Texbuckeye

Hey guys,

My rear hatch is doing the separating from the frame thing. One of my options is to go to Oklahoma foreign and they will install a new one for $400. It costs $300 to ship. Is this a good deal? It is a 3 hour drive each way. I know a new OEM one is $6200 which of course is a really bad option.

I have a glass shop that said they could try to do the repair for $140 but if they break it I will be responsible for getting a new one. So if they break it I have to drive 3 hours to get a used one put on. They claim they have fixed 944 hatches before.
I think it may be worth the risk to save 6 hours driving and $260 to have them try.

What do you guys think?

86 951 Driver

There was someone on here from Texas who has his rear hatch resealed. You would have to search.

If you are going to safelite they will tell you over the phone they can do it. When you arrive, and drop the car off they will call to tell you they can't do it.

I had my hatch resealed up in KC by a Professional. He did an excellent job on it. I would recommend you install new hatch pin seats on the car. This should make the rear hatch rattle free. I know mine was until I reinstalled the top trim piece. My hatch frame is slightly bent so the top trim piece doesn't fit correctly. Just something to watch out for.

https://rennlist.com/forums/924-931-...-syndrome.html

Ky944TurboNewbie

$140 is a good deal to have it professionally sealed. I was quoted a minimum of $100 assuming I removed the glass from the frame. I found a local recycler that sold me a hatch for $100 that is strong. I had to remove the window tinting film myself at that price. I still plan on sealing my hatch and will sell one once I have it done.

As far as installing, it takes some time to get everything lined up just right, but it isn't difficult.

Good luck and let us know what you finally do and how it works for you.

Michael

Akerlie

has someone written some info on how to do this ?

Crackership

Yeah, there are a couple of threads on re-gluing the hatch. I think one was by John Koa Wood. IIRC, there were mixed results though.

Mine has recently started to separate and I've started looking around here for someone who could reseal it... I keep getting the same story though - they say they'll try it, but they won't guarantee their work and won't replace the glass if they break it. Seems like a load of BS to me, but maybe that's normal.. I don't know.

nofalls

I was planning on writing my own thread on this but I guess we can do it here.

Confessions:
I can separate the frame from the glass in under an hour and have all the old glue off the window in the next hour. The stuff on the frame takes about two hours to remove well. Why am I so fast? I've done it five times. For the bonding I have tired several different ideas. All of them have failed.

All urethane systems were 3M. Only primer was 08682. Urethanes tried were 08609 window-weld and 08690 fast cure auto glass urethane. Glass cleaners tried - windex, 3M 08888 glass cleaner, HET solvent based grease and wax remover and soap and water.

Here are some ways that have not worked. I tried an aluminum primer from Home Depot. Urethane pulled away from the frame taking the primer with it. I tried not painting the frame and only using the urethane primer on it. Bonding pulled away from the frame in spots. Automotive epoxy primer (SPI - about $100 for 2 mixed qts and their special waterborne grease and wax remover) this seems to have held the urethane to the frame. So I have made some progress on that side. The other side fails every stinking time. The bonding looks good and then about a week later it starts pulling away from the glass taking the primer with it. Adhesive failure to the glass every time.

I have resealed the hatch on the car - good for making sure the hatch pins line up correctly and that the frame is aligned to the car, and off the car - good for clamping the frame to the glass and being able to tape down the top edge where it wants to arc up. I can not say that one is better than the other due to never having succeeded. What I have learned is that no matter where you do it you must use set blocks at the bottom of the frame to keep the frame aligned correctly to the glass. On the car the window will slide down. Off the car the frame slides on the glass and you will have gaps and alignment problems with the hatch pins. That and the trim strip will not cover the row of dots in the glass.

I have always left the hatch to sit for at least a day. Last time (a week ago) it sat for two days before I reinstalled it to the car, no hatch struts attached, and it is already separating.

I have see where others show off their newly sealed hatches and make various proclamations of this is how to do it. However, I have never seen a follow up a year later stating that it is still together. - I take that back. I have seen PorscheDoc state that the KCWS hatches have lasted for years. They were sealed by a glass man though. Humm....

If I had a glass guy tell me he would reseal the hatch if I took it apart and gaurantee that it would not separate, debond or leak for at least a year or two I would jump at it.

Am I cursed? Is my hatch glass secretly coated with silicone that no solvent can remove? No clue. I'll keep trying though. I keep thinking that I must be missing something in the materials or process that is killing me. If I ever figure it out I'm going to do a write up.

nofalls

Oops. Sorry to the OP. If the glass shop will gaurantee the hatch will not separate due to thier materials or workmanship then I would say go for it.

Geldfalle 944

I am planning on tackling this when it gets warmer here. Please let me know what you end up doing.

Akerlie

thank you Mark and Dave for the info

Texbuckeye

Thank you guys for your input. The glass shop was full of it. When they looked at it they said "We thought you were talking about the front". After more checking around in DFW I have decided a road trip to Oklahoma Foreign is in order for MLK day.

86 951 Driver

There is a place in KC that will do. I could find a spare hatch have it resealed and possibly ship it? Just an idea.

nofalls

Texbuckeye - just be sure to look over the hatch they want to sell you. I got into this mess after my first hatch let go and then shattered when I tried to take it apart. The good used one I drove to Phoenix for only lasted a couple of months. The out take of all that was that I was better off figuring out how to fix it myself. Used hatches are often just as old as the one you just took off. You might get lucky though.

mytrplseven

Here's my thoughts on it just for consideration: removing the glass from the frame: wooden shims (like the ones used for installing doors and windows on houses) and a heat gun. Work slowly and slide a shim in as you go along. Eventually it will separate the glass without breaking it. Put the frame back on the car and straighten the top of the frame where it bows so it's straight again. Clean the frame and glass of it's adhesive. Go to a craft store and get some glass etching liquid, mask off the glass about
1 1/2 inch around and apply the etch. That will give you a chemically roughended glass to apply the adhesive to. Clean all the contaminants off the frame with prep sol or similar cleaner and then epoxy prime the frame. I plan to use 3M 5200 for a sealant as I have used it many times on attaching marine hardware to boats and it simply will not let go once applied. I believe this is a solid approach and haven't done this process yet, but it sure makes sense since the glass isn't a polished surface. I'll post my results after I'm finished.

dz302driver

Having great lift struts which pop the hatch open nicely seem to push the frame off the glass, separating at the top. I like to use crappy old struts which just barely hold the hatch up when raised manually. That said, the last two cars I bought had powerful struts and separated hatches. Damn, I used to let these hatches go with the stripped tub to the metal recycler and let them deal with them.. At swap meets vendors used to give them away at the end of the day, because they did not want to take them home!

Texbuckeye

My mechanic said the same thing. He is a 928 specialist and he is going to do his expert thing and see if he can do anything. My hatch shocks are so weak they don't hold it up. The PO gave me the painted stick he uses.
Oklahoma Foreign said they have 4-5 hatches and I could pick the best one. If I do that I will look it over very carefully.

Is there a way to strengthen the bond between the glass and frame? Assuming I find one that is not separating from the frame? Mine is out of the frame about 6 inches long and leaking.