g10ens

I need to remove the rear quarter windows and front windscreen from my 3 door cosworth, i bought one of these tools hoping it would do the job

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Windshield-Car...d=p3286.c0.m14

Ive been out in the car for about 2 hours today trying to cut through the glue stuff that holds the rear quarter glass in but seem to be getting absolutely nowhere with it!
Have any of you ever used one of these? If so is it just a case of being patient with it or am i better off just getting a proffessional round to cut them out for me?

mk2rstaff

i did it last year mate and it took me forever, i just got some of those long snappable stanley knife things and kept going with it. just go from the inside, some people say that you can use a chesse cutting wire but you need 2 blokes for that, hope this helps and good luck, be patient it will come out

tabetha

I use the same tool for windows on the few occasions I have had to do them, just hard work, go round a lot of times just trying to weaken a bit at a time, I found was best, don't try to cut full depth on first go for the side windows, screen is a lot easier with as said a wide flat blade, just watch you don't cut into the dash as well.
tabetha

Thrush

iTrader: (1)

The tool you have bought is whats known in the biz as a "Kent" tool. It is primarily used for cutting bonded glass out.

However, it is not the best tool to use if you are planning to save the glass (ie not break it)

Screens crack very easily, body glass is tougher, but when it goes it just explodes.

As mk2rstaff said, the best way to get out the quarter glass is with a knife from the inside. The problem with the quarters on Sierra's, is they have metal clips that hold the trims on, that make getting the glass out very difficult. It's almost impossible to use the kent knife to get the quarters out cos of these trim clips, but I have done it, albeit as said, with great difficulty.

The cheeswire is a much easier option. You don't need two people to do it tho. all you need is two wire handles, square cheese wire (the ribbed gold stuff is not a good idea to use as it will destroy any inside trim, and I've seen it cut into metal!) You need to feed the wire inside, go all the way round the glass on the outside (placing the wire between the glass and the metal, making sure to get it between the metal clips and metal of the car so the wire doesn't get caught on these clips) Go all the way round the glass, overlap where you put the wire through the glue about 2 inches and then insert that end of the wire through the glue aswell. Affix the handles to the wire inside and you basically garrot it the glass out - hold one wire handle tight and pull the other one towards the centre of the glass. It's hard, but it will pull through the glue. Small tip - tape the glass up on the outside to the body of the car. Nothing worse that spending all the time cutting the glass out for it to fall to the floor and smash

bungo1608

good advice above..just a quick one as well..if your cut out tool is built up the same as the one in the picture then it will be difficult to use because the handle is on the wrong side..the pull part should be on the inside..will post you a pic of mine if you don't understand what i mean..not really a tool for a novice to be using mate..more likely to cause a bit of damage to be honest..cheers

Thrush

iTrader: (1)

Good point - I never noticed that!

g10ens

Yes it is built up like the one in the pic, but i dont understand what you mean so a pic would be appreciated if you dont mind.
The part with the orange sleeve over it can be rotated to any position if thats the part your on about.

Benni

I went to buy a glass for a friends car and when I arrived they was cutting it out with a piece of wire metal one inside the car and one out pulling on the wire and slowly, I mean slowly getting through the glass. Anyhow, right near the end some years later I noticed it had cracked and said it was no good to me and they was shouting and blaming one another.

Benni.

Thrush

iTrader: (1)

Just a quick one I found on the net as I can't be arsed to go out to my van lol....



See on this one that the handle part is on the "inside" of the knife blade, whereas the one in the pic from the ebay page in oyur first post, the handle is on the "outside" of the blade. Having it on the outside makes it very difficult to cut the glass out as the point of pull is on the wrong side, meaning the blade wants to come outwards all the time, not inwards, toward the centre of the glass.

Thrush

iTrader: (1)

Using wire is one way of getting a screen out, and is a good method if you want to save the glass to be re-used. But you don't need two people to do it. Sometimes it is easier, and on rare occasion you might physically need two people, usually on really old cars, and usually this is for the "sawing" technique. I do it on my own, and either by hand (how I described a few posts up) or with a mechanical tool that suckers to the inside of the glass and uses a ratchet system to distribute even tension across the wires to make it easier cutting it out. Good bit of kit, but costs Ł1500 + vat

bungo1608

Just a quick one I found on the net as I can't be arsed to go out to my van lol....


nice one mate..saves me going taking a picture as well..matter of interest thrush..who do you fit for..is it one of the big shows RAC..AUTOGLASS.. OR NATIONAL..or are you self employed??

Thrush

iTrader: (1)

Autoglass mate

bungo1608

fair play mate..been with RAC myself for 13 years..been thinking of a change lately..getting itchy feet.

Thrush

iTrader: (1)

Been at AG's for 5 and I think about a change everyday Can't stand the car glass game, but you do what you know...

bungo1608

it was a great wee trade when i started in the 90's to be honest mate but the way the vehicles are nowadays it just seems to be getting worse every year..looking like rac aw is gonna be up for sale again shortly too.

northernmonkey

I'm an ex fitter who started with RAC then went to AG as a base fitter, worst move i ever made IMO!

Then, i jacked it all in and retrained as a Train Driver, you can get out of the car glass game mate, but still have something to fall back on if you wish!

bungo1608

to be honest mate this time next year i probably will be away..hoping for redundancy this year with rac..my shares i have in the company mature this year as well so its a case of take the money and run...when you say worst move you ever made do you mean being in the trade as a whole or moving from rac to autoglass????

Pob

Finally found it!

Thrush

iTrader: (1)

Found what, the thread?