Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Hi guys,

Just wondering if anyone has ever repaired alpine window rust in a Discovery 1. It seems to be a common enough problem but I have searched and found no mention of it.

Does the rust affect the seal of the window? Would it be possible to remove the window and fix it with fibreglass or would you need to weld in new steel?

Also how do you get the window out in the first place?

Thanks

I would imagine you'd be better off to weld a new piece of metal in, if you are capable of doing it....

As for getting the window out - there is a locking strip in the centre of the rubber around the alpine window. Pull that out. Run around under the outside edge of the seal with a pick or small screwdriver, to unstick it from the roof. Make sure you go the whole way around. Now you need to stand on the rear bar, and push the back edge of the window upwards and out - Make sure your other hand is resting on the outside of the window, in case it gives way suddenly. I think from memory the top edge is easier to get out first. Once you have a corner out, you can fairly easily lift the window out from the outside - it will come out with the seal on the window still. One note, you may need to ease the inside edge (ie. on the inside of the car) of the seal over the roof panel as you are pushing it out, just to help things along. You may be able to lever a cover of the window out from the outside, but don't force the issue if its not going too easy. CRC or WD40 sprayed under the seal from outside may also help.

Overall, very easy to do. Refitting will be pretty self evident, once you have it out, I'd probably use a very thin smear of mastic in the groove of the seal when refitting.

I don't have the skills to weld the new metal in myself but one of the guys at work said he would show me how. We have MIG and TIG as well as arc and oxy so we should have it covered. He reckoned low amp MIG would be the way to go.

Thanks for the glass removal method.

Yeah, low amps with a MIG is a pretty good option for that thickness of steel - Its what I was using when I was repairing rust in a Datsun 260Z. Just make sure you spot the welds, well spaced apart, and give plenty of time to cool between spots, otherwise the heat will distort the panel. Once cool, do a couple more spots, and then let it cool again - keep going until you have filled up all the holes between the new section and the old piece.

That's what our fitter said to do. Lots of tacks and no runs to keep the heat down. Hopefully I'll get a Disco without this rust but given that it is a common spot I might pop the glass out anyway and check and rust proof it so it doesn't happen down the track.

general rule of thumb - if its to hot to leave your hand on it, its too hot to continue welding

Simon