Section XXIV Windscreen
The RHSC's video covers the assembly of the Windscreen and its fitting to the car in some detail. It is however impossible to watch the video and carry out the assembly at the same time, unless you have a TV in your workshop. I watched the video a few times, and then produced this "aide-memoir" to print and take into the workshop. Work on a soft surface to avoid scratches, a blanket is ideal. Shake off any swarf etc. as you proceed. RHSC's advise that you have the car SVA tested WITHOUT the windscreen fitted. In this way you can forget wipers, mirrors, washers, heaters etc. Rubbish, you will still need to pass the SVA rear view mirror test and there is nowhere to put the mirrors. Before starting remove any burrs from the alloy frame with fine wet and dry paper and polish with a lambs wool mop to a "chrome" finish. It will need re-polishing when you are finished anyway. Choose which face of the alloy frame will be on the outside, use the better sides. Arrange to fit the glass with the engraved "Kite Mark" positioned in the lower nearside or passenger corner.
Assembly of the Windscreen Components
01) Try the glass in the upper frame to ensure that the frame has not been distorted during storage etc. Tweak as required. If you note how far the glass goes in without the rubber this will give you a good idea of its final position with the rubber fitted. About 3mm less. Make a couple of corner templates to show the location of the glass later on.
02) Wash the flat rubber seal in warm soapy water, dry, and fit the seal into the frame. Don't worry about rucks in the corners as these are trimmed off later. Keep all the excess material to one end, as this is required for the lower frame. Try a very light dusting with talcum powder on the top rubber only.
03) Estimate the final position of the glass and trim the back the excess ends of the flat rubber.
04) Fit the glass into the frame. An assistant is advised. Make sure the rubber is not trapped as the glass goes in. Do not use any sealant, mastic or washing up liquids.
05) Carefully tap the glass well down into the frame and check it is fully home, particularly in the corners. Use a soft surface. Refer to the video on this point.
06) Tape up the two sides tight using brown parcel tape. Check the glass to ensure it is fully home at both ends and parallel.
07) Trim off the rubber seal at the ends to leave approx. 12mm of glass exposed at each side.
08) Fit the lower frame in its (estimated) final position. Adjust so the radii are same at each end. Scribe and trim bottom alloy.
09) Mark one end, on the inside face, with a cross for correct re-assembly and file the ends square. Do not forget to remove burrs from inside the extrusion as well.
10) Fit the flat rubber seal to the lower frame. Trim off flush the excess rubber at the ends of the frame. RHSC's advise fitting a steel slip into the lower extrusion to give the self tappers more metal to bite into. (see RHSC's Technical Notes 11/02). The Tee rubber could be fitted at this stage.
11) Press the lower frame fully home into the glass and again tape up using brown parcel tape. Check it is seated FULLY home.
12) Measure the windscreen height to ensure that the top and bottom extrusions are parallel and square.
13) With reference to the video, drill and countersink for 2 - 40mm long No.6 self tappers. Take extreme care not to drill into the glass. Use the template. The excess ends of the self tappers are cut off later with a mini grinder. Drill 3mm (0.116") for No.6 self tappers or a few thou less. This is where theory meets reality. This is not the easiest thing to do as the glass gets in the way and you finish up with not a lot to "bite" on with the screw. Fortunately the lower frame is not a structural member so the joint is not critical. Notwithstanding this it is still a poor design.
14) Refer to the video, mark and cut off the excess from the vertical frame sides at an angle to blend with the lower frame. Clean up the cut ends with a smooth file. Remove the parcel tape. Keep the alloy offcuts, you can use these as a depth gauge for the screws when fitting the two side pillars.
15) Using a very sharp Stanley knife, trim off the excess flat rubber all around the finished frame. Cut at an angle into the frame so any scratches are hidden. If you stone the very tip of a new blade it will avoid scratches and still cut the rubber. Do NOT pull the rubber as you cut. It may pull out.
16) Cut off any protruding self tapper threads. Fit the Tee section rubber into the lower frame, but do not fit into the extreme ends. Refer to the video on this point.
