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Removal and Replacement of the windshield - 116 280SE

Started by polymathman, 17 December 2015, 02:31 PM

polymathman

Well, the video is done!

I'm putting it on this new thread so it can easily be found within the forum.

Here is the YouTube link (change setting to at least 720HD in YouTube), and I want to thank all of you for your suggestions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4hAT0aSIyM

Ken

Here is the tread that started it all: http://forum.w116.org/interiors-and-exteriors/windshield-seal-nightmare/
190sl 1957 rusting away
250S 1968 long gone
280SE 1976 got hit, parts
280SE 1979 running fine
C320 4Matic 2005 for wife -Mercedes after MIT

daantjie

Daniel
1977 450 SEL 6.9 - Astralsilber

ptashek

Quote from: daantjie on 17 December 2015, 02:57 PM
Stellar work, sir! 10/10 8)

Indeed!

Ken, would it be possible to publish the video file on Dropbox maybe?
I'd love to download it and make subtitles for it in a couple languages, so non-English speakers get a chance to enjoy your work too.
It's much easier to sync the text with the original.
1993 "Pearl Blue" W124 280TE
1988 "Arctic White" W124 200T
1979 "Icon Gold" W116 450SE

polymathman

Well, I'll be...
I have hit 1,000 views of my video on how to replace the windshield of my old Mercedes!

What I find interesting:
1. This will become the de facto technique - and I made it up as I went! From now till the end of the internet, people will look no further, research it no more. Just go to YouTube. Something really wrong about that. Not that the need comes up a lot, but still...

2. 36% of the viewers are women 25-35 from the Soviet block, with Sweden catching up. I think I'm missing something on this...
190sl 1957 rusting away
250S 1968 long gone
280SE 1976 got hit, parts
280SE 1979 running fine
C320 4Matic 2005 for wife -Mercedes after MIT

beagle2022

Just added another hit for you, but no Swedish or Russian connections. 

I replaced my windshield a few years ago.  I was put in touch with a wiry old Chinese guy (about 70 years old) who is the last man standing in Sydney for the notorious w116 exercise.  I watched him carefully and should have thought to video a master at work.  He followed a very similar approach to you with a couple of variations. 
Firstly he wasn't worried about breaking the old screen.  So he loosened the gasket and then sat in the passenger seats and used his legs to force out the old one.  It cracked (it was already cracked in one corner), but it was a remarkably quick procedure.
Secondly he used a lot of black sealant with the rope around the new screen.  It acted as a lubricant and also ensured a great seal.  He had less effort than you in snuggling it into place.  He did not want me to help in any way with that part of the exercise. Like watching any expert, he made it look deceptively easy.
And the best part of the exercise is that he came to me and total cost for supply and fit was $300 aussie.  I thought it was a complete bargain. Not a genuine MB screen though, but I am coping emotionally without Gottlieb's signature.
Sydney, Australia

daantjie

Sadly skilled people like this are few and far apart and getter scarcer by the day :'(
Daniel
1977 450 SEL 6.9 - Astralsilber

Harv

Quote from: polymathman on 11 May 2016, 11:19 PM
2. 36% of the viewers are women 25-35 from the Soviet block, with Sweden catching up. I think I'm missing something on this...

If people in ex-Soviet countries had to pick between food or a S-Class, they'd take the car.



1980 300SD
1983 240D
2000 E55 AMG
2002 G500

ptashek

I think a much better term is "ex-Warsaw Pact countries" (less emotional baggage for people in Eastern Europe)
The only "ex-Soviet" country there is, is Russia and the "Soviet block" wasn't a thing since mid-1990s...

And on topic - this video is great, made up as you went or not.
I will certainly recommend it to anyone who needs help with that tedious job.
1993 "Pearl Blue" W124 280TE
1988 "Arctic White" W124 200T
1979 "Icon Gold" W116 450SE

daantjie

Any tips and tricks on the rear window seal?  Does one follow the same method with the rope trick and such?
Daniel
1977 450 SEL 6.9 - Astralsilber

marku

Replaced the front seal never having done it before and it wasn't that hard. The rear is easier as you can put the trim in afterwards. You will have to remove the c-pillar trim and parcel shelf but you can get away with leaving the roof lining. Fit seal to screen and then run sealer round in the seal where its going on the metal and then run some cord round starting bottom centre. Fit the screen with the bottom seal sitting on the metal then with some one outside pressing the screen in from the inside pull both cord ends pulling the seal over the metal flange. Keep going all the way round to centre top. It really is not that difficult.
1974 450SE silver green/bamboo velour/green vinyl roof

daantjie

Daniel
1977 450 SEL 6.9 - Astralsilber

ptashek

Quote from: marku on 17 May 2016, 02:13 PM
Replaced the front seal never having done it before and it wasn't that hard.

