Any one have a cure for the doorglass clips comming off? I have tried two part epoxy and it worked for a couple weeks but now both windows are ooc again.
Same here, i have the exact same problem with my tinted pass window right now.
I've got a buudy that does glass for a living,he said the urethane he uses to install windsheilds should be a perminent fix but i have yet to try it.
Gonna give it a shot when it gets a little warmer.
thanks Dominator, let us know the brand name or exactly what kind of epoxy it is. I went to the auto glass place and he said he doesnt stock it any more as he has to get it in bulk and rarely used it. He suggested the two part expoxy from the part store but that only worked a little while. I have talked to a couple previous bird owners and this seems to be a common problem. I know someone out there has found a fix. If it is new glass anyone know how much they cost these days?
Here ya go, courtesy of coolcats.net: http://www.coolcats.net/tech/troubleshooting/powerwindows.html
a word of advise when using urithane on the clips, get glass primer first to help better adhesion. you can get it at most auto stores or go to the local glass shop and get some
I bought a product at Hobby Lobby called "GOOP",and it's held strong for a year and a half so far,plus,it's only about $3.
Surprising that the glass place told you they couldn't help you?
My buddy that does windshields has all the right primers and industrial grade urethane,(not sure if you can buy his stuff over the counter though,but i'll let you guys know what brand it ti is) to adheir to glass so i figure,some beer and a nice warm day should fix er up.
If they use this stuff to secure windshields into a car i'm sure if applied correctly it will be stronger than factory.
plain old silicone for me. it usually lasts a couple years then your back in there so its not too bad. Yep, goop is pretty good stuff as well. If you adventurous, try gorilla glue.
I've used plain old RTV sicilone and not had any problem, I do let it set it set up a couple of days before i use the window.
Usually the clips pull off because the window is binding, so here are a couple of fixes. IF the felt guides in the tracks are in good cond, spray them generously with some NAPA sicilone(only brand I know that works and doesn't make a big mess, we use it to lube under treadmill belts). Also the felt wears off the weather strip on the outside of the glass, causing the glass to drag on the rubber underneath. Easy fix here, just wax the glass every month or so and you'll be suprised how smoothly it moves again...
well first make sure your track isnt bent, or theirs something stuck in it that let it fall out in the first place. if that window slides free, all the clips do is hold it from going out and in while the sizors push it up, then gravity lets it come down so all the adheasive has to do is help a little.
now if you got something stuck in their like i had, i went threw every industrial adheasive their was before i realized the track was bent, and i had alot of dirt in the one side. the window would get pinched in part of the one side, and the sizors would keep going down and rip it rite the hell out. finaly i realized it and fixed it.
the horizontal rubber bottom flap on the outside? I didnt know there was felt intended for there. Learn something new every day.
Both of my driver's side window clips had one of the flat sides break off, so glue was not really an option. Local glass shops were of no help at all, although one said they had tried some similar clips from other cars with no success. I taped everything back together with good quality duct tape (Polyken brand, although 3M is also good if you can find it) in a multi-layered criss-cross pattern & cut the tape off below the visible part of the glass. The glass must be CLEAN or the tape won't stick. Sounds ghetto, but the first time I did it, it lasted so long I forgot I had done it, several years for sure. I re-did it last year when the tape finally gave up, so maybe I'll be able to forget it again.
Duct tape,a handy mans bestfriend!
I had the glass shop install aluminum clips to replace the plastic ones. They are not cheap--$25 US each--but they will permanently solve the problem in conjunction with a good adhesive. My overall charge, including door panel r/r and gluing the windows in place, was $75 and it took roughly 40 minutes. I didn't consider that to be an outrageous charge considering I should never have to do it again, and what's better is that my hands didn't even get dirty. Sometimes it's just worth paying.
I'd thought of another option....wondering if drilling holes in the bottom of the 1987-88 door glass, just like the 1983-86 glass, wouldn't be viable if a glass cutting place would do it cheap enough. That way you can run a bolt through and be done with it. I really liked that feature on the earlier cars because there was no adhesive to deal with, and r/r a window was a breeze. (I don't think you can use the earlier glass in the later cars).
well, here is a little hint. this is what i did with any of the tbird windows i needed to fix.
remove the clips from the glass and clean them as good as possible, sand and roughen the clip as best as you can, inside and out. do the same with the glass. needs to be very clean. scuff the glass if you can. if you work quickly than you should be able to do both clips.
the most important thing i think is too use "micro ballons". its an additive to epoxy in the hobby world. i myself have always used non scented BABY POWDER. when you mix the epoxy instead of mixing 50/50 go 60% epoxy to 40 % hardner and add to whatever volume of mix you have about 40% powder. the epoxy takes longer to cure but when it does the baby powder gives it some elasticity basically keeping the epoxy from getting so rock hard.
