Rebuilding Vent Windows, How To...

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Once you have cleaned and lubed up the regulator, lock and handle mechanism inside the door, go ahead and put the glass back in the door and roll the window all the way back down. Again, double check to make sure all the old weather stripping and window channel has been removed from the channels in the door that support the back edge of the glass.


Now we are going to disassemble the vent window to remove the old rubber and install new. Use a screw driver to remove the vent window weather strip that should still be in the back channel of the vent window. This is the part the front edge of the glass rides in and is going to be replaced. This will be all one piece on the new weather strip. I believe these are 2 piece on older model trucks. But I may be mistaken.


Now we are going to disassemble the vent window tension spring assembly. Use a screw driver to open up the small metal locking mechanism so we can unscrew the nut and remove it all.


Once the nut is loosened a little, the tension will be released. It is not under much pressure and will not fly off. Remove it all and lay it out in order so you can reassemble it correctly.


Go ahead and remove these two washers also.

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We are now going to remove the actual glass and metal trim around the glass from the vent window assembly. To do this, we need to remove the small rivet that is on the outside of the glass 3/4 of the way up the vent window. Marked in the picture below:


I used a small drill bit to start a pilot hole for the bigger bit to remove the rivet. I am sure a Dremel tool would work well too, but I do not have one. Just be VERY careful when drilling the rivet so you do not enlarge the hole the rivet goes through. All you are trying to do is remove the head of the rivet so it can fall out the bottom. If you enlarge the hole, the vent window is ruined unless you want to put a small bolt and nut on it, which would look terrible, IMO.

End result:






As you are removing the vent window from the frame, pull up on the window part to separate the stud at the base of the window. It will pass through the 2 little washers in the picture below:

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Next we will remove the actual vent window weather strip that seals the back side of the glass when shut. It is held in place with several metal tabs that are just bent over to hold it in place. Image below:


This shows the metal tabs after they have been bent back up (straight) so the trim can be removed.


Removing the trim piece. It has a little weather strip adhesive on it from the factory, but it is not too sticky.




Removed completely:

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Now we will remove the main part of the seal that the glass sits against when closed. It runs the perimeter of the frame. Use a screw driver to pry the rubber up at the base of the frame:






Before we can completely remove the seal, we need to remove the rivet at the very top edge of the frame.


Again, use a small bit to make a pilot hole then use a larger bit to remove the head of the rivet so it can fall free:


With the rivet removed, the frame will open at the top and the seal can be completely removed:


Stripped frame:

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If your vent windows are anything like mine, the black trim piece and the small bracket on the outside of the vent window (the one that held the 1st rivet we removed) were no longer black, but rusty and ugly. I used a metal brush, lacquer thinner and a scouring pad to remove the rust and prep the metal for some SATIN black paint.

NOTE OF CAUTION, ONLY USE THE LACQUER THINNER TO CLEAN THE SURFACE AFTER YOU HAVE WIRE BRUSHED. IT IS POSSIBLE A SPARK FROM THE WIRE BRUSH COULD IGNITE THE LACQUER THINNER IF YOU USED IT BEFORE WIRE BRUSHING!!!.

Some people have used gloss black, and it will work, but the trim came from the factory as a satin black. Personal preference I guess.













Once cleaned and prepped, tape off the pieces you do not want paint on.



You can see I painted the outside trim and the smaller bracket.

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Once the paint has had plenty of time to cure, you are now ready to reassemble with the new pieces. You could remove the vent window, disassemble and paint the trim black before you clean your regulator and rollers. That way it will be drying while you are working on something else and saves some time.

First, get the jar of Vaseline you keep next to your bed cause we are going to need it to get the rubber in.................................................................

OK, back on track......

Coat the entire inside part of the bottom of the seal, between the two rubber flaps, with Vaseline. Don't be greedy with it either. I coated the rubber strip in 1/3 sections so I didn't have Vaseline all over the place.




We are going to start inserting the seal into the metal frame at the bottom part of the frame where the frame pieces make a 90 degree.


IMPORTANT INFO HERE

If you look at the inside of the rubber seal, the area you put Vaseline, you will see some depressions in the rubber in the same location the rivets are on the frame. You can use these as a guide while you are inserting the rubber to make sure you have it in the correct place in the frame. Kinda hard to mess this part up, just pay attention.

ALSO, you will notice a slit in the rubber at the point the stud at the base of the vent window goes through. Just another reference point. Lastly, you can test fit the rubber in the frame and will notice the cut out in the rubber that is made to go around the bracket that the first rivet was in. Just take a good look at it all and make a mental note of where the rubber should sit as you work your way around.

*****This is the hardest part and was impossible for me to take better pictures of the process since I was flyin solo that day.****You will notice in the next 2 pictures that I am holding the rubber seal at a slight angle to the frame. This is so you can push one side of the rubber into the metal frame while you are pushing the other side into place using a screw driver. Your goal is to put both rubber flaps around the frame as you work the rubber in.




You will have to work the rubber into position inside the frame in 3/4 to 1 inch increments using your screw driver tip. Push in on the rubber with the tip of the screw driver as you use your other hand to help press it in place. It will take a little bit of practice to get it done, but you will have it figured out by the time you complete the other side. Make sure you keep the rubber at an angle so one side is already "pre-inserted" and all you are really doing is "squeezing" the other side in place. You will begin to "feel" and hear the rubber slide into place in the metal track as you work your way around. Getting the bottom part of the rubber, up to and around the bend, is the hardest part. It takes a little extra time, but once it is complete, the 8-10 remaining inches are a breeze. TRY NOT TO GET FRUSTRATED WITH IT AND WALK AWAY FROM IT FOR A FEW MINUTES IF YOU NEED TO. The Vaseline will help you a lot here so use plenty of it. It won't hurt a thing.



Work your way around until you seat the very top part of the seal where the frame comes together. Take a break and drink a cold one. You got this covered and are on the down hill side of the project. You will be rolling in piece in quite before too long....