Yes I know there's plenty out there on this subject and it looks like I will have to face up to doing it sooner than later. It's been rattling pretty bad back there for a while but I took a closer look and see that it isn't just unglued, but there is a small gap (up to 1/16th inch) between the edge of the glass and the aluminum frame (see photo). I gather this means the frame has actually bent so now I have more than just a re-seal to deal with....

 

I think eventually it just separates so much that it distances itself, just from opening and closing it it tweaks it. You can probably push down on the glass and the separation would close.. the glue is strong enough that when you reglued it it would probably pull it in fine. My old one you could probably drop a plastic knife into the back through the gap across the entire back of thew indow. It was probably acting as an air brake for hells sake.

 

Mine is pretty bad... I have a spare hatch that I'm going to install while I determine WTF to do with the original. It's a track car, so I'm thinking lexan would be easier than dealing with the glass. But....

 

I've always wondered, does the frame hold the glass in, or could it come flying off while going down the road? If the seal does more than just keep the rain out, I might be in trouble!

 

Battling the same hatch frame separation and associated squeaking, I finally went to my glass installer to get a quote on re-sealing it and the conversation went something like this:

“Can you re-seal this hatch and how much do you think it would cost?” after looking at it for awhile “Well, that’s a lot of work.” ... “I know, but how much do you think it will be?” after some hesitation: “$100” ... “Well, that’s not too bad”.

He has previously done a reasonably good job at installing a couple of windshields for me so I am happy with that quote, especially after having read a couple threads here on the subject.
.

 

Hey you need to update this thread when you get your reseal back, because i was told by a mechanic round here that resealing would not really be all that possible...my hatch squeaks somethin terrible...

let us know how it is

 

I need to check the seals on mine -- Went through a touchless wash the other night and got a bit of a shower on the back right "seat"

 

I am going to check with a couple of local auto glass installers but I have a feeling I'll be doing this myself....

 

I'm sure most people know this, but in case anyone doesn't, there isn't actually a "seal" to deal with. The glass is just glued to the frame with a very thick black urethane adhesive. I'm in the middle of regluing mine right now. I've got the glass off and cleaned up and most of the adhesive off the frame. I've got the glue and primer ready to go. Now I just need an afternoon and an assistant.

I thought I'd take the extra effort and "do it right," but after what I've had to do so far, here's my advice: Don't. My understanding is that, nine times out of ten, the ONLY part of the glass that separates (and certainly this was the case with my car) is the front edge. The bond on every other edge was so strong that I began to think I wasn't going to be able to separate the glass completely, ever.

Seriously, given the work involved and the very real hazard of breaking the glass trying to get it out and cleaned up, I would recommend just re-bonding the portion that has separated. Try to open up the gap as much as possible (you'll probably want to pull the hatch off the car to do this), use the proper materials and prime the glass, like 3M says, then inject the urethane adhesive in there. Let the frame go back to where it naturally sits. Let it cure for 24 hours. The adhesive is designed to fill in gaps, so unless your frame is seriously out of whack, that shouldn't be a problem. I suppose you might be concerned about the frame to body seal, but there's a lot of wiggle room with the seal there. Also, the instructions on the adhesive recommend leaving some of the old urethane adhesive on the contact surfaces, for some reason, so bonding to old adhesive and or glass primer (as long as it's CLEAN, that is) should be okay. Of course, it doesn't hurt to try to scrape things down to clean up the surfaces, etc.

I'm sure someone will flame me for this and say "any job worth doing is worth doing right," etc., but if the frame and glass ever separate on my car again, this is what I'm doing.

 

krahmlow:

I know it's been discussed on other threads, but what 3M products are you using to reseal with?

Thanks.

 

Thanks Krahmlow. I'll have to give it some serious thought...