17) Give the glass a final polish and file flush any protruding screw heads. This completes the fabrication of the screen. Now it can be fitted onto the car.
18) Duraglit metal polish gives the frame a very bright finish and does not scratch the glass.
Fitting the Windscreen to the Car
Fitting the Windscreen to the car is again covered in detail on the RH video's and these notes more or less reiterate the information given. Before we can fit the Windscreen supports we need to drill and all the holes and de-burr the edges. As the supports are flamecut the edges are very hard and an abrasive disc will be needed. Once you have cut through the hard surfaces, round off with a fine file and polish all over to match the alloy frame. The position and shape of the supports is critical and some care and time should be given to this apparently simple operation. I made up an exact copy of the windscreen in 9mm mdf as the real one was too heavy for convenience and one slip would have been be a disaster, both for the scuttle and the screen.
The triangular part of the support has to be bent to match the curve of the scuttle and the parallel portion bent where it joins the triangular base to match the angle of the windscreen frame sides. It also needs to be twisted slightly to align with the frame. This is fully covered in the video. Don't forget that they are left and right handed. This must be done with care as any mismatch will look awful and may even distort the scuttle. Also the whole lot needs to be in the correct position in relation to the lower frame rubber, wipers, washers and demister vents, square across the scuttle and with the top of the windscreen parallel to the road. It is also vital that the lower edge of the Windscreen support is parallel to the chassis and the side panel top flange.
Most of the RH brochure photographs show only a couple of bolts securing the screen supports to the car, both are in the lower portion where the scuttle sides are more or less flat. Take care that the two lower fixing screws for the screen frame do not interfere with the two screws securing the windscreen lower frame.
When in the correct position, the base of the screen needs to be about 12mm forward of the demister vents, 50mm to the rear of the (Mini) wiper bushes, and hard down to the scuttle top.(according to the RH video) I left mine about 2mm up to miss the bonnet centerline joint.
Once you are 100% happy that the supports are correctly located and formed, mark off the holes in the scuttle and bolt the supports in place. Try the screen to ensure all is correct. RH suggest 6mm coach screws. I used 6mm button head screws and aero type nuts from GTC. I also used a 6mm "penny" washer on the inside for better grip on the thin scuttle panel. Once the supports were on, I drilled and fitted the screen in situ. (don't forget to position the "Kite mark" on lower nearside) There will need to be a compelling reason why the left and right hand supports are not located in more or less identical positions on each side of the scuttle. Any difference should be investigated.
Mark off the holes in the frame sides by spotting through the supports and drill into the frame avoiding any contact with the glass. An old hand drill is best for this as it will not grab in the soft alloy. A good tip is to slip a piece of thin brass tube over the drill with only 3mm protruding, it cannot drill any deeper, and should just touch the rubber. Using offcuts of the side frame alloy as a guide, shorten the fixing screws so that they cannot possibly touch the glass when tightened up.(5mm max, 3mm if you are using countersink screws) I used a piece of 5mm steel plate as a cutting jig. Use Loctite on the self tappers and screw fully home. Cut off the top portion of the ends of the tee to give a piece of flat rubber. Loosen the supports and pull the rubber tight at the ends to form to the scuttle as per the video and clamp under the side supports. Cut off any protruding rubber. The edges of the Windscreen supports need covering with snap on edge trim, even the inside cut-out needs to be fitted with tadpole trim. Pay attention to the fixing screws, c'sk if at all possible. My pillars failed the SVA, see Section XXV The SVA Test. See also height problems.
Now that the screen is on this is a good time to fit the stainless Heater Vent trim. Stick on with No-Nails to cover the flamecut slots and the heater pipe screw heads.
Standard "Mini" wiper blades will need
shortening. Fit and adjust following the details in Section
XXI Heater/Demister & Wipers Adjust the washer jets, give the lot a
final polish and the job is complete apart from fitting the rear view mirror.
(this must be an SVA approved pattern)
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Cutting the Seal Rubber |
Making the Glass End Templates |
Taping up the Vertical Sides |
Taping up the Bottom Frame |
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Trial Position of Screen |
Seen from Outside |
Windscreen
in position
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Corner detail |
© Colin Usher 2005