I find I have to remove the windscreen of my S1 to do some very minor repairs in the top corner of the pillar, (actually its very minor ATM). I have reason to belive this car has its original windscreen and have been led to belive there is an easy way to get it out using a battery, (Will this also let me put it back in?)

Stewart

They were fitted with an electrical heating wire around the glass,this was used to heat the adesive and "quick cure" it.

I don't know if it will be of an use in removal,(I've not heard of anyone doing it)It will not be replaced upon refitting as there was a suggestion of noxtious fumes and the idea was abandoned.

Easy it is not..... Possible though.... But, if it is the original screen
(it should say 'Triplex 1020'), then the idea was that it was removable
by heating an element contained within the adhesive. BUT, the
adhesive is now 30+ years old, and unlikely to be a condition for
this to work.

There should be two wires under the upper-left finisher. A current is
passed through the element around the screen, after 15 minutes the
screen should just pop-out. This is described in the Workship Manual.

I've heard it's next to impossible to achieve in practice. Other ideas are
to carefully cut into the adhesive, or to pass a current around the trim
and use that as a heater.

New screens are fairly cheap and plentiful at the moment, though they
are the top-tint type which is wrong for your 3500, strictly speaking.

Ive not heard of anyone reversing the process. especially after 20 to 30 years being stuck firmly in place sufficient to add to the rigidity of the shell.

Go to the yellow pages, find a small local windscreen fitter, talk to him to get the griff and take the best advice available from such an expert, they dont get to run their own successful small business as amatuers, and the big nationals will sting you.

Chances are you will find on who is also an Classic enthusiast. - I was very lucky in the Bedford area - "Bedford Windscreens" 01234 212777

You may also find by sheer coincidence that your screen is already damaged and you may be able to arrange for the screen to be removed and replaced under insurance with a small time gap between the two to effect your metalwork repair.

The exercise it to get it out in one peice, as it is the original and the correct ones are NLA (seems only top tinted S2 screens are available). Not bothered about getting it back in, as this will be farmed out to a windscreen guy once the repaires are done and so should be properly glued in with whatever they use.

So what is the voltage applied to the heating element, can't harm anything to try it and see what happens, will save me one call out! the wires are hidden behind the chrome trim on the outside?

Stewart

If it were me, avoid removing it at all if possible, you cant get 10/20 screens anymore, and the chance of getting it out on one go is not great!

Its a doomed cause... the windshield will blow into pieces very easily no matter how much you try!

You'd be a LEGEND if you could get the screen out in one piece.

The Rover manual doesn't quote the voltage used for the special
bit of kit used to get the screen out. There should be two wires
under the upper-left finisher. The manual quotes 15 minutes to
get the adhesive gooey....

I've heard that a car battery and the windscreen trim is worth a try
too - i.e. use the trim as a heater!

If you try this, DO IT IN A VENTILATED AREA as the adhesive might
give off noxious gases.

As others have said though, if this is the original TEN TWENTY or at
least non top-tinted screen, then remove it only if you really have to.

Not sure about the trim option.. as that woudl be a straight short accross the battery will result in a rapid production of heat, burning of the trim, excess hydrogen production in the battery and possible explosion!

Unfortunatly there is a small rust hole right in the top corner of the windsreen pillar on the drivers side whcih extends under the trim and in most likley under the screen, and to fix this it has to come out. If it has to come out hen so be it. in terms of choice its a no brainer between botching it and keeping the screen or doing it properly and possibly loosing the original screen.

I will try and get a pic, see what ppl think. Would be nice to know what the correct voltage is, as if its less than 12v then there is a good chance of burning out the element before it has heated the seal up sufficiently, certainly the 15 mins quoted seeems to indicate either it has a very high resitance or it needs less than 12v

I wonder if the original kit for this still exists anywhere? in the mean time I will start work elsewhere, but see what I can find out about this system before proceeding

Stewart

Have a found a legend? ebay item 300167629243 ... have asked how he got it out!

Stewart