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Triumph TR6 - installing a windshield frame

Perhaps everyone knows how to do this but if not I have some advice. First do not even think about trying to do this with the glass in. I suppose it can be done but it would be unpleasant. I wonder how it was done at the factory. With the glass in there is little access to the three bolts and clamps inside the car. Threads on the bolts and the holes must be cleaned out with tap and die. Tighten all three bolts and two corner nuts equally to pull the frame down to the body. With new rubber and caulk between the frame and the body it takes a frightening amount of force to pull the frame down. Get one of those plastic glazing sticks Victoria British sells to flip the rubber right side up as you clamp down the frame. Next task install winshield, pray for me.
Dick Porter

Dick I am just going down the same road as you have been, My windscreen frame is still on the car as the centre fixing just snapped the weldnut and now have to cut it off, as if the side fixings did not give me enough grief, All this just for a repaint! Wife thinks I am mad! she may just be right!
Clive P

I have installed the frame with the glass in place before and it was tight, but not that bad. The biggest potential issue in my mind is if there has been any paint work and there is excess coating build up on the frame post or the brackets where the post fit. It doesn't take much excess coating build up to make it a near impossible task. If you have the brackets off the car, I would suggest a test fit, making sure there is plenty of clearance. Getting a good compression on the gasket does take a surprising amount of force.

It is somewhat aggrevating the way the gasket lip wants to curl and roll under as the screen often comes to dead stop about 1/8" too high to keep the gasket in place. So a partial tighten may be called for before "the flip." For a gasket flipper, I have found that those resin molded bicycle tire tools (especially the ones with the little hook on one end) are excellent. I just hook under the gasket at the outer edge on each side before things are all the way down. Then I pick a side and flip the gasket lip out with the hook while working toward the middle. Repeat for the other side and then snug stuff down.
SteveP

Dick,

With all respect, I have re-installed several frames with the glass installed and not found there to ba any problems with the dash bolts. Yes, the assembly is a bit heavier but not to the point of being unwieldy. I have had more difficulty in removing the frame than in re-installing one.

Clive,

Did your car spend a lot of time outside with just the tonneau cover installed? I have removed several "garage kept/top up most of the time" windscreen frames and not had any problems with the dash bolts being overly tight or rusted. And then there was the one where the previous owner naver used the hood and had no idea what a garage was, rain water had leaked over the tonneau onto the dash and rusted the windscreen bolts fast.

Ain't these cars great??

Don
Yellowdog

Dick
I also had the glass in for the reinstall. Quite frankly, did not even think about doing it sans glass.

Clive, I thought your 6 was for sale? Have you come to your senses?...:)
Rick C
Rick Crawford

I still have my windscreen out and have not yet removed the glass to paint the frame, but I had NO problem removing the entire assemblage from the vehicle with no assistance. I also removed the brackets, bead blasted to clean metal, powder coated all but the inside where the long rod on the frame goes and am replacing all fasteners with SS. As Steve Pike recommends, it's my intent to test fit the brackets to the frame before I reinstall, but I have no intention, at this point, of doing so with the glass out. I do plan to spray a light coat of rustoleum inside the brackets then liberally dose with lubricant or penetrant of some sort, probably vasoline or aerokroil. I'll report on success or not when I get to that point. Thanks for the comments on the gasket. I did not know about the curling effect. Guess I have to get one of those nylon whatchamacallit's.

BTW, I've obtained an electronic copy of TRF's VOL II catalog, although it's a bit akward to use in the current format. Rick Crawford now has it also and we're working to make it available on the cd II. In it is a listing of ALL the issue tools that came with the TR-6 and also a list of optional ones. Anyone have the full set of tools? If interested, I'll post a listing.
db
Doug Baker

There was a post about a year ago re the windows not alligning with the rubber seals on the windscreen frame. Keep in ming you chaps doing your frames that the reinstall of the winscreen has allignment to it for softop fit and side window allignment. The plates that hold the bars of the frame are the alignment points, left and right side. The side windows also have alignment capability.
Rick C
Rick Crawford

Did my frame by myself w/glass. Don't remember it to be a problem. Then of course there is fuzzy memory.
dk
DON KELLY

Don
Is that a Bill Gs new word for memory problems?
Rick Crawford

I started something. For me glass in would have added one more hassle to the operation. I have had my frame powder coated and have new glass anyway to install. Just got the car back from new paint. Interesting to know the frame is adjustable by the post brackets. I plan on a hardtop and did not think about those points being adjustable but makes sense. I did grease all the side posts on the frame and the brakets before installation to ensure future sucess in removing all if needed.
I agee ain't these cars great and yes my wife is sure I am insane.
Don what is your e-mail I have a question off web site?
Dick
Dick Porter

By the way I am a memeber it just never seems to show up that way
Dick Porter

Dick
Showing up as a member is determined how you joined this BBS and how you have it bookmarked. I go straight to this page and not the one with all the other marques or the one with the TRIUMPH lists. I also think it might have something to do with cookies.

With a hard top, I would think the proper position of the windscreen would be more critical. Glad you now know:)
Rick C
Rick Crawford

donkellyatearthlinkdotnet
DON KELLY


Dick,

I'm another one that removed and reinstalled the frame with the glass in...not a problem. A problem I did have was the previous owner (PO in cyber speak) used butyl tape between the windshield frame and the body of the car. What a B^%$# it was getting that off.

