Glass Removal Machine

[John Ryland <John.Ryland@mail.sscoop.com>]

It only takes one curious list member to make me spill my guts about my
super secret socket technique for windshield removal. Try this only if
you're desperate to remove the windshield from your early Scirocco w/out
breaking the glass or damaging the gasket...and none of your friends
will help you...and it's dark...and you're too lazy to run an extension
cord & light out to the street where the car is parked. Here goes: Begin
work about 20 minutes before sundown, this should ensure that you'll
finish the job in total darkness. Sit in the passenger seat staring at
the gasket and glass for about 15 minutes. It will then dawn on you how
nice it would be if hundreds of fingers could peel back the gasket from
the lip of the window frame to allow somebody with a giant suction cup
to pull the glass out without resistance. You don't have that many
fingers, but you probably have a bunch of finger-sized ratchet sockets
in your toolbox, or maybe you collect dead AA batteries...So starting in
the upper passenger side corner (just cuz you're in the passenger seat)
take a flat head screwdriver and carefully peel back the gasket from the
lip enough to slip the first socket between the rubber and the frame. My
socket of choice is the 3/8" drive 12mm Craftsman...Then just start
working your way around the gasket, peeling and inserting sockets,
peeling & inserting, etc. After placing four or five sockets, it will be
dark. Take your flashlight and wedge it between the headrest and the top
of the driver's seat. Aim at the gasket and adjust as necessary to light
your job. (Vertical fine tuning can be done using the seat adjuster
knob) Anyway, space the sockets close enough together that the rubber is
held away from the frame. You don't want the gasket touching the frame
anywhere on the top edge of the glass and about seven inches down each
side. You'll have to figure out your own socket alternative for the area
between the visors since there's nothing to wedge the sockets against.
(I used some rubber gas line and a worn out cold-start injector, but no
time to explain that one...McGuyver would be proud.) With all the pieces
in place you'll then put your hands, fingertips actually, in the upper
corners of the glass. Push out evenly and slowly. At this point the
following might happen: A) A socket or two might fall out.  B) The glass
will move forward with I slight sucking sound.  C) The glass will break.
Hopefully just A & B will happen. In which case, replace the pieces that
fell out and "snug up" the ones that are still in place. At this point,
start just below the lowermost socket on the passenger's side, and using
the flat head scwdvr, start "tucking" the gasket under the lip. You'll
see what I mean. Then remove that lowermost socket and tuck, then move
on to the next and the next, etc. Eventually, you'll have the whole top
half of the gasket on the other side of the lip. Continue all the way
down the sides of the glass to the dash. From this point on the only
technique is to be very careful and not rush. Most importantly, always
expect the glass to break and don't forget to have fun.

Thanks for your time,

JR (the low-rent shadetree mechanic)
Please buy some of this Mk1 perfmance stuff from me. I'm telling you,
just name your price. I don't need a bunch of spare parts, I need a new
A3 2.0!
--
To subscribe or unsubscribe, send email to scirocco-L-request@privateI.com,
with your request (subscribe, unsubscribe) in the BODY of the message.