Windshield dam question

[Wayne B.]

I've seen in previoud posts that the GM windshield dams are no longer available and that dams from Toyotas are being substituted. Is there a particular Toyota model dam that is being used or are they generic?

[Chuck S.]

Re: Windshield dam question

I've seen in previoud posts that the GM windshield dams are no longer available and that dams from Toyotas are being substituted. Is there a particular Toyota model dam that is being used or are they generic?

Wayne, I remember that thread and was also interested in the year/model Toyota dam that was used. It was Alan Struck that used the Toyota dam...I guess we'll have to wait for Alan to respond.

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...oyota&uid=9172

[Wayne B.]

Re: Windshield dam question

I dropped by a glass shop today and asked about windshield dams and spacers. The auto technician wasn't in but the technician tried to help me out some. He said they didn't stock the windshield dams and ordered as necessary. I asked if he knew anything about the spacers used and he took me back in a room where they had containers of all kinds of spacers they use in every kind of glasswork. he said they didn't have anything 3/8" (11/32") but he had these black hard rubber strips that were about four inches long and one inch wide. They had those in 1/4" thickness (thickest they had) and 1/8" so he gave me a couple of each. I'll cut them down smaller and glue them together to make my spacers...now just need to figure out which Toyota that windshield dam came off of.

[Alan S.]

Re: Windshield dam question

Hi Wayne,
The damming strip I used was from my local auto glass shop, not a chain. They had a box of damming strips they let me look through, and the one I chose just happened to be for a Toyota. It's dark grey, 3/16" high and 1/4" wide (rectangular but almost a square). The adhesive is on one of the 1/4" surfaces.
I followed the directions in the 71 CHASSIS SERVICE MANUAL for applying the damming strip. At that point I dry fit the glass and put the a-pillar ss trim on to see what the gap between the surface of the glass and the lip on the ss trim was. It turned out to be VERY good using that 3/16" space from the damming strip so I decided to use no spacers. The damming strip is quite dense and held the glass in position with out compressing. I then took the glass out and broke the rules.... I used #08610, 3M WINDO-WELD, Ribbon Sealer, round bead, 1/4", around the outer perimeter of the glass. I put the glass in and then used a heavy bead of butyl caulk at the edge of the glass that is adjacent to the windshield frame.
When you look through the vertical edges of the windshield at the a-pillars, from the exterior, you can just see the damming strip. This is what I wanted, because if no damming strip is used you see the edge of what ever sealing material was used to install the windshield and that would not have been typical of production.
My only disappointment is that the factory damming strip had a very thin fabric component to it for the adhesive. You can see that on original cars, it's now turned quite yellow from age. I'm now thinking of a way to duplicate that fabric strip for the car I'll restore in my next life.
If I can offer anymore insight please just ask.
Regards,
Alan
I'll retrieve the drawing I did of the original dammng strip and caulk from an earlier post. The strip I used is in the same location as is the caulk, but the new damming strip has a different profile than the old.

[Wayne B.]

Re: Windshield dam question

Thanks Alan, I'll check the windshield dimensions against other car windshields (that offer dams) and see what I can come up with. You said yours was 3/16" deep, everywhere else I'm seeing 11/32" ( 3/8"), I know that the side trim has some adjustment but the top trim has to be deep enough. The 3/16" seems awfull shallow to catch that top trim. I'll be dry fitting anyway to be sure.

[Eugene V.]

Re: Windshield dam question

Wayne,

I will soon be replacing my windshield and am interested to find out how your search for a damming strip turned out. Did you use a Toyota part and do you have a part number?

Thanks for you time,

Gene Ventura

[Patrick H.]

Re: Windshield dam question

Wayne,

I will soon be replacing my windshield and am interested to find out how your search for a damming strip turned out. Did you use a Toyota part and do you have a part number?

Thanks for you time,

Gene Ventura

Gene,

Wayne has not been on the forum in almost 2 years, and his membership shows as expired.
You might try e-mailing him through the board, but the info on the dam may not be available.

Patrick

[Eugene V.]

Re: Windshield dam question

Patrick,

Thanks for the heads up.

Gene