replacing windshield gasket - 55 crown victoria
 

Hi All, so my windshield leaks at a couple spots - water wraps under the glass in the gasket and up into the interior eventually spilling into the dash and on the to carpet. Here in Portland it rains often and i'm tired of getting caught in a quick rain shower and panicking. Washing it is also quite the production!

I am mentally preparing myself to replace the gasket but this makes me nervous with all the chrome trim, using the right glue/adhesive in the gasket groove, etc. Any words of advice? What works, what doesn't? Whats the best adhesive to use? Whats the best way to clean the old adhesive off the glass?

Also, is there a way to confirm that the rear window is water tight too? (easily?) All the gutters pass and drain water through that area and it makes me nervous that water might be pooling in places that I cant see.

Re: replacing windshield gasket - 55 crown victoria
 

My windshield started leaking and I found the body rusted through under the chrome trim. I currently have it apart and will be welding in new steel to fix it. You might have an issue bigger than a leak at the rubber seal.

Re: replacing windshield gasket - 55 crown victoria
 

good luck doing it yourself.the first one i put in a 56 it took 2 of us.not an easy job.

Re: replacing windshield gasket - 55 crown victoria
 

I do have a buddy to help me, and I sure hope there isn’t rust build up!

Re: replacing windshield gasket - 55 crown victoria
 

The '55 & '56 Crown Vic and the '56 2-dr hardtop Models (Customline and Victoria) have a different rain gutter design at the front than the sedan models have. The sedans have a rain gutter that goes all across the front continuously. But the Crown Vic rain gutter stops just underneath that large stainless steel trim piece. After removal of the trim you will see small sections of rain gutter at the roof seam above the windshield with spaces in between. Apparently, the top stainless trim piece is supposed to stop water from getting in and running down inside there. But if not, you can get water running into the holes where the trim clips are for that top stainless trim piece. They may have originally had a permagum backing on those trim clips to prevent water seepage, but by now that needs to be replaced with new "Duxseal" or a thin rubber washer.
Both my '55 cars can leak water in through the top of the windshield rubber seal and water runs down inside the windshield from the top down to behind the dashboard in a heavy rain on the highway. However I did not use any type of seal caulk in the windshield channel prior to installing the windshield. There is a much better chance of having a leak at the bottom of the channel near each side where there are two small cutouts in the channel.
For the gasket-to-channel seal, I suggest using a roll of string-seal made by 3M. Smash it into the metal channel prior to installing windshield. When the windshield is pushed in all the way, the windshield gasket will smash the string seal between the gasket and channel. And the string seal will not interfere with pulling the draw-chord around the windshield opening on the inside, whereas a caulk would be wiped-out by the rubber lip on the backside of the gasket being pulled into place by the draw-chord.
You can also get leaks between the windshield glass itself and the rubber gasket if there is no sealant injected into the seal. First, the windshield/gasket assembly must be installed in its place in the channel. 3M makes an excellent caulk for sealing the windshield and back window glass. This should be done before the top and two side windshield trim pieces are installed on a Crown Vic.
The roll of string-seal can be purchased at most hardware stores. It is made for sealing storm-windows on a house. The windshield glass caulk is available at all chain auto-parts stores. The caulk is expensive, nearly $20.00 per tube.
If you wanna try to use "Duxseal" for the upper windshield trim clips, you might find it at a hardware store. It is mainly used by the refrigeration and plumbing industries for sealing pipe penetrations through home exteriors.
See Page 309, fig 34 for illustration in the 1956 Ford Car shop Manual.

Re: replacing windshield gasket - 55 crown victoria
 

Thanks Dave! That's a lot of info. I'm going to have to do a little more research and watch some youtube videos I think. Lots to consider and I don't want to get stuck and panic during the actual operation! I'll have to find the Duxseal too. Many thanks!