Sprinter Update 4

New window arrived. Not shattered like the last two, but scratched and mangled, oh well, I’m going to get a credit form the supplier, and at this point, that’s fine, I’m just glad it showed up in one piece. Below is the blank where the new window is going.

So the idea is to cut this blank out, you can see that I’ve already got starting slots cut in the 4 sides. I used my angle grinder with a cut off wheel to make these cuts. You want to cut just on the outside of where the sheet metal transitions from being flat to bubbling out where the window should be. This is where the window is designed to fit, and this is the smallest cutout you can make while still leaving a flat edge for the window to grab on to.

Below is the window. It is split at the bottom with a small vent opening. You can see my greasy paw marks all over it, nothing windex won’t fix.

Okay, so now we cut a big gapping hole in the side of a perfectly good van. (Thanks for the reciprocating saw Danny!) To my surprise the 18v cordless black and decker firestorm reciprocating saw, while not the finest piece of machinery, does cut through sheet metal like butter with a good blade on it.

One side left to cut.

Cut out done. All i did then was grind down the edges to get rid of any burs, and clean any dust and dirt from the edge. Then lay down some weather stripping along the inside edge (Note: the side window required weather stripping inside and out, this one has a rubber gasket on the edge of the window, so only weatherstripping inside was required.)

Window in. There aren’t any pictures of the window going in, because I was more worried about the window not breaking or falling than I was concerned about taking pictures. But you set the window in from the outside, check that all the edges have a good place to seal, then there is a flange on the inside the screws in to the frame holding the window securely in place.

Voila!