'69 windshield gasket...two kinds of sealer?

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TylerW

TylerW

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Hey guys:

I'm taking on the unenviable task of cleaning up a windshield channel again and encountered something I needed to ask about. Below in the first picture is the windshield channel on my '69. I spent well over an hour cleaning out the sealant along (half of) the bottom, where the gasket sort of just sits there. That black stuff is bedding compound, which I assumed and have read numerous times should be around the entire gasket. However, on this car it's only along the bottom and about an inch up the sides.

From there up is a different material you can see in the second picture. This is a gray material that set up hard and is fairly easy to chip off. I have a 1968 Plymouth also that a replaced the gasket and windshield on last year and I thought there was something different between the two regarding the sealant and I remembered what it was: the '68 had that gray stuff around the entire gasket, even on the bottom rail. NO bedding compound anywhere. It had started leaking around the gasket at the bottom, the gold car did not so evidently they changed the process at Hamtramck or the windshield installed used the wrong stuff or more likely ran out of bedding compound.

I know why they use bedding compound, because that stuff seals like glue and is nearly impossible to remove. I ended up heating it until it turned into a thin consistency, spread it out like paint and then removed it with a cloth and solvent. You might notice also that the artisans at Dodge main mislocated or knocked one of the dash bolt clips out of place. Both cars had that issue, but the '68 had one totally missing.

So, what is this gray material exactly? What have you guys found sealing your windshield gasket in? Thanks.

20210421_183843.jpg


20210421_183858.jpg
 
This is the stuff that goes in there and is what was used originally
8B9EEDA3-5734-4541-9194-776F31DA3617.jpeg
 
Thank you, but not according to what I've found. I am very familiar with bedding compound...I also have a tube of it on hand and used most of that tube on the last windshield. To offer additional clarity, I have prepared further photographic evidence:

In the top photograph, you see the mystery gray sealer that is on my Dart from just above the bottom of each A-pillar around the top gasket fence. It is NOT along the bottom windshield channel. That material is soft, gooey bedding compound..without a doubt.

In the second photograph I have prepared a "slide" lol with 3 representative samples as notated. On the left is new bedding compound right out of the tube 15 minutes ago, then in the center is 53yo(Nov 68) bedding compound scraped off the bottom windshield channel about 2 hours ago with considerable difficulty. On the right is the gray sealant which we can see is a different color and a different material, which scrapes off in mostly hardened flakes and small strips. This is the exact material which was around the entire gasket on the Plymouth produced a year earlier and which had evidently dried and shrunk to the point the gasket began to leak.

Now I understand...this is not an easy question which can be answered with stock replies. Somebody knows the truth here and what went on at Hamtramck's windshield installation booth in 1967 and '68. Hopefully that person or persons will step forward. The easy route would be to keep saying "just use bedding compound, Tyler, that's what we ALL use", but I'm not satisfied with the easy route. I want to know what the gray stuff is and not just for me. It's for all the people who might have been afraid to fight against the status quo when doing a windshield gasket. LOL in all seriousness, thanks again.
 
Just use the black bedding compound all the way around to prevent a leak. Who the eff cares what they used at the factory 52 years ago. Once the gasket and trim is on you dont see what's there anyways. I prefer my **** to "not" leak.
 
Last edited:
THIS:

Glass 37.jpg


If you really want it to seal out water......
Just know that this sticks with a death grip. If you ever have to replace the windshield, it will require a new gasket because this bonds to everything.
 
An old car guy told me if the windshield shop wants to use anything but Butyl, find another shop......I'm not at this point with my build, just passing an idea along.
 
The first a-body windshield I removed was a white 67 notchback with red interior and red headliner. Co-worker and I decided that the off white sealant I found was likely the same glazing compound/putty used on wooden house window frames ( probably was a bit whiter when new ). When I reinstalled that windshield, using the black butyl sealant all around, I did get a little of it on my brand new red headliner. Never got 100% of it cleaned off. Passengers sun visor hid it, out of sight, out of mind. Why that headliner came back out about 3 weeks later is a whole different story. Anyway... I know the white window glazing putty hardens over time and is much easier to work with. The gasket might have came to the assembly line with a round bead of the stuff already in the gasket. Only place they would need stronger adhesive like sealant is where there is no fence for the gasket to sit on. That is what we found, right?
 
Glazing putty...that makes a lot of sense. Finally someone has verified that I'm not making something up. People are such information repeaters without even knowing what they are talking about.

This is directly from the 1969 Dodge service manual regarding windshield installation:
Installation:
(1) Remove all old sealer and cement from original weatherstrip if it is being used
(2) Apply sealer in fence and glass groove portions of weatherstrip. On Dart Models install filler strip in lower part of weatherstrip (Fig. 4).
(3) Apply a 3/8 inch bead of sealer cement completely across cowl top panel lower windshield frame area (Fig. 5)

Notice the part where it says "sealer AND cement" and the instructions to use two different materials in the different locations, just coincidentally how my car was done.

So in other words, if you want to use all bedding compound, fine. If you want to do a factory-correct job, then use the different materials as indicated. Additionally, it's not up to a particular member to question why somebody else wants to know something. If you know the right answer, post it. If you don't know the answer, say you don't or don't post anything at all.
 
‘If you know the right answer, post it. If you don't know the answer, say you don't or don't post anything at all.’
This makes sense. Often it seems we get answers to questions that were never asked.
 
I removed my windshield decades ago to repaint dash frame. I could not find a shop who was willing to reinstall windshield. So I bought new windshield gasket and installed with no sealer. My car sits in a garage. But I have been caught in heavy rain and when I wash car not a drop comes in. My car had drains in bottom of windshield channel going into cowl. I also installed NOS wiper arm pivots years ago too. Just my experience I'll let the experts chime in.
 
I and my glass shop re-installed both front and rear glass dry with new gaskets and nice clean straight fences. 6 years later no leaks!
 
Kern Dog said:
THIS:

View attachment 1715726900

If you really want it to seal out water......
Just know that this sticks with a death grip. If you ever have to replace the windshield, it will require a new gasket because this bonds to everything.
Click to expand...
Thats what id use on a newer car deal or a 'fk it lets fill the holes and flip it' or run it into the ground kinda venture. LOL
 
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