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      03-27-2021, 02:26 PM   #212
argento
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Drives: 2013 X5M
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Windshield drip molding removal/install

This job looks easy, but as I found out, it's filled with pit falls. I started with just wanting to wrap my white painted drip moldings in matte black vinyl wrap. I tried wrapping with the molding in place, but I couldn’t get a nice fit and finish. Working around the gasket was cumbersome and I ended up wrinkling the vinyl edges, then dislodging part of the gasket and it wouldn’t easily return to place. Well, it looks like you have to remove the molding to get a proper wrap.

I begin by removing the first two lower clips using a metal pry tool sitting on top of a nylon pry tool to protect the glass. Try to use a longer pry tool to make removal easier. As I struggled with the third clip, I naturally (without thinking) tried pulling up from the already unclipped lower end of the molding to get some leverage. The molding very easily bent up 45 degrees…TRASHED.

I ordered two new drip moldings (Left 51-31-7-250-395 and Right 51-31-7-250-395) and they come with gaskets. You will also want to buy new clips all around. There are three different clips per side, realoem shows you the details. These moldings arrive in black, probably primed or ready to be primed because the surface is not presentable as-is. They are satin with a randomly brushed surface. My plan was to wrap the molding as-is and if the new owner wants them painted white they are primed and ready for painting. Quickly wrapped one up and installed the gasket on the molding. It’s a one-piece gasket per side, but very long with a slit/cut down the middle. Each half of the gasket installs differently via channels in the molding. For each gasket half, I recommend you start in the middle of the molding and work toward the ends. I did this, but the ends of the gasket looked floppy and misaligned to the curve of the molding ends. I figured once installed they’d tighten up into the right position with a little adjustment. To install the molding, you have to align it to the body and then press down on the part of the molding directly above each clip (marking clip locations prior to this step is recommended). Also, the molding gasket that interfaces with the glass by default wants to fold down over itself, so afterward you have to come back and properly seat the gasket on the windshield. This try was a FAIL; the gasket ends remained floppy and misaligned no matter what I did. A quick check of the molding I pulled off revealed the ends are going to need adhesive to make this look OEM.

Back to the pry tool to remove the molding and hopefully you didn’t remove the tape marking the clip locations (so you easily know exactly where to pry). The upper most clip was trouble because the two pieces of the clip separated and got tangled up. I spent about 15m trying to remove gingerly so I wouldn’t damage the molding or the vinyl wrap. I believe the gap in the clip was tighter than the other clips. I finally removed the molding, but noticed I pinched some of the gasket channels. Apparently you can’t easily pry these back up (steel) without some force and I didn’t want to mess up the wrap or the molding. With channels pinched, the gasket comes out easily, but harder to install. Luckily it wasn’t too bad and the gasket could be reinstalled, crisis averted.

Ordered some 3M gasket adhesive from Amazon. You need to apply the adhesive in one quick procedure, so get everything you need ready and close by. I recommend using a fan to blow the fumes away from your work area. The goal is to apply the right amount of adhesive and clamp without damaging the matte black vinyl or getting adhesive everywhere. You have to apply adhesive to both sides of the surfaces to be mated. Then wait for it to get tacky and apply the clamp. You can’t put too much or else you’ll have adhesive oozing out everywhere when you clamp. Fortunately, within the first few minutes after application, you can pull away any minor excess but it’s stringy and can quickly get messy. It will start holding place within ~20 minutes, depending on your environment. Choose a proper clamp that doesn’t mangle the vinyl or your paint…I taped up the vinyl side beforehand. I thought I could get away with only gluing the upper end of the molding, but no, you need to apply adhesive to both ends. DONE. NOTE: As shown in the pic, do not install the gasket into the channels before gluing the ends, or else the gasket ends will be preloaded and make it harder for the clamp to hold in place. This ended up being way more work than I thought, but in the end it looks OEM. Now repeat, with no errors, for the other side.

Some additional install/removal notes:
-These drip moldings are shaped with a “T” cross section and are effectively pressed into clips mounted in the exterior A-frame of the body and held in place by friction. Install the clips on the body A-frame, align the molding, then press on the molding over each clip making sure the gasket is properly seated on inside and outside. Mark, with tape, the clip locations prior to installation so you know where to press. You will hear a 'zipping' noise as the molding gets pressed into the clip.

-The gaskets themselves are mounted into channels in the molding by friction only. One side of the gasket is done by hand and requires little effort. Just slowly press the gasket lip into the thin channel, do not force. I recommend aligning the gasket at one end, then press in place every other inch or two as you work toward the opposite end. Then come back and install the rest. Otherwise, pressing in the gasket consecutively toward the end causes stretching and then you end up with excess gasket at the ends. The other side of the gasket required me to press the gasket with my finger while simultaneously pushing down with a flat nylon pry tool. The channel in the molding is wider, like a flat “U”. It takes a few tries to get it in place, but once you understand it goes quickly. Perpendicular to the direction of how the gasket mounts, you can tell when the gasket is properly installed, it sits firm and flat on the molding surface.

-Removal is more tricky and must be done carefully to avoid bending the molding strip. Prying strip molding out of clips can be done but one must pry directly at each clip location and do not pull up on already released strip molding. Sometimes, if the clip is too tight on the molding strip, the clip will start to disassemble when prying on the molding. The metal part of the clip (attached to the molding) will uncouple from the plastic part of the clip (fixed to the body). This could be caused b/c the clip gap was too small, causing a high friction fit. To avoid this, you could check the clip gaps before install by testing them on the old molding. Or you can take a small flathead and gauge that they all have about the same gap.

-To remove the larger clips, you need a very small flat head screwdriver to lift the locking tab, then slide the clip downward, then pull away from body pin to remove.

PIX:

Marking the windshield with clip locations:
Name:  Mark Clip Locations_resized.jpg
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Lower two clips are different part numbers from the remaining upper clips:
Name:  Lower 2 Clips_resized.jpg
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How I pried the molding without damaging the windshield:
Name:  Pry Tools_resized.jpg
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Example of how molding surface arrived:
Name:  Molding surface_resized.jpg
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This gasket adhesive worked perfectly:
Name:  3M Gasket Adhesive.png
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Workspace I used to apply adhesive, not showing fan to dissipate the fumes:
Name:  Adhesive Workspace_resized.jpg
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Closeup of molding and seal clamped:
Name:  Adhesive Workspace Zoom_resized.jpg
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Upper gasket glued to molding; Shown wrapped in 3M 2080 Matte Deep Black:
Name:  Upper Molding Glued.jpg
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Thin vs Wide Channel description for gasket install:
Name:  Thin v Wide Channel.PNG
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Thin Channel gasket Installation:
Name:  Thin Channel Seal Installed.PNG
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Wide Channel gasket before and after proper installation:
Name:  Wide Channel Seal Installed.PNG
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How I installed Wide Channel gasket using a pry tool; pinch and press:
Name:  Wide Channel Seal Install.jpg
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Clip removal; This applies to all but the lower-most clip:
Name:  Removing Clips.PNG
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In ISTA, these are called GUTTER STRIPS:
Name:  ISTA_E70 Drip Moulding-Windshield.PNG
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Last edited by argento; 04-11-2021 at 08:54 AM..
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