With the frame off of the car I removed the glass. It was winter and I did the glass removal operation in my living room on the nice soft carpet. My wife was watching over me...with her hands on her hips.. making sure I didn't get crap all over the carpet.

I repainted the frame (not in the living room) and reinstalled the glass.....yes in the living room.

The rope method, as outlined in the Bently manual, works quite well. Use plenty of dish soap for lubricant. Also use plenty of dish soap when installing the chrome surround strip. It goes right in.

Good luck.

Henry

HP Henry Patterson

Rick I have always been very good at buying cars but useless at selling them, the TR6 is no different and with new paint even the wife may like her! Clive
Clive P

Thanks Don but I think I got the wrong Don. I wanted to ask Yellowdog NE Indiana an off thread question about frames.
I started installing the rubber for the door glass with those strange clips. I used a screwdriver with the tip bent into a U to pull the clips up into place and half way through thought of clipping the rubber and the door edge together with a needle nose vice grip. Made the job much easier.
I will try the windscreen glass this weekend with lots of rope and soap.
Dick Porter

AH the window clips again
dk
DON KELLY

WOW!
wind screen alignment
My soft top is a bitch to close. The holes on the frame are almost an inch to the right. Does the adjustment has that much play? I always think the frame or webbing is wrong. But now there is one more place to look at. To my naked eye the top look more straight before it is latched. After latched, the passenger side window has a small gap because the frame is force to the right.
Paddy
Paddy Kan

Paddy
WOW is right because the alignment I mention is not left to right. It is tilt of the entire windscreen frame forwards and backwards. I would say you have an alignment issue some where and that is the question..where? Or something is not straight.
I can not see the windscreen frame being bent as, in a trapezoid, or the glass would not fit into the frame. Could the soft frame be bent? This might be more likely.
"After latched, the passenger side window has a small gap because the frame is force to the right."
I presume you mean the softop frame is forced to R. Can you close the driver window?
Crank up both windows with the softop down and see how they allign with the rubber seals on either side of the trailing edge of the windscreen frame. The glass should be at the same angle as the frame seal as they touch each other. This will tell you who is out of alignment or bent. Keep in mind that the glass also has alignment capability. This allignment is left and right and is opposite to the windscreen frame so between the 2 alignments you get a fit. See TRF PLATE FE55.
Hope this helps.
Rick C
PS Paddy, I noticed you have had this problem from a post back in Sept. 2004.
Rick Crawford

Dick,

I saw this earlier and thought you wanted Washington Don.

Use: delebrun@re-comm.net

(Indiana) Don
Yellowdog

Rick C
Yeah, it is the same problem never get fixed. My solution is driving only on fair weather day, top down.
Sorry, I didn't make it very clear. When I try to move the soft top front rightward to latch. The right side of the top frame gets compressed and arched slightly upward, that creats a quarter inch gap between the glass and the weather strip of the soft top frame.
The gap is a minor problem. But push the top edge rightward to latch is a real bitch on a cool day.
Paddy
Paddy Kan

Ive never had a problem with removeing/installing the frame with the glass in untill my last attempt, a rusty parts car dissassemble, I was working the frame out1/4" at a time, one side than the other , CRACK!, "#@$*!!", I thought I was really being careful , it is possable to brake the glass even though it seems safe and snug in the frame.Jeff
Jeff

Paddy
I think I understand now. With window up, you have a gap along top edge of the window not touching the rubber seal strips on the frame.

You should not have to move the softop latch "rightward".
Both "pins" should just drop in the holes with no force left or right. Yes, maybe a little force forward as the top should be snug fit. To me, it sounds like your softop frame is bent.
Paddy, when you put the top up, and do not latch it, are the pins ready to go STRAIGHT in the holes or are they BOTH shifted to the left?

Jeff
One good thing is you will get new glass without years of stone chips:)

Rick C
Rick Crawford

Rick C
When the top is up, the pins are not line up with the holes. They are both pointing to the left of the holes.
Paddy
Paddy Kan

Paddy--Having installed a couple of tops, I bet your passenger side web strap (that runs from the header bow across the cockpit bows to the deck plate) is too short. That would cause the second bow to raise as you describe. To fix, you'd have to remove the top from the header bow and drill out the rivets holding the strap to the second bow, and reposition the strap.

Check the tightness of that strap and report back.

Rick
Rick Orthen

OK got the winshield in with all the rubber flipped the correct way and snug. I used two wraps of the string in case something went wrong the first time and boy am I glad I did. But try as I might with lots of soap the chrome trim strip just will not go in but for about a foot. Ideas?
Dick Porter

Dick
A heat gun (hair dryer)to heat up the rubber, vaseline, and a "tool" to slightly separate the rubber grove just in front of the chrome plastic strip as it goes into the grove. Leave a very short gap between the ends of the chrome strip at the bottom of the windshield frame for expansion. The small cap piece will cover this gap.
Rick C
Rick Crawford


Use the soap straight without cutting it with water. Use lots of it and as Rick mentioned use a plastic tool to separate the channel just ahead of the strip as you install. Mine went right in this way.

As with all projects having a beer on hand helps too.
HP Henry Patterson

Thanks I have come to the conclusion that I will have to make a small tool to spread the rubber slit. Seems like I saw such a tool adverized a long time ago but I don't rememeber where. I will defeat the evil windshield.
Dick Porter

This thread was discussed between 18/10/2005 and 25/10/2005

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