Someone recently asked me about older Ford pickup trucks with “wide” chrome embedded in the gasket (DW819), and it brought back a lot of memories for me. When I was a rookie auto glass technician the DW819 windshield was one I saw daily, as trucks were everywhere in rural Wisconsin. They were all gasket sets and many had chrome mouldings.
The Ford DW819 with chrome was my nemesis. That model was so difficult for me, I would try to sell the customer on not replacing the chrome into the gasket. I even told them all black gaskets looked cool and the chrome was gaudy. Sometimes it would work, but in many cases it didn’t.
One day I came into work and found three DW819’s in my work orders for that day. I knew I wouldn’t escape chrome inserts on all three, so I got my selling skills in order. My fellow tech saw I was walking around the shop complaining that I had 819’s to do. He pulled me aside and said they were easy and asked me what my beef was? I said the chrome pops out while I’m roping it in.
He said, “Follow these steps exactly as I am telling you. They may seem counter to common sense but do it anyway.” These are the steps he gave me.
Photo courtesy of Hot Rod Network
The older model vehicles use a six-piece chrome moulding that inserts into the gasket. The chrome moulding has an “L” shaped flange on the underside. The flange inserts into a gasket channel. This installation is one of the more difficult styles to install. The following is just one of several successful methods.
- Place the glass/gasket assembly upside-down on your work surface.
Note: Once the mouldings are inserted into the gasket channel, it may be necessary to tape the assembly to the glass. Wrap the tape completely around the gasket and mouldings, because the installation process will tear the tape.
- Slide the side moulding flange into a wet gasket channel.
- The bottom moulding pieces have two flanges, a long straight flange on the flat and a short flange on the curve. Insert the short flange into the gasket channel and slide it into the side just installed. Using a hook tool, apply pressure with the thumb and lip the remaining flange into the gasket channel.
- Repeat this process on the other side.
- The top moulding pieces are like the bottom. However, slide the long flange into the gasket channel and lip the corner into place. Make sure you meet the sides and top mouldings together.
- Apply a thin bead of sealant to the body edge of the gasket.
- Set the glass/gasket assembly into the opening. Pull the rope toward the center of the glass while your knuckles touch the inside glass surface. It’s possible for your knuckles ride away from the glass damage to the gasket.
- Clean up any sealant and wash the glass inside and out
That day two out of the three Ford trucks had chrome mouldings and both of the jobs went like clockwork. I never had a problem after that instruction by my co-worker. I don’t know if the actual procedure was superior or if the instruction was really a psychological adjustment to my mindset. However, either way it worked. Good luck to those of you who give a DW819 with chrome a try.