i brush a good ammount of epoxy on both sides of the glass and inside the clip, jamb it up and wrap a peice of fiberglass (i use kevlar) weave over the clip and onto the glass to help hold the epoxy in. i do both sides and send the window up guiding the clips, glass all together carefully untill its closed as tight as the motor will let it go. then i rework the epoxy and kevlar or glass fiber smoothe and neat.
i let it sit for at least 24 hours before touching it at all
Well its sure funny to see that everyone else shares the same headaches I've had with my car. I'd agree that the key is to get the glass good and CLEAN. From there I've experimented with 100% silicon and it worked good. Lasted for about 1 yr. This last time I used an epoxy. I think it just comes down to the fact that Ford didn't design the thing very good!
Well i agree the design sucks but ford is not the only manufacture to use this design.
Working at chrysler i've replaced quite a few windows due to clip breakage and the customer isn't to happy when they have to buy a 300.00 window.
I'd still like to know if drilling holes through the clip and window is possible with the correct bits.
It would be an permanent and awesome fix to put a bolt through there.
yeah i've seriously thought about drilling some holes and doing it that way. I was always afraid of cracking the glass.
sticky..nice
but why is this thread in the engine tech section? :rolleyes:
I dunno why, but out of all the 'Birds and Cougars I've owned, the one with the lowest mileage and in the best shape has had the most problems. It seems like everything that these cars are known for happens to my car. Ignition switch failure (fixed), cracked dash (not fixed), park light lenses popping off (fixed), radiator rotting out (fixed), condenser leaking (fixed), pressure line and suction line leaking (fixed), noisey A/C compressor (not fixed), ripped driver's seat (fixed), faded interior (partially fixed), broken seat belt thingies (fixed), squeaky ball joints (fixed), steering wheel slip rings (fixed with aftermarket wheel), tires wearing on the outside edge (tires replaced with just 10,000 miles on them), windshield delaminating (not fixed yet) - you name it, it seems to break on this car, including this window thing (the window popped off the clips in Montreal). On second thought, don't you dare name it - I don't want to tempt fate.
Now then, with that bit of a rant off my chest, about this window thing:
I know that tempered glass can be drilled, but not with a conventional drill bit. I believe you would have to use a diamond grit abrasive and literally wear your way very slowly through the glass using cutting oils and the like. This is something I would not even attempt, though, because one wrong move could turn your window to powder before your eyes - there is no such thing as cracking tempered glass, it just shatters. And vibration can cause it to shatter, so you'd better have one seriously smooth drill.
What I did was removed the window from the car and brought inside where it's warm. I sed the old glue (looked like clear silicone, so I don't know if it was factory) using an exacto knife blade. I then used brake cleaner to clean it because brake cleaner leaves no residue. Once the brake cleaner dried I applied some GOOP (after reading about its successful use here) and let it dry for several hours. Hopefully this will hold for awhile.
Likely the only reason it hasn't happened with the passenger window because that was replaced last year when somebody broke into the car...
http://www.foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showthread.php?t=3165&highlight=window+glass
my wifes kia sportage had holes in the base as well with a rubber insert to allow a bolt to pass thru the window to the track/craddle assy. I would like to do what you suggest also but maybe someday.
I know this is an old post but I have to share my repair. No one has mentioned it yet, but I used J.B Weld. I even have one clip broken and the jb weld is holding it. My window broke on me at cat jam. I fixed it the day I got home. Been holding ever since.
Absolutely, that's what I use...good ol' JB Weld. However in my situation, it's not permanent, good for at least a few months. The felt has long ago worn off the rubber strips and when it's hot out the rubber will stick to the glass and get sucked down...lol. I also think that I need new gears/motor...there's like 3/4" slack in the system. If I roll the window up as far as the motor will take it, when I go to roll it down, you hear the motor and a split second later it yanks the hell out of the glass. Multiple problems=fun times.
I used JB Weld to repair the bracket the mounts the hood release pull cable to the kick panel. It had cracked during the heater core was changed. A few layers of JB weld mixed with an ice cream stick does the trick. Just wait a few days per layer. It's more sturdy than the original.
Did my drivers door this summer, All I did was clean up all the old glue from the clip and the glass, used some sandpaper on the glass just where the clip was to sit and drilled a hole through each clip to provide a better hold. Then went to a local autoglass shop and had them glue it up with epoxy. Took it home sprayed the out of the track with silicone spray and reinstalled the glass....so far it holds (forgot to mention I also removed the lousy tint from the glass which may have been part of the reason the window hung up in the first place)
Good luck
John
Hey i tried the windsheild stuff years ago and it didnt hold!! The best results ive had were with jb weld but the key to getting it stuck is to rough the glass with sand paper and also drill a hole through the clip on both sides of the clip!! just like and 1/8" or so enough to let all the air get out when slidin the clip on!!!