Did you use the old or new style seal? The new style one has an extra lip on the bottom edge. My restorer has tried several times, messed up the job and eventually gave up on a brand new OEM seal of the updated design. It just wouldn't fit in one corner, and the lip kept lifting outwards off of the inner edge of the trim, no matter what they did. MB point-blank refused to take the job themselves. They brought in another new OEM seal of same design - same issue. This week the guys somehow managed to source another new OEM seal, but of the old design, and it fit on first try. I'd say they're well trained now, having had the (also new) windshield in and out in excess of five times...

The rear, in comparison, is a child's play to put in.
1993 "Pearl Blue" W124 280TE
1988 "Arctic White" W124 200T
1979 "Icon Gold" W116 450SE

marku

I used the new design which at first I thought they had given me the wrong one. I accused them of sending me some generic seal but they insisted it was right and after some effort it fitted but a bit tight. The big problem with the front screen is fitting the trim which I did struggle with but having watched the video that made it seem so easy if only I had seen it first. Plan to refit the front screen as not entirely happy with the way the trim fits under the lip on the seal on one of the corners. I think I can do it better now.
1974 450SE silver green/bamboo velour/green vinyl roof

daantjie

Apparently the URO seal fits much better and lasts well. I know fitting URO parts makes most of us run in the opposite direction like our hair is on fire but...
Daniel
1977 450 SEL 6.9 - Astralsilber

UTn_boy

I have an interesting story for all of you.  I, like most, have always avoided URO brand anything.  On a whim, I decided to try a URO front glass seal.  I just bought a brand new windshield from Mercedes to put in one of my W116 cars.  So I thought I'd give one a try.  Bear in mind, I've done this job many times over many years. not a novice reporting here. 

Upon fitting the seal to the glass, it was a very unpleasant experience.  The seal seemed to have only two molded in corners.  I put those at the bottom since they are the sharpest corners.  (The seals from Mercedes have 4 curves built into the seal.)  Well, I got the seal to stay on with tape so it wouldn't pop off while I was installing the aluminum trim.  The aluminum trim was nearly impossible to get in at the top corners, and being the later style seal it has the extra rubber lip that goes over the trim.  That wasn't any fun either, but after many curse words it all went in and looked halfway decent.  I thought that maybe there was hope. 

So now it was time to install the glass.   I went around the perimeter of the glass opening with the correct MB sealant, put a rope in the rubber seal, positioned the glass, and started the installation.  The whole installation process went very well, and the seal seated beautifully......except in the lower left corner.  At the top corners where the seal meets the glass the rubber was puckered out sue to there not being any curvature in the seal at those areas.  As good as the seal looked elsewhere, the collective end result was unsatisfactory to me. 

The next day, I came outside to do some other things.  There was a heavy dew that fell the night before.  I had noticed that Just the dew alone leaked inside of the car through front glass.  It turns out that there is yet another issue with the URO brand seal.  The glass does not seat in the seal well at all once installed.....and this was WITH sealant already in the area between the glass and the seal. 

I don't document my work or experiments, as it's too troublesome and requires two people.  However, my curiosity has caused me to have to do this job twice.  The problem I have is that the seals we buy from Mercedes fit perfectly, but only last a few years.  I'm guessing they're selling old stock.  So I'm at a crossroads right now.  The lesser of the two evils is to buy the Mercedes seal and keep the car out of the sun.  So unless there is someone else making W`116 front glass seals, I don't know what to do other than buy old seals from Mercedes. 

The moral?  Just say no to URO.  I may have already mentioned this, but MBNA and URO have gotten together to sign an agreement for URO to start making rubber seals of the NA market, for both old and new cars.  By international law, Mercedes has to contract out a certain percentage of their manufacturing.  Why they chose URO is beyond me.  Why could they not have used Meyle or FEBI here in the U.S.?  This is all so damned disconcerting. 
1966 250se coupe`,black/dark green leather
1970 600 midnight blue/parchment leather
1971 300sel 6.3,papyrus white/dark red leather
1975 450se, pine green metallic/green leather
1973 300sel 4.5,silver blue metallic/blue leather
1979 450sel 516 red/bamboo