Windshield Repair Tech Tip - Vertical Repairs

When we speak of vertical repair we are speaking of windshields that are set at a 90 degree angle (straight up and down), or in rare instances even a reverse angle where the technician is basically working upside down. Regardless of your preferred technique, repairing vertical windshields takes a little more practice to perfect, but can easily be done with success equal to non-vertical applications.

It is also important to note that vertical windshields are typically installed in buses, large trucks, and trains. The glass and the laminate are often thicker in these applications, and the windshields larger. Because of the thicker glass, it will sometimes take a little longer to fill a rock chip, so please allow up to 30 minutes for vertical repairs.

Most Popular Technique:

When setting the bridge on any repair, try to locate the injector below the vacuum cup so excess resin does not run down the glass on to the cup. It is not only messy to clean up, but may damage the cup. On most repairs you want the bridge to be as level to the glass as possible to achieve the best possible seal. On a vertical repair however, it is necessary to adjust the bridge so that the injector has a slight angle. It only takes a 2-5 degree angle to keep the resin flowing down the injector, so don’t create more of an angle than necessary. More than a 5 degree angle can result in a resin leak from the end seal.

Be sure to use a dropper or small syringe to load the injector with resin. Insert the dropper or syringe as far into the injector as you can so that the resin goes directly into the end seal. Use of a squeeze bottle or trying to count drops from a dropper will result in most of the resin ending up in the inside threads of the injector, and there will not be enough resin in the seal to properly fill the break. You may find that using a little more resin will also help assure the end seal is completely full. Adding 25% (about 2 drops) of extra resin should be more than enough extra resin.

Assuming you get a good seal against the glass and plenty of resin into the end seal, the rest of the repair process is exactly as the basic procedure described in the Delta Kits instruction manual and excellent results can be expected. With a little practice, most technicians find this to be the best way to repair vertical windshields.

Note: 144-8SS single shot resin syringes are pre-measured and fit perfectly in the injector body, eliminating the question of how much resin to use.

Alternate Technique:

Some technicians find it difficult to set the bridge at enough of an angle to keep resin flowing down into the seal without the seal leaking. If you are one of these technicians, you may want to try the alternate method of bottom loading the injector. Bottom loading has no advantage over top loading on most repairs, but in a vertical application it can work very well if done properly. If done improperly, bottom loading will not only result in an unacceptable repair, but can be very messy.

When using the bottom load technique, first set up your bridge exactly like you would for any non-vertical repair making sure that your bridge is perfectly level with the glass. This is where the procedure changes.

1. Unscrew the injector body from the bridge

2. Cock the EZ Plunger in the up or vacuum position

3. Screw the EZ Plunger into the injector body until it stops

4. Release the spring on the EZ Plunger so that the piston rests on the top of the end seal.

5. Place your finger on the end of the seal to keep the pressure of the spring from pushing the seal out of the end of the injector body. Push the EZ Plunger down slightly so that the tip of the piston just begins to slide into the end seal to assure that resin does not leak from the top of the seal.

6. Turn the injector over and carefully drop resin into the end seal using an eye dropper or syringe. Be sure you completely fill the end seal. It should only take about 4 drops.

7. Being careful not to turn the injector upside down, slowly screw the injector back into the bridge base until the seal touches the glass, and then give 1 complete 360 degree turn to create a good seal.

8. Begin applying pressure to the top of the EZ Plunger with your thumb, and continue applying pressure until the tip of the piston is about ½ way into the end seal. The best way to determine this is to determine the distance between the top know of the EZ Plunger and the top knob of the injector body when the tip of the piston is resting on the seal. This distance should be about 5/16”. When you have applied the proper amount of pressure, this distance should be 1/8” to 3/16”.

9. Leave in the pressure cycle for 5 minutes.

10. This is where it gets tricky. When you pull a vacuum, you will normally pull the piston out of the end seal to allow air to escape, but when doing a vertical repair using the alternate method, it is very important that the piston never leave the end seal completely. With one hand holding the injector body top knob and the other hand holding the EZ Plunger top knob, slowly pull the piston up about 1/16”. This does not sound like much, but it is enough to create a vacuum and pull the air out of the break. Leave in the vacuum position until you no longer see air movement. (Caution: If you pull too hard and the piston pulls out of the end seal, you will have to start over.)

11. Repeat the pressure and vacuum cycles until all the air is removed from the break and finish the repair just as you would any other.

Note: Many technicians prefer to use the Delta Kits 77-3 Screw Type Injector for bottom load applications. The procedure is basically the same, but the screw type action offers better control when practicing the alternate method of vertical repair and it is not desirable to allow the piston to leave the seal.

-Brent Deines