Windshield installation

[Rich G.]

Is the windshield put in with the ribbon sealer or the urethane sealer? I was talking to a glass shop and he said the ribbon type is for cars from the 60's. I thought it was the ribbon type and I see they show the ribbon in the parts catalogs for these cars also. ??? Thanks.

[Chuck S.]

Re: Windshield installation

Is the windshield put in with the ribbon sealer or the urethane sealer? I was talking to a glass shop and he said the ribbon type is for cars from the 60's. I thought it was the ribbon type and I see they show the ribbon in the parts catalogs for these cars also. ??? Thanks.

Urethane in caulking gun tubes. If your parts catalogs show the ribbon sealer for front windshields, those catalogs must be out of date. (And your glass man, too, for that matter. )

I don't believe butyl ribbon sealer even meets Federal safety guidelines for front windshields anymore. I asked this question a few years back, and seem to recall that was John Hinckley's explanation. Try search.

[John H.]

Re: Windshield installation

Is the windshield put in with the ribbon sealer or the urethane sealer? I was talking to a glass shop and he said the ribbon type is for cars from the 60's. I thought it was the ribbon type and I see they show the ribbon in the parts catalogs for these cars also. ??? Thanks.

Rich -

GM never used the butyl tape (ribbon) adhesive for windshield installation, nor did they release it for Service use - they released a "Kit, Windshield Caulking", which contained the silane primers for the body opening flange and for the glass, and the Thiokol adhesive.

Some glass shops like to use the 3M butyl tape (because it's easier and cheaper), but it's technically illegal to do so; GM cars were certified to the windshield retention requirements of MVSS 208 with Thiokol adhesive, long-since replaced by urethane windshield adhesive. Any ethical glass shop worth their salt wouldn't use the 3M butyl tape on a GM car.

[Steve L.]

Re: Windshield installation

When I took delivery of my brand new 73, there was a great big blob of black adhesive about 2 inches high and 3 inches wide at the bottom of the front windshield just above the dash. It definitely was not a ribbon. The guy installing must have sneezed when he was applying the adhesive.

I cut it off myself thinking it was easier than taking it back to the dealer. But I should have taken it back since it took me a long time and a lot of effort to cut it out.

You'd think someone would have caught that at the plant and cut it out themselves.

[Wayne W.]

Re: Windshield installation

Rich -

GM never used the butyl tape (ribbon) adhesive for windshield installation, nor did they release it for Service use - they released a "Kit, Windshield Caulking", which contained the silane primers for the body opening flange and for the glass, and the Thiokol adhesive.

Some glass shops like to use the 3M butyl tape (because it's easier and cheaper), but it's technically illegal to do so; GM cars were certified to the windshield retention requirements of MVSS 208 with Thiokol adhesive, long-since replaced by urethane windshield adhesive. Any ethical glass shop worth their salt wouldn't use the 3M butyl tape on a GM car.

John,

I agree that they didn't use the same butyl tape commonly sold at parts stores, but that stuff they did use wasn't just applied out of a gun either. The originals were definitely some kind of preset material, because you can see the backing on originals, and there was no spacers to hold the thickness, except at the bottom to keep it from sliding.

[Steve L.]

Re: Windshield installation

Wayne,
I would have thought they did apply it by hand from some kind of hadn held dispenser because I had a big bloob of it as I posted previously.

[Terry M.]

Re: Windshield installation

Just a guess, since I wasn't there -- but I would expect they used a hand held gun that connected to a drum with a pump that pumped the adhesive into the gun and onto the windshield as the operator triggered the gun. The cloth ribbon, or dam, was applied to the windshield first to contain the spreading adhesive.

[Alan S.]

Re: Windshield installation

Hi,
I ask this question each time a 70-72 windshield installation thread is started. Has anyone seen a damming strip that's still available and resembles the original?
Regards,
Alan

[John H.]

Re: Windshield installation

Hi,
I ask this question each time a 70-72 windshield installation thread is started. Has anyone seen a damming strip that's still available and resembles the original?
Regards,
Alan

What appears to be a "ribbon" on original windshield installations is the fabric-backed "dam"; it was extruded onto the fabric when it was made (to maintain its shape while on a spool), and hot glue was applied to the fabric when it was installed on the windshield.

Local glass shops should have several varieties of the extruded dam material; I just had the windshield replaced on my 2010 Dodge Avenger, and our local glass shop had three different cross-sections of the dam material. If you can't find it at a glass shop, any Toyota dealership will have it.

[Terry M.]

Re: Windshield installation

Hi,
I ask this question each time a 70-72 windshield installation thread is started. Has anyone seen a damming strip that's still available and resembles the original?
Regards,
Alan

I thought I saw a response from someone to one of your previous posts which suggested a Toyota product.

[Rich G.]

Re: Windshield installation

Thanks all for the info. I'll go with the urethane. Actually they do list the ribbon in the Ecklers website. Part # 20361 You would think they"d list the correct stuff.

[Terry M.]

Re: Windshield installation

Thanks all for the info. I'll go with the urethane. Actually they do list the ribbon in the Ecklers website. Part # 20361 You would think they"d list the correct stuff.

Actually I would think they would list what sells.

[Steve L.]

Re: Windshield installation

I've asked this before but I'll try again. Anyone have a part number for the Toyota dam?

[Chuck S.]

Re: Windshield installation

I've asked this before but I'll try again. Anyone have a part number for the Toyota dam?

Knowing how you guys loathe searching the archives, here's a beginning to more info on Alan Struck's windshield install. https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...oyota&uid=4611
The interesting thing is...all I needed to do was type "Wi...", and the search window populated itself with "windshield dam TOYOTA" (I am not making this up...if searching the archives gets any easier, the software will be reading our mind. ). There's seven threads including this one.

The bad news...there ain't no Toyota part number given that I saw, and there's probably a dozen such numbers anyway. What I would do: Walk around mall parking lots looking in Toyotas until I found a dam config closest the the original C3 dam, write down the Toyota's VIN (no parts without a VIN), and visit the nearest Toyota dealer. HOWEVER...watch out for mall security; they might think you're trying to boost a Toyota (And...better have a good story ready; they'd never believe the truth.)

[Alan S.]

Re: Windshield installation

Hi,
I used the Toyota damming strip because it was the closest I could find. BUT it's really not very much like the original in cross section. I have some very nice small examples (with fabric as John mentioned) I was able to save from my original, but can't find anything close with the fabric on the market.
I'd heard that a knowledgable member restoring a 70 LT-1, a few years ago, was trying to duplicate the fabric but don't know where that might have lead since I never got a look at the completed windshield installation.
Still looking!
Regards,
Alan

Here are 2 pictures I've retrieved from earlier posts. The foto shows the Toyota strip, its a damming strip and about the right size, but not very close to the original.