Windshield Gasket Installation help needed

NEED SOME HELP!!!

Bought an excellent MGB windshield today along with some other great parts and thought I'd tackle the task of installing it to replace my pitted windshield.

Got the new one all cleaned up and actually polished the frame - looks exceptional.......old one is off with minimal difficulties - but ran into a snag when trying to install the new frame to body gasket - Any tips on how to get it on????

How many MG owners does it really take to install a gasket? or What's the secret? Bought it inside for the evening to work on and thought I'd ask for some advise.

Thanks in advance for those trade secrets (or the name of an installer or windshield gaskets).

Cheers

Clark

Go to the nearest drug store and buy a bottle of.........are you ready for this....Astroglide. Slather it in the bottom rail grove and also on the bulbed portioned part of the seal. The next part takes 2 people, 1 to pull and the other to push. Start the seal into the channel and pulling it along a couple of inches, stop and stretch it out int the channel. Have person #2 push some seal in while person #1 pulls again. Stop and stretch in the channel again. Keep doign this until you have the seal centered in the channel. Took the son and I about 10 minutes, and no cussing or yelling or anything.

Do what he said. Or buy a thesaurus of swear words :)

One tip, have a friend buy the Astroglide OR bring in this thread printed out and show it to the pharmacist when you ask him/her to show you where it is :D

I used a different approach, didn't require astroglide ...

Had a friend help and we didn't slide it in all the way as suggested above. I made a 'special tool' from a hardware store (sounding better already)! We used a paint can opener, kind of looks like a church key, except the spade end we bent to a good 90 degree. We slipped in one side of the 'T' portion of the gasket into the channel and then used the special tool, starting at one end, to work in the other side of the 'T' portion of the gasket. Took about 20-30 minutes and worked extremely well. The tool we picked up had a larger than usual spade end and that helped out a lot. As a bonus, it was helpful to use this same tool to install the clips that hold the window gaskets on the doors as well. You could reach down with the spade end again and pull the clip into place.

I can take some pics of it if it would help, just let me know.

Cheers

Geoff

I would love some pics of the tool - got plenty of the paint openers and no astorglide - guess which I'd rather use :)

PRICE CHECK ON THE ASTROGLIDE!!!.....would be very embarassing.

I just used dish soap and it worked fine and I didn't even use a helper....just a lot of patience!!

Take off one of the side frames. If the centre rod is installed it won't come apart.
Slide the new rubber in. I used dish washing detergent and armoral.
You can trim the rubber property without the side frame
Had son helping, took 15min from start to finish.

I ended up with success using Yellow 77 wire lube and, I did it by myself..

Richard,

What is and where do I get Yellow 77 wire lube (may not be as embarrassing asking for this ass opposed to Astrolube)......

Thanks all for your input - I WILL GET THIS GASKET ON....I WILL GET THIS GASKET ON...I WILL....(thanks for all your help!)

Clark

Best one I heard about was from "brownie 2" (Morris)...He used baby powder, and he said it took him ten minutes to slide it on....He said he learned it from doing bicycle inner tubes.
It isn't messy, and if it doesn't work, it just wipes right off.
I had tried Castor oil and also dish soap, neither of which made it easier.

This photo should give you some idea of the angle required to get the seal into the groove. Don't know about the Astroglide but I use KY-Jelly; which I suspect is a similar product.

I wouldn't worry about what the pharmacist or cashier thinks. I'll bet they don't really care. ;)

Wonder if powdered graphite would work, similar to talc but more slippery?

AND THE ANSWER IS....

I actually took one of the rails off, used Liquid Wrench silicone spray (safe for rubber) and called my MG buddy Mike over - and finally had the right combo - did as push/pull! Now to fit the windshield to the car after dinner! Certainly glad for the one-time experience....really, one time was enough!

Thanks for all your help and guidance!

Clark