the center (walk thru portion) of my windshield is coming out of the frame and the entire frame is getting loose on the boat. How big a project am I looking at and how do I start? <br /><br />Its a 72 Silverline 16' runabout.<br /><br />thanks
HI Buster,<br /> Most of those windshields are simply held together with rivets. Might be as simple as disassembling the frame and re-riveting it all back together. Might need some new rubber parts, too to re-seat the glass.<br /><br />- Scott
I'm a little unclear. Are you saying the glass is coming loose from the rubber moulding that holds it in the frame? Are you also saying that the walk-thru frame is coming loose at the hinge - or that the entire windshield is coming loose from where it attaches to the boat?<br /><br />If the glass is getting loose in the moulding, take it to a glass shop (I use the local auto glass shop). They can re-install it with new rubber moulding, good as new, and pretty cheap.<br /><br />If the hinge is getting loose, you might be able to simply re-rivet, re-screw, or re-weld (depending on how it's now attached). Or find an exact or similar replacement hinge from a current model boat (look around a boat yard to see if there's something that might work, and then talk to their parts guy). If not, you can probably find some stainless, aluminum or brass "piano hinge" or "continuous hinge" which will work if you find the right width - it can be cut to any length. Look up "piano hinge" or "continuous hinge" in the iboats.com mega mall for examples. I see they have stainless, chrome, brass and aluminum. MOst hardware stores also carry some version of it. <br /><br />I'll defer to others if you're saying the entire windshield is coming loose from the boat. Without looking at it and seeing how it's attached, I can't advise. My GUESS would be that it is somehow screwed or bolted to the deck and that you'll have to go underneath and add some new backing for larger screws to screw into or change to through bolts. Good luck! <br /><br />I'm lucky with my current boat - all welded aluminum. ANYTHING can be fixed to look OEM, or better -- it's just a matter of a good fabricator, a good welder and $$!
D: yes, yes and yes.<br />the most urgent is that the hazy glass is coming out of the rubber gasket and the gasket is coming out of the frame. However, the frame is separating at the top corner; therefore I must repair the frame before replacing the glass. The frame is (supposed to be) held together with screws in the corners. the (vertical - enters top of frame and screws downward into side of frame) screw head in the hinge side of the top corner has come free of the top of the frame - the screw is still in the side of the frame.The ss screw and alum frame seem to be fused. <br /><br />The 3rd yes is that theframe is starting to come loose from the boat and perhaps this winter will need to be fixed as well.
Too bad you aren't close, I still have my entire windshield assembly from my conversion. Check my link to see if it is the same.<br /><br />On mine, it is held together with screws, and there were studs that went from the frame bottoms through the hull, and the assembly was held to the hull with bolts on these studs. Half of them had rusted and were gone, but once you get the assembly off, you can replace all the studs and screws...
