Well - your questions have been talked about ad nauseum over on the thread I originally created when the glass broke. Here's the consensus:
1. The tempered glass DOES get a little more brittle with age. Doing this in 98 probably would have led to better results.
2. Porsched did NOT design the glass/frame to be removable! The glass guys said that the sealant that was used on the hatch is not the normal stuff that can be cut and sawed more easily.
3. There are a few hardy souls out there that have been able to remove the glass from the frames - but it takes a LOT of time.
4. The glass guys were not about to come out and spend two days removing the glass. They were putting some *up* pressure on the sides of the glass as they sawed with the piano wire and knife.

If that doesn't answer your questions, ask some more...

btw, the new hatch is supposed to be in town today, installed tomorrow! Cost to USAA, $7,000.00!

 

$7,000?!!! Gulp!! Good Heavens!!

I purchased a cheap 951 hatch/glass as a spare and will attempt to trade glass if mine ever breaks. It if doesn't, great. If it does, I'll have a chance to try removing the glass. Won't be fun I assure you. Actually....$7,000 may not seem so bad if the project goes bad.

Harvey

 

Same here, spare hatch sitting here waiting for a reseal. It's these exploding hatch posts that make skiddish.

 

One last time before I reach for the dremel and modify a screwdriver, does anyone know the name or part number for the tool used on the round nuts that secure the hatch side trim pieces?

 

Just grind a slot in a wide blade screwdriver - that's what I did.

NOTE: after removing all those little round 'nuts', do not pry on the plastic trim piece! PUSH the studs from the inside out - or you will break a few of them loose from the trim. I found this out the hard way, broke a couple till I figured it out...

 

I used a crap screwdriver to remove my trip. Ground out the tip like explained above. Lost a couple of the nuts though. Just be real careful. Doesn't take much to break the glass...but my reseal job has lasted over a year now. I just worked sealant into the crack between the glass and frame (not easy BTW). I used a syringe and heated the top quality sealant up so it would flow in as I delicately pried the glass away from the frame....I don't recommend this but what choice did I have? I don't think I could have removed the whole glass w/o breaking it or bending the delicate frame.

Harvey