Never ending leaks..

[Amccutc21]

Been cleaning out and tracking down leaks (which are very apparent with the amount of rain recently on the east coast) on my 92.  I noticed the PO had placed silicone around the top of the rear glass, which gave me a pretty good indication it leaked.  I was taking care of some other things on the truck when I noticed that the rear window actually separates from the body as I shut the door, and can actually be pushed out at the top by hand. I can't imagine this is a common issue, but I could be wrong.  Without taking it out, I'm struggling to grasp the idea of how these windows are supposed to seal.  Is it the rubber trim that surrounds the window that seals? If so, and if i need to find another gasket, are they interchangeable from a solid window to a slider?  The rubber gasket on the outside of the truck looks to be in good condition, but the inside looks rough.  I have a glass guy coming to look at it tomorrow, but if this is something that can be tackled by myself, id rather put the $100 elsewhere in the truck. If pictures need to be taken in order for proper advice, let me know. 

[gogmorgo]

Windows are something not particularly difficult to do, but you've got to know what you're doing, and you need the correct tools to avoid damaging the glass, which, incidentally, in this case should be considered irreplaceable.

The rear cab window is glued in with a urethane-based windshield adhesive. If you're careful, you can remove and salvage the rubber gasket, but it's just a trim piece, really. 

What should be done is to cut the window out, get as much of the old adhesive off as possible, then glue it back in. The window guy may suggest just applying adhesive to the spots that leak, and while using the correct adhesive will yield better results than the silicon that's been used, it's still pretty well the same result. And if the adhesive has started failing badly enough the window is falling out, it's just going to fail further along the line and just start leaking elsewhere. I definitely wouldn't pay someone to just gob adhesive into it like that... You can pick up a tube of windshield adhesive yourself for significantly less than $100 and apply it with a sturdy caulk gun, if that's the way you want to go. 

[8valvehero]

It’s such an important and tricky job that I recommend you take it somewhere to be done professionally.

That said, I have done this twice. Follow the procedure posted below and do a ton of research on how to install a windshield because the process is similar.

Removing old adhesive from the donor glass is a pain, but take your time and BE CAREFUL as MJ rear glass is impossible to replace.

A local body shop supply store had the adhesive, and I made the cable saw for cutting out the window.

 

Thanks to 64Cheyenne for the great write up!

 

Good Luck!