Has anyone got any tips to removing a Fiero winshield WITHOUT CRACKING or BREAKING it? Would welcome any experience or insight.

It's easier in hot weather....you should have no problem with that.

Go to the parts store and get a peace of windshield removal wire and 2 pairs of small vise grips along with a thick needle about 6" long.

cut the wire into a couple of sections about 3' long to start with, you will probably need a few but start with 2 you may want to make the next one longer. now open the hood and remove the cowl and then the reveal, rubber part that goes around the outside of the glass. now take the side garnish off the inside of the inside of the car around the windshield. Now remove the dome lights and sun visors so you can pull the headliner back away from the windshield when you get to that point with the wire. take the thick needle and push it threw the urethane from the inside out in a convenient spot, usually around the bottom of the glass is the best spot as you can see it when it goes all the way through, now push one end of the wire threw the hole you just made and get about 6" of it out and clamp one pair of vise grips onto it. then grab the other end of the wire with the other pair of vise grips. if you have a pair of leather glove put those on so you don't get completely covered with urethane. if the have liquid glove at the parts store, they should get a tube if that and rub it all over your hands and arms bellow the elbow at least. now with a helper if possible, you can do it alone but a helper makes it a lot easier.

keep the inside pair of vise grips against the glass and pull it along the glass in one direction towards the other side of the windshield at the same time, till you are a few inches from the other pair on the outside, then have your helper pull the wire in the other direction, while going to one side as well. go all the way around and when you reach your starting point the windshield should be all cut out, if it is to hot the urethane may re-glue itself back to itself so try to work as quickly as possible and when you are done just push the windshield slowly out, if it has re-glued itself back together you may need to use a little effort but not to much, better to run the wire around yet again quickly, unless this one is already broken if so and you aren't worried about braking it cover the entire inside with wide masking tape to prevent it from shattering all over the dash. a few old towels on the dash board will help from getting urethane and broken glass all over it as well.

Steve

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Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't



Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

[This message has been edited by 84fiero123 (edited 05-31-2014).]

Thankyou for all the detail; but a little confused about the "broken glass" part? I need to save the windshield as none are available here.

NEVER try to pry on the glass... Even just a touch! It will always crack. I have broken perfectly good windshields just by pulling hard on the rubber strip that goes around the windshield trying to take it off. I removed a good windshield from a fiero in the pick n pull with a helper and a razor knife. Mostly from the inside of the car. I used the same technique to remove my cracked one. Had to loosen front fenders, cowel, remove wipers...
It took 1.5 tubes of calk adhesive, special primer for windshield, expensive as hell primer for the car frame ( i bought an almost empty bottle from a windshield replacement place). Even bought the adhesive and windshield primer from them. Total cost for like new fiero windshield ; $70

Always thought spraying wd40 into cut adhesive calk would prevent it from re-sticking

quote Originally posted by stevep914: Thankyou for all the detail; but a little confused about the "broken glass" part? I need to save the windshield as none are available here.

always prepare for the worst and hope for the best, putting some tape all over the inside of the glass is just a precaution in case you do brake it, you can have all sorts of little tiny glass shards all over the dash and rug, if you do brake it.

they sell a special windshield knife for removing them but I would never recommend it for someone who has never done it before, to easy to crack it. but one nice part of using that knife and the newer one like it is that the new one has a heated blade and the old one you can heat up with a propane torch. but like I said that is not the best or safest way to do that for a newbie to removing a windshield. that is what we use at the GM factory and how I learned but I do not think you should even try it unless you get a few practice try's at junk yard on a few that are already cracked, because I can almost guarantee you will brake a windshield with that the first time you try to put it in.

http://youtu.be/bki-LlO9how

use the wire method, a lot safer on removing a windshield you don't want to brake.

http://youtu.be/0Dz2uDA9xJ0

Steve

[This message has been edited by 84fiero123 (edited 06-01-2014).]

quote Originally posted by 84fiero123: always prepare for the worst and hope for the best, putting some tape all over the inside of the glass is just a precaution in case you do brake it, you can have all sorts of little tiny glass shards all over the dash and rug, if you do brake it. they sell a special windshield knife for removing them but I would never recommend it for someone who has never done it before, to easy to crack it. but one nice part of using that knife and the newer one like it is that the new one has a heated blade and the old one you can heat up with a propane torch. but like I said that is not the best or safest way to do that for a newbie to removing a windshield. that is what we use at the GM factory and how I learned but I do not think you should even try it unless you get a few practice try's at junk yard on a few that are already cracked, because I can almost guarantee you will brake a windshield with that the first time you try to put it in. http://youtu.be/bki-LlO9how use the wire method, a lot safer on removing a windshield you don't want to brake. http://youtu.be/0Dz2uDA9xJ0 Steve

^^^^^ That's what he said ^^^^^ I totally agree.
I am a very patient person but removing a Fiero windshield will try your patience tremendously. When you begin to get anxious or frustrated that is when you will crack it. Trying it out on a already cracked windshield will allow you to understand the total process.

I attempted it and ended up cracking mine when I was almost finished. I learned a lot though 'during the process'. AS has been stated gently remove that bead around the glass first, very gently. I pulled in the direct opposite direction of the glass around the whole perimeter and I had no problem( I did have to grip it with gripping pliers). I used a number of the 1/2 inch wide razor knives you can pick up at Dollartree/Walmart etc.. As I cut through it I would slip in newspaper so I would know how far I had progressed and so it would not have a chance to reseal. If you get tired or frustrated just go do something else for a while, then come back to it. If you use the wire method, Harborfreight has kits for doing this. Basically it is piano wire (wrapped) that produces a cutting action as you move it back and forth.

Good luck!!!