DIY Hatch Glass

Hondarinos,

I was spending a pleasant afternoon at my folks' house installing my new
suspension kit and everything was going great, finished up the front and was
raising the rear when I hear a BOOM and glass cascading down!!! My car was
a bumper length sticking out of the garage and the hatch was up, the rear
wiper levered against the top of the garage and the rest was history. So
after the shock and the 36 syllable hybrid curse that left my mouth I had a
beer and finished up.

I want to order the glass and miscellanea and install it myself. I've
looked at the FSM and it looks pretty doable. Any gotchas with this? Is
the adhesive difficult to work with and easily obtainable? Are the suction
cups readily available and affordable? My insurance deductible is 500 and I
don't think I have a glass clause. After some of the stuff I've read and a
news report about shoddy workmanship, I'd rather try it myself. I love my
car and would rather keep it away from unloving hands unless I absolutely
need to. Thanks.

Marco

 

I haven't done anything like that, and you may already know this warning...
the glass is tempered and needs to be protected from sudden temperature
changes or it will go BOOM before you even get it installed. You don't have
to baby it, but if it is very hot from being in the sun or in the closed car
and you bring it into a cool house or spray it with glass cleaner it might
take offense.

Mike

 

I haven't done anything like that, and you may already know this warning...
the glass is tempered and needs to be protected from sudden temperature
changes or it will go BOOM before you even get it installed. You don't have
to baby it, but if it is very hot from being in the sun or in the closed car
and you bring it into a cool house or spray it with glass cleaner it might
take offense.

Mike

 

You can find an assortment of suction cups at http://tinyurl.com/bysuz.
However, keep in mind that you might be able to find a better price through
different sources such as http://www.etoolcart.com/.

Eric

 

You can find an assortment of suction cups at http://tinyurl.com/bysuz.
However, keep in mind that you might be able to find a better price through
different sources such as http://www.etoolcart.com/.

Eric

 

Are you confidant about installing it without leaks? I'd get at least a
couple of quotes from auto glass places before trying this one.

YMMV, of course.

 

Are you confidant about installing it without leaks? I'd get at least a
couple of quotes from auto glass places before trying this one.

YMMV, of course.

 

I would go to a glass company and pay them to replace the glass. That way it
is covered by a warranty (if it leaks or breaks). It's far easier to do it
that way than to risk breaking the glass before you complete the DIY
installation, and there are no tools to purchase. Not to mention no cleanup.

Brian

 

I would go to a glass company and pay them to replace the glass. That way it
is covered by a warranty (if it leaks or breaks). It's far easier to do it
that way than to risk breaking the glass before you complete the DIY
installation, and there are no tools to purchase. Not to mention no cleanup.

Brian

 

if this were an older car, the type with the fat rubber gasket holding
the glass in, it would be relatively easy to do it yourself. but in
this case, it's quite a tricky process. unless you have access to the
tools & adhesives necessary for this job, and the window sealant sold at
auto supply stores isn't up to it, then i suggest having the glass shop
do it. there's not much i won't do on a car myself, but certain jobs
are best left to those set up to do them properly. paint, alignment,
tires & [honda] glass are on that list.

 

if this were an older car, the type with the fat rubber gasket holding
the glass in, it would be relatively easy to do it yourself. but in
this case, it's quite a tricky process. unless you have access to the
tools & adhesives necessary for this job, and the window sealant sold at
auto supply stores isn't up to it, then i suggest having the glass shop
do it. there's not much i won't do on a car myself, but certain jobs
are best left to those set up to do them properly. paint, alignment,
tires & [honda] glass are on that list.

 

Harbor Freight sells them for $5 USD,IIRC.

 

Harbor Freight sells them for $5 USD,IIRC.

 

Mike,
You're describing how UNtempered glass would behave with sudden
changes in temperature. The tempering process makes the glass more
tolerant of sudden temperature changes, not less tolerant. Hence,
glassware used in labs is tempered. Tempering also makes the glass
break into small chunks, that don't have sharp edges, when it fails
under mechanical stress, and that's the main reason it's used in auto
windows -- so it doesn't turn into a bunch of razor-sharp blades in
accidents. Some local building codes require that first-floor
residential windows be made from tempered glass for the same reason.



Ron

 

shower doors as well.

 

Now that I've slept on it, I've placed a claim with insurance and will
handle it that way. My comprehensive deductable is 250, not as bad as the
500 collision deductable. Thanks for the advise. What a bonehead move it
was that day. How utterly frustrating and embarassing more than anything!

 

Now that I've slept on it, I've placed a claim with insurance and will
handle it that way. My comprehensive deductable is 250, not as bad as the
500 collision deductable. Thanks for the advise. What a bonehead move it
was that day. How utterly frustrating and embarassing more than anything!

 

MAT said

I wouldn't place a claim with insurance - it could come back to haunt
you. How much over the $250 is the replacement going to cost?

Two of the most common words found in insurance non-renewal notices -
"claims frequency".

You're better off paying minor things out of your pocket and only
filing claims for the big things.



Casey

 

MAT said

I wouldn't place a claim with insurance - it could come back to haunt
you. How much over the $250 is the replacement going to cost?

Two of the most common words found in insurance non-renewal notices -
"claims frequency".

You're better off paying minor things out of your pocket and only
filing claims for the big things.



Casey

 

Like my uncle once said, "Anybody who's never been caught never has
done anything."