s not a lot of experience and is surprised to see the glass out in the gasket out as well and knows nothing about a new install thinks he’s here to squirt a little more sealant to stop a leak and be gone. Then he called shop and they say poops no we can’t get the gasket customer needs to order a new one. What has happened to businesses?! Thanks to everyone for all the answers so that I am not completely ignorant as I was when I started into this.

Well, I am just going to say unless you find a shop that does old cars all the time you can do a better job on your own with a helper. I have had restoration shop's and glass shop's argue with me on how to put the windshield in properly while they are looking right at the service manual. Yep a dipshit shop owner shows up with urethane and knows more than the factory engineers.....90% of shop's and glass guys believe the gasket does all the work, any sealer you see was added later, and will [censored] it up deliberate if you point it out to them. The primer is for tape/urethane installs only. I pulled my car out of a complete restoration because of a dumbfuck owner like that and will do it myself. Dadsbee gave you nice install tips, find a friend, do it yourself, and it will be better than they could ever do. Remember this, you are better than any shop is because you have the ability to ask questions and learn, most shop's lost the ability to learn long ago. You can do it and do it right.

The so-called glass shops around here (and there are not many) won't even work on gasketed/butyl sealed windshields! It's too old for them, glued-in with urethane sealer is all they know

So I do it myself (rope technique). It's not that hard, just tends to be messy. That butyl rubber sticks to EVERYTHING and makes long strings, too.

Before this all started I had asked my brother to help me do it myself but was told best "leave it to the professionals". I'm going to give them one more try since it will be a freebie and they seem open to my somewhat now educated suggestions.

I know that NOBODY will put more into a job than ME on MY cars. I've little faith anymore in work ethic. I have a few that I can count on in a couple of industries and that's it. The glass company I picked has been around a very long time and good reputation and know for working on vintage cars. But I guess with attrition the employees have probably done very few of this type. I'm watching lots of videos and reading your alls advice and printing it out. It may just come down to me and my brother.

I've ordered a Steele gasket and lock strip. The last one was from LMC and I don't remember the brand now.

Here's link for glass company https://colemanglass.com/classic-car-glass.html

I think the one LMC sells is the one Precision sells. Wondering if the Steele is that much different or better?

Precision IS the brand I got last time from LMC. Glass shop recommended Steele this time since they told me to source it because their supplier doesn't carry. The Precision one sure felt nice; heavy and thick with a good deep opening for lock strip to fully seat. I've heard some don't have a good deep opening for lock strip so it'll try to pop out. I haven't pulled the Steele one out of bag yet to fully check it out.

Glass company came cack today and spent about 90 minutes on attempt two. They had liquid butyl but not 3M so I handed him my tube and said please use this he happily agreed I also gave him the 3M primer which he happily agreed to give it a try so glasses in and I’m crossing my fingers if it’s a sieve like the last one I’m not calling them back. Steele rubber products gasket and lock strip this time. Need to replace wiper linkage grommets now since I have the cow cover off they are falling off and clean up that area and paint. Don’t know why my pictures get turned upside down sometimes.

From LMC which is pretty much what you all advised minus the primer:

https://blog.steelerubber.com/the-s...mpaign=july%20auto%20retail%20newsletter

So it's been raining here lately, does it leak?