hard top side panel glass removal

[toddslater]

Before I break it into pieces I thought I would ask the question. I have installed and removed the windshield before using the soap and rope method and have read the tech links section...which is basically the soap and rope method for the windshield...now the HT side panel glass does not have a spreader (at least mine does not) like the windshield and that rubber back there has hardened quite nicely since 1973. So, does anyone have any pointers, hints, hearsay, knowledge etc..of how to extract the glass from these side panels without breaking the glass ???

 

[Hodag]

Glass Removal

Chances are that if the rubber is 31 years old, it probably wont be salvagable. If you want to try to save it, heres what I did. Soap up, grease up, lube up the rubbers and push at the edges. If it feels like its gonna break, stop, cut the rubbers and pull out the glass. Thats how I got mine out of the 78' and I only lost 1 rubber. The rest came right out. Hope that helps, Hodag

 

[toddslater]

I was wondering if it was going to come down to sacrificing the rubber...I just spent the last hour fooling with it somemore. The more I work the seal the more pliable it becomes. Besides lubing it up, I wonder if some careful heat gun work may make it soften a bit.

 

[Hodag]

Heat Gun

If your seals are anything like the ones on my 74' FJ55, and I'm sure they are, my guess is that heating them up will cause more problems. Are they kinda crusty and cracked? I guess you can try heat, worst case is youll have to cut them off anyway.