280z windshield

[Zed Head]

It's hard to find leak spots.  Where it gets in and where it comes out are usually not close together.

I removed the metal trim on mine to try and give some flexibility to the seal so I could squeeze some sealant in between the body and seal.  It was a real pain getting it back in.  I'd use the tricks from forums like this over the FSM procedures.  The factory is using new slippery flexible factory seals and probably has special tools.  We're out here in the real world.

[Dave WM]

 

think I have at least located it.

[Zed Head]

That's a good idea.  A variation might be to use a needle on the end of your air hose and just insert it into the channel between the glass and seal, from the inside.  Pressurize that,low pressure so you don't blow out the seal, and you should get plenty of bubbles on the outside.  There can actually be a fairly large chamber between the glass and seal.  The water that leaked in to mine from the outside would exit from the lower right corner on a left hand turn then from the lower left on a right hand turn.  

I had pondered finding a low viscosity liquid sealant to fill the void between seal and glass.  But when I realized the leak was at the top and I'd have to fill a lot of void I went with the external black silicone.  Plus my car is ratty.  I'll bet you can find a very low viscosity sealant that will squirt and fill that void.  We used to use something like that for Chevy windshields to fill the gap at the bottom.  It flowed to fill gaps.

[Dave WM]

I liked that CRL product and the pump dispenser in the post above the video. Seems like just the ticket. I was told to stay away from silicone and ureathane.

 

this stuff

https://www.amazon.com/C-R-Laurence-Windshield-Repair-Sealant/dp/B000K40PGA/ref=pd_sim_60_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=31uFNHfZQ0L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=5J74XZVF2JKWQ15AQ22E

Edited June 14, 2016 by Dave WM

[motorman7]

 

 

I have installed three rear hatch and front windshields and it's really not that hard. The rear hatch can be done by one person.  It helps to have a friend help on the windshield install.  I blogged the install and details on the following thread down around post #21-25.

 

[tigergary]

Expert windshield guys have told me that they cannot remove and replace my 280ZX windshield without deforming the aluminum trim so that it will never look the same again.  They also say that the clips that hold the trim in place always break and replacements are not available so that they cannot replace the aluminum trim.  The repair shop that takes care of the car tells me that the original windshield is much higher quality than replacements, and if the 4 inch crack does not spread, I am better off keeping the original windshield.  Any thoughts?

[black gold man]

You can remove the trim on 280zx without deforming it , I have some for sale. I have read on internet mustang clips from 80s are the same and available.

[Dave WM]

seems like I may have it fixed

 

 

[Zed Head]

Did you just peel back the rubber from the glass and pump material in until it came out at some exit point?  Or did you pump it in at various spots?  I think that I would have opened up an exit on the other side and filled that groove until it came out.  

[Dave WM]

I used the nylon tool which has a thin edge to get under the gasket where it meets the glass. Then I put the nozzle in that opening and started pumping and while moving the nozzle under the gasket, looking for a small amount of squeeze out. I started at the middle of the windshield and worked all the way around the bottom corner and up the side of the glass to the top corner. The gasket looks relatively new, but for some reason its just not a tight fit in that one area. This sealant is prob just a stop gap for now. I assume I will need to redo the gasket at some point in time and hopefully get a tight fit all around the glass.

[sweatybetty]

not meaning to hi-jack this thread, but im looking for a new windshield and am not having any luck. are they still available new?

[zKars]

Windshields are available. Both Asian copies and PPG (I guess PGW now) american glass. I've found the asian stuff in Alberta for the ungodly prices under $100 CDN.. Just keep calling around to different suppliers. Start with the big boys.

Also ask them to look under Nissan instead of Datsun. I had that problem with Crystal glass here in Calgary recently. Conversation went like. "Datsun? 71 240Z? nope, just seeing 510, 610.... Sorry can't get it". Whoa whoa whoa...