Help removing rear window from a car

[atomicradish]

I need help removing a window from the back of a car without damaging it or any of the defroster grid so that I can transplant it into another car exactly like it. I've heard of using piano wire. Does anyone have any suggestions or tips as to how to do this without destroying the window?

[TomO]

I've seen "piano wire" at the local Checker store. I used it when I removed windshields (front and back) working at a Junkyard.

Basic rundown:

1) Get a friend, you definitely need two people when using the wire
2) Get a sharp stiff knife, like a good steak knife
3) Remove any trim that you can and disconnect the defroster connections
4) Use the steak knife and drive it through one of the upper corners of the seal into the cabin of the vehicle
5) Wiggle the knife back and forth to create a space to run the wire through the seal while the knife is still in there
6) Once the wire is through, have one person inside and one person outside, then pull back and forth in a saw-like motion and cut out the seal from the rear windshield. DO NOT PULL THE WIRE NEAR THE GLASS IT WILL CRACK!
7) Saw all the way around and then VERY CAREFULLY have the person inside place their whole forearm on the top of the inside of the glass and VERY GENTLY push so the glass pops out. MAKE SURE THE SEAL IS COMPLETELY BROKEN/FREE BEFORE PUSHING


You're kind of on your own for installation of the window as I never had to install them, just remove them, lol

[Snax]

I've removed quarter windows this way, once successfully, once in millions of pieces. Just proceed carefully and the latter shouldn't happen. Mine only broke because I got impatient and tried to force it out before it was ready.

[atomicradish]

Well, it looks like we're going to have to call a company like Safelite to come and fix the window. Can't even take the original one out without problems.

It was impossible to cut through the adhesive or whatever it was. It looked almost like rubber cement it was so thick. The piano wire did nothing except slice our hands in two... are they all this impossible to cut through?

[TomO]

Sorry :( I forgot to mention that having the car sit in the hot direct sun for the whole day helps to soften the seal. It also helps to use a pair of vice grips to hold the wire so you don't slice your hand up. It takes much time and patients. I was a pro at removing windshields and, with another pro, would take almost 40 minutes to remove a windshield with piano wire from start to finish.

[atomicradish]

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind next time we give it a try.

A problem we were having in removing it is... around the top of the window, the seal is right up against the roof... if that makes any sense. basically there isn't much room to work the wire through. I'm not sure how to get that section out exactly.