Matto'85TA

Whats the easiest way to get sealant off? The hatch is off the car sitting upside down on the ground. I have all the bolts off. THe only thing holding it on now is the sealant. How do i get it off?

Thanks,

Matt

Trickster

Hello Matt,

As soon as I can get to my book later tonight, I will e-mail you the procedures. In the meantime, you can remove the sealant by masking off the glass at that area and cutting the sealant with a sharp flat bladed tool. Be careful in doing this.

Matto'85TA

Thanks man. The only problem is there is no visible sealant. It is all underneath the glass. The bead is about a 1/4 inch in from the edge of the decklid/glass overlap. On the underside, where the trim panel and such is, the only sealant was at the corners where the plastic "flaps" where. Other than that no sealant is on the edge of the glass, only underneath it. I have been using a screwdriver to pry up on it a little, but i dont like doing that cause i think it will break easy that way.

Could a heat gun make it go quicker?

Thanks,

Matt

Zrated83

iTrader: (17)

Its a pain in the ***! But it was worth it for me since I installed my high rise spoiler and didnt have to fill any holes up top What I did was take a utility blade knife and just sliced through the sealant. It takes time though. And dont rush yourself! Its not cool getting cut Just start on one side then once you start cutting through the sealant just wrap a flathead screwdriver in a rag and carefully pry up that side. Doing this will make it easier cutting through the rest of the sealant.

Matto'85TA

Ah, I get it, slip the knife between the glass and decklid to ge to the sealant. Sorry I'm kinda slow today.

Yea, thats why I want to remove mine. I got a hatch of a blue '91 RS and I want to put my silver '85 TA deckid on. Its one less thing to paint and I wont have to drill and patch new holes for a firebird spoiler.

Thanks,

Matt

z_power

I've usually used violin guitar strings (not nylon ones though ) to remove glass from body. It is important to use protective glasses because end of the broken wire may be dangerous.

Trickster

Hello Matt,

The info is in your e-mail.

white91formula

iTrader: (4)

trickster can you post it on the website, or email or pm it to me also, i want to trade a defroster hatch to my car but i want to keep my lid and spoiler the way they are, i need some info on the best way to go about this so that i do not wreck my lid and or spoiler

NEEDforSPEED

sounds like no fun, hum i got a hole hatch with MINT glass for 5 bucks... i think if i where you id just get a cheap hatch and re-paint... but then again thats me...

Trickster

Okay White91formula.

You have a package in your mailbox.

It seems like I broke your e-mailmans back with that package. It was returned with the message "package too big or recepients box too full.

Do you have another address I could send it to?

nolanr0413

i need to know how to do this too , i just bought a defrosterless one and have to switch hatches, so i dont have paint another decklid

white91formula

iTrader: (4)

what email did you send it to ?

you can send it to either

Fearless45923@hotmail.com

or if that fails

Keith_Benoit@hotmail.com

if that fails talk to me on AIM at yzz89 or white91formula and we can use the transfer file thingy



nolanr0134

why would you want a defrosterless hatch ? i had one and i wnat the defroster, not being able to see sucks

i picked up a mint defroster hatch for $5 also and then sold the hatch and spoiler to a friend for $25, so i made $20 on the deal,, when i took it off the first time i kinda jus pried it off, i figured for $5 if i break it no biggie but i do not wnat to wreck my good deck lid that i have now, or mess with remounting the spoiler, with my luck when i got it back on in would have it on upsidedowns or backwards :lala:

nolanr0413

i dont drive the car when its ****ty out, i only drive it in the summer, i dont drive in the rain . I just pplain dont need them . I have it in our garage so it never has dew on it . i just dont need it.

white91formula

iTrader: (4)

i got you, i only drive mine in tyhe summer also but i cant keep it in a garage so it see's dew and i ocasionally need it on cold fall mornings so i thought it was a good idea

91Zman

Just re-aligned my decklid last week.All I did was use a box cutter and cut at the sealant while I pulled up on the decklid at the glass.

white91formula

iTrader: (4)

was the glass still attached to the car when you were doing this, i think the reason i had such a issue and almost shaddered the thing was that i took the hatch off first ebfore i tried to get teh junk lid off of it.

nolanr0413

so i should try and take it off while attached to the car.

white91formula

iTrader: (4)

i dont know i was asking that, i think it woudl make more sense, cuz the glass would be more stable ?

Trickster

Hello White91formula,

I had to break the file down into two parts for it to fit in your mailbox (I hope they fit anyway). It must have gone through since I haven't seen it come back yet.

Nolanr0413,

I have also sent you a copy of this file. Good luck with it.

91Zman

Yeah the hatch was on the car when I took the decklid off.

Danger

I just reassembled mine a couple of weeks ago. When I disassembled it I removed the hatch from car first. Then cut as far into the silicone as I could with box cutters top and bottom. Turpentine runing down the screen and into the cut silicone helps heaps, it lubricates the knife and also disolves the silicone and stops it sticking. I also managed to run a wire through and used it to cut alot of the silicone starting at the corners of the screen. Again, lots of turpentine makes the job easier. Expect to spend a couple of hours cleaning up all the silicone and don't try to force the screen and lid apart cause the screen could shatter if stressed in any way. Good luck.

D's89IROCZ

so ..........


just take out the bolts from the bottom ..... then ( while looking straight down on the hatch ...like it was installed on the car) ....slide a knife between the glass ...and the metal hatch part ...that you just took the hardware out of .........


is that it ? I just got my tinted rear hatch glass for 50 bucks ...and am egar to put it in this spring Trickster I too would like this email


boone_9@excite.com

Trickster

Greetings D's89IROCZ,

Your request is in the e-mail.:lala:

Randy82WS7

is the glass same in all deminsions in 85-up as it was in 82 84 ? my 82 trans am's original hatch glass was busted out and a plain non grid non t/a one is in it right now, i plan on eventually finding a grid t/a one for it, i wish i had saved the one from the 85 t/a i cut up a couple years back and a billion other parts i need for this 82 now, and from an 84 s/e i had last fall too, like the 3.73 rear and a billion other things.

i hear thing wire string trick works, but be careful on paint edge all around the hatch glass opening, need soem body paint tape for talll that, the glass palces all use a large flat attachment in a sawzall for cutting through thr bed of glass glue on windshields and such that are glued in like these are on later cars and 88-up trucks

good luck