 

This is interesting. There are directions for using the glue (written by 3M) that specify products that they apparently no longer make. So I'm doing a bit of inference, here. But it looks like this is what we need to use (and what I'm using): 3M Window-Weld Super Fast Urethane (part# 08609), 3M Single Step Primer (part# 08681). There also used to be a special glass filler/primer that you needed to apply before the single-step primer, but I don't even see that on the website anymore. Maybe that's the point of calling this stuff "single step primer" ... Anyway, the primer goes on the glass and exposed metal; the urethane is the bonding material. Oh, the Window-Weld comes in a smallish tube. I'm wondering if I'm going to need a smaller glue gun to use it. They sell one (why waste the opportunity to make a buck, right?).

I got the stuff by mail order from a place called Gofer Auto. They're on the web. Do a search for the primer part# and they'll come up. A lot of people have the adhesive. I had some trouble finding the primer, though.

Make sure everything is clean (a lot of dirt gets in there from the rain). Any parts that look like they are starting to separate should probably be separated fully by hand before gluing.

If anyone wants to be ambitious and do the whole job, there's a long post on here about it, but I differ strongly with some of their recommendations, and some of the product part numbers have been superceded. They suggest that you use SS picture hanging wire to "saw" through the adhesive. I found that it will break on about the third pull (it takes about four to get the wire into position). The ONLY luck I had, and I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS(!), was to use a very thin, very flexible 2" putty knife that I sharpened to a razor edge with my bench grinder (you'll need to do this periodically; it gets dull quickly; in fact, I ran an extension cord into the yard and brought the grinder outside where I was working) and a large, heavy rubber mallet. I had to whack it pretty good and do a lot of jiggling, attacking the bond from multiple angles, etc. And it also helped to lubricate the "blade" with a solution of dish soap and warm water. My point in all this, though, is that a hammer is not the optimal tool to be using on glass ... or so I hear. And that is the ONLY way I could make ANY progress on the bond. Even though the entire leading edge of my hatch glass had separated.

By the way, I'd also strongly recommend a good, thick pair of gloves. Though my finger is healing nicely, thanks for asking....

So take your pick. I've heard people say they cheated, using the proper materials (which aren't cheap, by the way, but if you try using hardware store silicone, you'll be leaking again in a week and you will have covered the surfaces with crap that will then need to be removed before applying the correct stuff). Anyway, I've heard of people who cheated, and their glass was holding up after a few years. I don't see why it isn't worth a try. If the bond fails, you're out $30 or so and an afternoon of work. If it lasts a few years, then I'd call that a fair trade. There's no guarantee that "doing it right" will give you a hatch that will last any longer. Besides, "doing it right," technically speaking, is buying a new hatch from Porsche for $2,400 and change. Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

 

Hey, Mike C. If I'm understanding your picture correctly, you're not pointing to the frame. You're indicating a trim strip that goes over the top of the glass. That's the top of the car, right? The frame sits UNDER the glass, all the way around. There's a slight lip on the edge of the frame that goes up about 1/4" and wraps around the side of the glass (sort of, it's not really a tight fit; the gaps are filled with adhesive). But it doesn't wrap over the top. You don't want to be putting glue under the trim strip. That will get you nowhere. In fact, that strip can be pried off the frame with a screwdriver when you have the frame off the car--and you kind of need to do that if you're deliminating the whole thing.

Not sure if I'm being clear. It's hard to describe and my digital camera is dead or I'd post some pics.

 

You are correct Krahmlow, the photo is looking at the hatch from the outside and so the gap I'm talking about is between the trim strip and the edge of the glass. However, the glass in this area is definitely disbonded from the frame underneath. I can push the glass down in this area with little resistance. I'll take the hatch off, pry off the trim and give everything a close look. I figure I should be able to use a feeler gage to get an idea of how far around the disbond goes and then decide what to do from there.

 

If you have just the outside trim pulling away from the glass, is there much to worry about? I don't have rattles but I fear that somehow the hatch is going to start leaking. Is this a justified concern? I'd prefer my new carpet to stay dry...