Has anyone successfully removed, refurbished and reinstalled their Catalina 30 windows? I've removed and refurbished all of mine but reinstalling the C30 window kit from Cat Direct turns out to be a challenge. Specifically pressing the glass with new gaskets and caulking back into frames is hard. The gaskets keep bunching up.
Reinstalling Catalina 30 windows
- Thread starter Tom Corbett
- Start date
Thank you. Will do. We've tried spraying them with Windex (suggestion of another) but I hear the amonia may be a problem with the caulking. Windex did not lubricate enough. Another suggested super gluing the ends of the cut gaskets together so they don't pull apart. I'll try that too.
Yes. It is messy, but not too hard. I just worked the rubber gasket around the glass the best I could and used the frame to smooth it out a bit more. I would not glue the gasket to either the pane or the frame, I would imagine it would interfere with the sealant. I also used the kit from CD but used Butyl to seal the frame to the cabin. Tried first window with the adhesive they supply, but when it still leaked, it was nearly impossible to remove again. We have not had any leaks since.
I redid all of the windows in 2020 when doing a complete hardware removal on my 1977 C-30. I actually sent the frames and the steering wheel to a local metal shop and had the windows powder coated (as well as the wheel). I sanded and painted the internal window frames myself as they should remain relatively clean inside. I had also ordered new gaskets from CD. The only failure was that I should have asked the shop to 'tape off' the inside of the window frames as the powder coating removed some of the width needed for the gasket and the window glass.
It was a bit of work, but the new gaskets and glass fit in perfectly. I then used Dow 795 to seal the windows to the side of the boat. I thought about using butyl tape but the Dow worked MUCH BETTER. It also cures to the point that you can easily remove any overflow with your finger before it cures fully. I have since sold the boat the new owner says all the windows are tight as drums...no leaks.
It was a bit of work, but the new gaskets and glass fit in perfectly. I then used Dow 795 to seal the windows to the side of the boat. I thought about using butyl tape but the Dow worked MUCH BETTER. It also cures to the point that you can easily remove any overflow with your finger before it cures fully. I have since sold the boat the new owner says all the windows are tight as drums...no leaks.
