Problems with windshield hitting gastank
 

Does anyone have suggestions on getting my windshield frame to not hit my gas tank when trying to close it?
I recently had all new wood put in including the header, and now we have been painting the car after we fit the pieces together.
Is it common to have to shave more wood off of it to get it to fit?
I wasnÂ’t sure because itÂ’s off by at least a quarter inch now.
I have not started to screw in the panel under the visor which tells me it would/may be even worse after doing this.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
It is a 1930 Model A Murray by the way.

Re: Problems with windshield hitting gastank
 

Unfortunately …(-and you ain't gonna like hearin' this :eek:) is the two options you have is either redo the header, --or cut the windshield frame down.


The reproduction headers are not correctly shaped from my experiences. Some of it you will need to shave down but other areas will need to have wood added. Hopefully you have not totally finished painting the car.

Re: Problems with windshield hitting gastank
 

Steve,
I agree with Brent totally. A shame that the folks who put in your wood and you didn’t fit the gas tank and windshield to make sure all fit. In the end it takes little time to do that and fix it at that point. It’s all part of the process.
Make sure your windshield frame is tight and that the header screws are tight. Don’t forget you have to have the windshield hinge gasket as well and it is of proper dimension and fit/installed properly.
Good luck.
Larry

Re: Problems with windshield hitting gastank
 

Aren't there different windshield with different heights? You may just have the wrong w/shield.

Re: Problems with windshield hitting gastank
 

My gas cap hits the windshield in one position. If I take it off and turn it 180 degrees it misses it.

Re: Problems with windshield hitting gastank
 

If it fit before the new header... then yes, sounds like you have to trim the wood. In my case, I was assembling a new header with a windshield that I assumed was for a 1930 Model A. Same issue, windshield would hit the gas cap. After a lot of pain - I determined my windshield frame had a 1929 hinge on it, instead of a 30-31. It drops the windshield down... Look at the pictures in Snyders catalog to see the difference in the upper hinge.
Good luck

Re: Problems with windshield hitting gastank
 

Friends i have the same identical problem with the windshield on my unrestored 30 Briggs Town Sedan. I pulled the windshield and placed a new gasket between the header and the hinge. It closed fine before placing the new gasket. Upon disassembly there was no gasket so I placed one.... ***Mistake,*** I believe there was never a gasket there. I am going to try using a fender welting when I take the rubber gasket out and see what happens,, Time will tell. I may opt to leave the gasket out if the fender welt does not solve the problem. No end to these LITTLE issues we can encounter with these old girls..

Re: Problems with windshield hitting gastank
 

I bought a really pretty '30 coupe a couple of months ago that has this problem. It's been too cold for me to really work on it, but you guys have been great in explaining the problem and suggesting solutions. You've probably saved me a lot of grief!! Thanks!!

Re: Problems with windshield hitting gastank
 

There is a difference in height of one inch between a slant-windshield frame and a straight windshield frame. At their vertical edges, a slant-windshield frame measures 14.2" in height, and a straight-windshield frame measures 15.2". Do you have the correct windshield frame?


By the way, I measured my 190A & my 45B Model A's to determine the differences in in height of the windshield frames.


If the windshield hits the gas cap, but otherwise closes, I suggest that you live with the problem, and here's why. When the windshield is open beyond the gas cap, gasoline fumes enter the car because the cap vented.


If you have a straight-windshield vehicle, consider using the shorter slant-windshield frame.

Re: Problems with windshield hitting gastank
 

My windshield also hits the top of the gas tank and won't close all the way.

Re: Problems with windshield hitting gastank
 

I have a Tudor and a Pickup, I swapped caps, not hitting any more. Some caps must be different heights

Re: Problems with windshield hitting gastank
 

As far as I can tell from researching the gasket between the hinge and the header, The only gasket installed at the factory was friction tape. It appears that the new rubber gaskets where a add on somewhere along the line. Probably to stop water leaks. The judging standard read no gasket. Just maybe on 28-29 as that's what I'm working on. I had the same problem of the windshield frame hitting the gas cap on a 30 Coupe. Removed the gasket no more problem. Can anyone add more to clearify? JP

Re: Problems with windshield hitting gastank
 

Add into that, the Murray bodies, the windshield come real close to the cap anyway. The wood header sits on a metal stringer that goes between the two post, the screws that hold the windshield go thru the header cover thru the stringer into the wood header. the combination of the header cover maybe not being flush with that stringer on the bottom and too thick of gasket along with the gas cap could all add up.

Re: Problems with windshield hitting gastank
 

I had the same problem with my 31 Sport Coupe... found that after replacing the hinge seal the window frame would hit the tank.
MY mistake was ordering the window seal rather than the hinge, it fit and looked correct, but was too thick. Replaced the deal with the CORRECT one and it works perfectly.
Lesson learned.

Re: Problems with windshield hitting gastank
 

I don't see anything after this from June 1929 in the Service Bulletins. Notice on the top surface of the hinge is 3/4" friction tape with dum dum on top of the friction tape. Dum dum is commonly a flexible black tar like. Ask at a parts store or A/C parts supplier. This is a similar product you can buy from Amazon. The product on the Amazon page is 5/16" round but will compress flat. I would place it in front of the screw holes if you were going to use this. If you still don't have room for the windshield, most likely the header will need to be trimmed.

https://www.amazon.com/Glass-Adhesiv...um+dum+sealant

Re: Problems with windshield hitting gastank
 

In reading down thru the comments, where am I missing some things? By the O/Ps wording, it appears the windshield used to fit and the only thing that changed is he had someone install a new header. Granted the windshield could have erroneously been swapped, but the key words that I picked up on is where he said that it is off by at least a quarter of an inch now. No mention of a gasket is stated, and even the incorrect gaskets are not over ¼" thick, are they?

Also, I believe he stated that the header cover has not been installed yet which he felt likely may be the key indicator for him however he was simply asking if anyone knew whether the reproduction wood header needed to be shaved, --which I think is why some of us who had been down this road shared with him that the reproduction headers are incorrectly shaped. Hopefully the O/P will respond back as to his findings.

Re: Problems with windshield hitting gastank
 

As I should have stated, their is a metal stringer between the wood header and the metal panel that the windshield is attached right under. So you have wood header, metal stringer, metal panel and windshield. Everything is original except the wood header.
The dimensions should be the same as far as the metal is concerned. That is one reason I don’t understand why the windshield frame is hitting the tank.

Re: Problems with windshield hitting gastank
 

if the windshield fits into body when closed and latched , why would there be a issue with header ? I ran into the exact problem. when I screw on my Vintique reproduction gas cap windshield Frame hits gas cap . resolved by throwing gas cap in garbage.

Re: Problems with windshield hitting gastank
 

It’s hitting the “neck” for the gas cap even.
It does fit once in place though it looks like perhaps it is sagging some, hard to tell. No problems before I started restoration.

Re: Problems with windshield hitting gastank
 

Was the gas tank removed during the restoration work. Is it possible the tank is not fully seated.m