Ok I finally got this completed. A few time saving thoughts for others thinking of rebuilding Vent windows.
Just buy the 1 piece window kit from
www.onepieceproducts.com. Then sell both vent window assemblies on Ebay and recoup some of the cost. Or follow the lead of other posters and send them off to get done.
But seriously.
1.) Before installing rivets or weather stripping carefully tape all painted surfaces to prevent re-work. I re-painted several items because I scuffed up the assembly while riveting or I got weather strip adhesive on a painted surface and ruined the finish.
2.) Possibly buy a rivet squeezer to compress long pop rivets and install the hinge rivet. One of the vent window restoration videos on You Tube shows and old man with a "channellock" like clamp designed for rivets. Amazon has some "rivet Squeezers" or clamps the lowest price I saw for one that looked to be quality was $69. I used the hammer and associated tool from LMC. My rivets don't look good and likely won't last.
3.) Use electrical tape to hold the setting rubber in place on the vent window. Significantly stretch the setting rubber as you tape it down. Tape about every 2 inches. Clean the glass well before taping so that it sticks better and holds the tension. By stretching it you can get each vent window accomplished with 1/2 the material which will allow for a couple of screw ups. It also eliminates the need to cut reliefs in the corner and thins the setting rubber making it easier to fit back into the frame.
4.) Lube up the setting rubber with ATF and then also lube up the inside of the frame. I used several soaked q-tips to accomplish the later.
5.) Before you seat the glass. Put the glass frame back into the vent window assembly. Make sure you have not tweaked the frame and that glass frame seals on all sides to the weatherstrip on the assembly. I must have bent mine during the process and once I had triumphantly seated the glass the damn thing did not seal properly around the compound curve and the hinge rivet did not line up naturally. Consequently i had to remove the glass do some manual coercion on the fame; double check the alignment then re-tape new setting rubber and re-install.
6.) When installing the completed glass unit into the assembly remember that the odd shaped washer goes on first and should have the flat side facing the front (away from the latch). Then a round washer also sits inside the frame. After you have pushed the vent window through these two washers (inside the frame) you will install two round washers, the spring, the tabbed washer, and finally the nut.
7.) if you plan to pound the rivet set the whole assembly upside down with the rivet (already inserted through the hole on the hinge) resting on a vise. I used a common wood clamp (everything taped and a towel for protection) to clamp the hole unit in place against the vise. With the top of the rivet resting on the vise you can bash away just don't hit the glass. You might also use a small chisel to initially cut a shallow line across the rivet. I didn't think of this before smashing mine but this might make the cheap tool from LMC split and roll the rivet better rather than folding in unwanted directions.
8.) If you used pop rivets to put the assembly back to together you may find that the back of a long rivet at the top of the assembly will interfere with installation in the door. Simply pull the door a little and you should be able to force it up into the channel.
Hopefully some of this helps someone.
Thanks,
TB