headliner removal

[wn. 68 ranger]

i want to treat the steel top above the windshield on the inside ,the best way it seems is to take headliner down so i can get to the metal from the inside??? can a guy take out the headliner and reinstall easily, my headliner is mint and dont want to ruin it thanks mike
68 ranger

[71-F-250SC-72-F-250C]

That sure would be nice, I have no idea if it can be done. Maybe someone who has done it will come along. I would like treat the metal on my roof to, because I am just paranoid after seeing many other trucks rusted spots. This weekend I went ahead and scraped all the seal on the outside in the drip rail and taped around my drip rail and the top and put rust treatment in there. That is another way to prevent rust in this area.

[bluef250]

I have removed and replaced mine several times with no problems. The last time the glass installer did it and messed it up. Although, with age, things become fragile. He also claimed he could not get rubber seal with grove for exterior ss trim!! and then kept or through away the trim. To remove headliner, remove screws holding metal trim. Remove screw in center and gently work headliner it out. Might help if you had another pair of hands. Good luck.

After another thread, insulating the cab roof btm and keeping moisture from staying there would seem to prevent rust cancer from developing. Any insulation should not retain or hold water. Water condenses, and creates ideal conditions for rusting, when the surface is below the dew point. Some type of active ventilation might help.

[jzjames]

Yes it seems that condensation in that area above the windshield on the inside causes some degree of rust in even the most rust free trucks. I had flaking rust in mine and I plan to clean it and put in some POR 15 all along the front/ inside with a paintbrush. jz

[FORDification]

I'll b doing the same with mine very shortly. I'm also going to be sealing off the windshield pillars, since they're hollow, and that's where the moisture is getting in. Moist air comes in through the cowl vent and travels up into the roof area through the windshield pillars, where it gets trapped above the headliner. It condenses on the roof and then runs down to the lowest point, which is along the front of the windshield. A couple quick shots of expandable foam inside the windshield pillars to seal it up will keep the roof dry.

[71-F-250SC-72-F-250C]

This thread is leading to other questions.. I did not think that you would have to remove the headliner to put a new windshield in. I have taken a couple of windshields out in the past couple of months, and the headliner did not need to be taken out. I will be putting a new windsheild in my truck soon also, along with the seal that holds the trim. Also, what kind of seal should I use to replace that cracked up stuff that I scraped out of the drip rail? I do not have por15. Last question.. Is the roof not double walled, Is it just on one side is the outside with paint on it, and the other side just has that cardboard headliner?

[bluef250]

The roof is a metal skin and the headliner.


Check out this thread on seam filler.
http://fordification.com/forum/viewtopi ... light=seam


The windshield can be installed without removing the headliner. New gaskets are available from LMC and others.


The volume between the headliner and the skin actually is open both to the pillars and to the rear above the fuel tank. I think Ford intended air to flow from the cowl to the rear of the truck. Unfortunately not enough air flows and water condenses on the metal from the moist air. If enough air circulated through the space, body rust should not be a problem. When the truck sits for a while in a moist climate, the rust is more likely to become a problem.

[flyboy2610]

. Also, what kind of seal should I use to replace that cracked up stuff that I scraped out of the drip rail? I do not have por15.

To replace the stuff you scraped out, go down to your auto parts store and get some brushable seam sealer. Then go to the hardware store and get some small disposable metal brushes plumbers use to apply cement to plastic pipes.
Before applying the seam sealer make sure that the crevices along the drip rail are totally dry. You don't want to trap moisture in there!
If there is any rust at all, clean it out. A wire wheel on an electric drill would work well for that. Then apply some type of rust neutralizer. POR-15 would work well, or you could get some Bondo One Step spray. (That's what I use. It works quite well.) POR 15 is available at your auto parts store as well.
After neutralizing the rust, apply the seam sealer and then paint over it.

[bluef250]

Check out these 2 auctions for the windshield moulding

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1967-68- ... enameZWDVW

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1967-197 ... 0528QQrdZ1

[FORDification]

The stuff that seals the windshield gasket to the cab isn't brushable seam sealer...it's a very sticky pre-formed black caulk-like material that is sold in flat rolls with a paper backing. It's very pliable and can be formed to almost any shape you require. It's available at most automotive glass retailers or auto body shops, and one roll will do the job with plenty to spare. The sealer is about 1/4-inch wide and should be installed just inside where the edge of the glass will finally fit.

[71-F-250SC-72-F-250C]

I think he was talking about using the brushable seam sealer on the drip rail. But, another question I would have asked later on would have been about what that stuff is for the windshield. When I got my parts truck, I got a set of the trim around the windshield, and a nice windshield, as well as a solid rear glass, because I do not like the sliding. Currently I have the rust neutralized in the drip rail, and I guess I better get some brushable seam sealer. Sorry I kind of hijacked the thread, and I am also talking about allot of EXterior parts..

[FORDification]

I think he was talking about using the brushable seam sealer on the drip rail....

OH! Guess he was. I should learn to read a little more thoroughly.