Barrman
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I am working on a M35 but I think the M37 has the same glass and rubber, so this got written in the body work section.
New rubber from AB Linn and two freshly cleaned and painted windshield panels are what I started with. The rubber fits into the windshield channel with a T shaped molding. It looks simple. Just put one side of the T in and use something to mash the other side in beside it. Oh, one side of the part that stays outside has a little bit of a lip so it is the side that gets stuffed in compared to just set in.
Friday evening I set a windshield frame up on the M35 rear frame where it fits almost perfectly. Then I had to figure out which side of the rubber was OUT and which side was IN. After looking at it and thinking about it, I decided the outter lip should be on the outside.
I stretched the rubber across what is the bottom edge of the frame and it kind of held itself on the corners. Pushed the single lip into the groove and started pushing with a putty knife on the other edge. Took a good bit of effort, but it went in. Then I started working my way toward a corner. You can do it anyway you want, but I had better luck with just a fast jab from the corner of the putty knife compared to trying to push the entire width of the knife or even rolling the knife. By the time I got one half of the bottom done, my hand was hurting. Almost to the edge of the other half of the bottom and it stopped going in the groove. I had been pushing it dry until then. I sprayed a little bit of tire shine silicone on there and realized silicone softens the rubber. I almost pushed right through it. Wipe off the silicone and tried again with success.
Then I looked at it, flipped the frame over and looked some more. Did some thinking and convinced myself I had it on backwards. Off it came. Put the entire molding on over the next 30 minutes or so. I figured out the best way for me was to sit in my spare box type M35 drivers seat, put the frame on the top of my feet and push down on the knife with my shoulder helping.
I wanted to install it on the truck before I did the passenger side frame to make sure I had the rubber right. Plus, my hands and forearms were on fire. Trying to install the glass on the truck with the steering wheel in the way resulted in some scratched paint. I did figure out that setting the adjustment arms almost all the way out, screwing them to the glass and then trying to hold the glass up to the frame makes it almost effortless.
Anyway, once it was all bolted on and the window shut, I saw a lot of light. I had the seal on backwards. But, I haven't seen that many water tight M trucks either, so maybe not. I took a flash light and went through the field to my parts truck. The rubber on it was too far gone to really tell. So, I just cleaned up and went to bed.
Saturday morning I looked at everything again and figured I could have it on right so I started putting the passenger side seal on. Then Colton got sick and we had to take him to the doctor. Driving home I called up Pistolnut and convinced him I needed to stop by and see his M35. We stopped and I had all the seals on backwards.
Sunday was spent with family in Houston, so Monday night I got to pull all my work apart and do it over again. Practice sure did make putting the glass in the truck easier and faster. I can still see just a very slight bit of light on one of the 4 corners, but the rest are sealed up good. Got the wiper motors on last night and plumbed even.
Figured somebody else might be doing this soon, so here are the pictures showing which way is which on the molding.
New rubber from AB Linn and two freshly cleaned and painted windshield panels are what I started with. The rubber fits into the windshield channel with a T shaped molding. It looks simple. Just put one side of the T in and use something to mash the other side in beside it. Oh, one side of the part that stays outside has a little bit of a lip so it is the side that gets stuffed in compared to just set in.
Friday evening I set a windshield frame up on the M35 rear frame where it fits almost perfectly. Then I had to figure out which side of the rubber was OUT and which side was IN. After looking at it and thinking about it, I decided the outter lip should be on the outside.
I stretched the rubber across what is the bottom edge of the frame and it kind of held itself on the corners. Pushed the single lip into the groove and started pushing with a putty knife on the other edge. Took a good bit of effort, but it went in. Then I started working my way toward a corner. You can do it anyway you want, but I had better luck with just a fast jab from the corner of the putty knife compared to trying to push the entire width of the knife or even rolling the knife. By the time I got one half of the bottom done, my hand was hurting. Almost to the edge of the other half of the bottom and it stopped going in the groove. I had been pushing it dry until then. I sprayed a little bit of tire shine silicone on there and realized silicone softens the rubber. I almost pushed right through it. Wipe off the silicone and tried again with success.
Then I looked at it, flipped the frame over and looked some more. Did some thinking and convinced myself I had it on backwards. Off it came. Put the entire molding on over the next 30 minutes or so. I figured out the best way for me was to sit in my spare box type M35 drivers seat, put the frame on the top of my feet and push down on the knife with my shoulder helping.
I wanted to install it on the truck before I did the passenger side frame to make sure I had the rubber right. Plus, my hands and forearms were on fire. Trying to install the glass on the truck with the steering wheel in the way resulted in some scratched paint. I did figure out that setting the adjustment arms almost all the way out, screwing them to the glass and then trying to hold the glass up to the frame makes it almost effortless.
Anyway, once it was all bolted on and the window shut, I saw a lot of light. I had the seal on backwards. But, I haven't seen that many water tight M trucks either, so maybe not. I took a flash light and went through the field to my parts truck. The rubber on it was too far gone to really tell. So, I just cleaned up and went to bed.
Saturday morning I looked at everything again and figured I could have it on right so I started putting the passenger side seal on. Then Colton got sick and we had to take him to the doctor. Driving home I called up Pistolnut and convinced him I needed to stop by and see his M35. We stopped and I had all the seals on backwards.
Sunday was spent with family in Houston, so Monday night I got to pull all my work apart and do it over again. Practice sure did make putting the glass in the truck easier and faster. I can still see just a very slight bit of light on one of the 4 corners, but the rest are sealed up good. Got the wiper motors on last night and plumbed even.
Figured somebody else might be doing this soon, so here are the pictures showing which way is which on the molding.
