removing door glass

[Alex]

Any hints or tips to remove door glass?
I cant afford to break any more ;D
I thought it just pulled out?

[molten]

Hi Alex
I had similar problems but once removed learned of the correct method :o

Remove glass trims (in & out)
Wind window up and remove the circular clips on the glass carrier (slide them) and remove the carrier complete with glass through the top.
Remove mech/s through largest hole in the door.

Cheers
scott

[Alex]

Thanks Scott,I'll take a look :)

[Alex]

Spot on Scott thanks

Alex

[Howard81]

2597 wrote:

Hi Alex
I had similar problems but once removed learned of the correct method :o

Remove glass trims (in & out)
Wind window up and remove the circular clips on the glass carrier (slide them) and remove the carrier complete with glass through the top.
Remove mech/s through largest hole in the door.

Cheers
scott

The windows are supposed to be a very tight fit in the metal lifting channels, however over the years they do come rather loose - mainly because of incorrect (lazy!) removal methods...  The the factory method was to remove the window assembly whole, then you have better access to remove the lifting channel which was fitted very tightly on to the window.

Removal as follows:

1. Take the interior door hardware off, along with the trim panel.
2. Wind the window down half-way.
3. There are two rectangular-ish plastic spacers that need to be removed from the lifting channel - one at each end.  They're simply held in with a bolt each.  The spacers are rather important and often missing - their job is to push the glass slightly inwards when the window fully wound up, therefore pushing the glass against the rubber windscreen seal.
4. Where the lifting channel connects to the winding mechanism there are two bars that raise and lower it.  Each bar is attached to the lifting channel with a strange circlip that's a right pain to remove, especially considering you can't see it as it faces to the inside of the door!  Remove these clips, but careful you don't lose the two rubber washers either side of each lifting point.  Now "rest" the window and lifting channel assembly in the bottom of the door.
5. Remove the inner and outer rubber window scrapers from the door.
6. The whole glass and lifting channel assembly will now easily lift out.

NOW.. this might seem rather long-winded when the quick method is to simply pull the glass out of the lifting channel when it is still in the door.  My Spitfire had suffered this fate, and was also missing the "push in" plastic spacers.  You end up with the typical Spitfire problem of windows that rattle and don't fit flush against the windscreen frame seal.

I solved this by removing the lifting channel from the glass and replacing the rubber that sits in-between them.  A slightly thicker rubber will solve this, but I had to very gently use a couple of woodworking clamps to ease the assembly back together!  Nice and tight.  On reassembly I fitted the two plastic spacers that had been missing.  The result is a window that doesn't rattle, and fits perfectly flush with the windscreen frame seal when wound up fully!

I just need to do the driver's side now.. ;D