You need to get some windshield Urethane adhesive. You can find it in most parts stores like NAPA, etc. It's made by several companies like 3M. Take some emery cloth and roughen up both the inside of the clips and the glass where the clips go. Next drill 2 small holes ( I used a 3/16 drill bit to) into each clip. These holes will allow the urethane to escape, preventing air pockets, as well as acting like an anchor pin. The holes are the trick to getting a good bond between the clip and glass. After drilling the holes and scuffing the clips and glass, clean both the glass contact areas and plastic clips well with alcohol. Once it's clean and dry you can apply the urethane. Seat the window in the clips and put the window all the way up. You must leave it up for at least 48 hours to allow the urethane to fully cure. I left my daughters for 96 hours to be real sure it was cured fully.
Don't waste your time or money on rear view mirror glue, silicone, or other regular glues and adhesives. Yes they will hold it, but only for a limited period of time before they separate again. Do it right and do it only once. The glass is very heavy and there is a lot of pressure applied to it going up and down.
I used anoth 3M Wind-Weld Super Fast Urethane Part #0 51135-08609 available at NAPA. I did this repair after reading how to do it on the NATO site.
Guys, I know this is old, but...
I've tried every thing mentioned above.
I tried, JB WELD, Silicone, Plasti-weld, and even Windshield adhesive from an actual glass company. It was in a pen 15ing tube and it needed to be heated before it's used. Well I used that stuff about 3 weeks a go. I even drilled holes in the clips. And guess what? Yup, BOTH windows are off the track again.
Has anyone attempted drilling the hole like mentioned above? I've thought of that also.
What about fiberglass mat?
I work with polyester resin frequently ( go through several gallons a month) and I can tell you that would not work. Resin is very unforgiving to flexing and vibration, and it does not stick to smooth surfaces well.
An update on my post above (I thought I had updated long ago, but apparently not):
The GOOP didn't hold. The very next day it popped off. I took the door apart again, cleaned the glass up again, and this time I used some 80-grit sandpaper and roughed up the glass on both sides where the clips go on. I took a small screwdriver and sed all traces of GOOP out of the clips (it actually came out rather easily - it didn't stick to the plastic OR the glass). I also sprayed some siliocone spray lube in the window tracks from top to bottom with the window out.
Once everything was clean and ready for reassembly I got some General Electric "Silicone II" CLEAR silicone. The tube says "Our very best" on it, which is important since they sell different qualities of silicone. The CLEAR is important too, since it says something on the white stuff to the effect of "Not suitable for constantly submerged areas". I know my car won't be constantly submerged, but to me "not suitable" means "inferior". It also says "Ideal for aquariums" on the clear tube (meaning good for glass), and it does not have that vinnegar stink like normal silicone.
I put some of that silicone on the clips, put the clips on the glass, reinstalled the window, and powered it into the "up" position. I then unplugged the power window motor to prevent accidentally lowering the window before the silicone set. I left it unplugged for several days.
This repair has held for just under a year now with no signs of letting go. Could be the silicone, could be the roughed up glass surface, could be just luck, but it's been holding :D
When I lower both driver's and passenger's window, I can see that the rear portion of the window is getting caught up on something. But I can't for the life of me figure out what's causing it.
I have an 88 Cougar. My glass has been been working great for over a year and a half now. After trying many things, all of which are mentioned in this thread, I found that taping off the glass and sandblasting where the clips go as well has drilling two small holes in each clip for the adhesive to anchor to has worked with no problem so far. I used 3M 8609 urethane from an autobody supply store. I've tried other stuff like jb weld, gorilla glue, and permatex epoxy, but the windshield urethane is the only stuff I used with the sandblasing.
I took the glass completely out of the door and also took out the horizontal piece of track that the clips bolt to so I could make sure the clips were glued in the correct spot. I had to pry up a little metal tab in order to slide that piece of track out by itself. I sandblasted the area and put the clips on. On my previous attempts I found that the glue was breaking away from the clips not the glass, so those small holes drilled in the clip I think helped. I used small c-clamps to put some light pressure on the clips while they dried. Installed it a day or two later, but didn't put my window down for at least a week just to make sure it was fully cured.
Having said this and reading these posts I think the real problem is in the track that the glass slides in, but I don't see how it can be fixed as the person who posted before me said. Both my driver and passenger door glass start to come out of the track slightly when they are half way up but they align back in and it hasn't been a problem. My passenger side glass was going up and down really slow, but after I greased the scissor track with white lithium grease it was fine. Never had the passenger side come out of the plastic clips like the driver side did.
Also be aware that there is an adjustable bracket to play with in the top middle of the door that pushes against the glass. The glass tracks with the felt in them don't seem to be very adjustable.
Hope this helps someone. Thanks.
Mike