Recommended Documents:

• Get Paid Your Price for Long Crack Repair -$200-$300.
• Facts You Should Know About Windshield Repair Resins
• Technical Windshield Facts You Should Know
• Decades of Data on Windshield Repairs
• The United States Windshield Repair Guidelines
• Repair of Laminated Auto Glass Standard (ROLAGS)
• ROLAGS Lab Test Scores of Ultra Bond Resins, Tools and Curing
• ROLAGS Mechanical Strength Test Scores of 12 Windshield Repair Kits
  

WINDSHIELD REPAIR RESIN

Windshield Repair Resin Quick Reminder Chart

Step #6  - Mount the Crack Master on the windshield and center the cylinder over the drilled hole.

Step #7 - Twist the cylinder until the cylinder is flush against the windshield and the bridge is level.  The two leveling and stabilizing bolts are set at the right amount of pressure for injecting resin without pushing the crack closed. The (center) pressure bolt is for temporarily increasing the pressure on the resin while injecting crack resin into the drilled hole at the point. Release the (center) pressure bolt off of the glass when you are ready to slide down the crack.  Raise the piston (counter clockwise or left) for vacuum and lower it (clockwise or right) for pressure.

Best Method -

This technique allows you to inject the thickest resin possible (the rule of thumb) in the majority of the crack. For this procedure you will need: one injector, one 1600 or 2400 with a white tip seal, one Long Crack Repair tool and 2-3 Crack Openers. The advantages of this method is you have one cure as you do not have to cure the bullseye at the point under pressure because it has 200 or 400 in it.

1. Drill and tap a bullseye at the point.
2. Mount either the Crackmaster  Long Crack Slider tool with your injector filled with the 200 or 400 resin at the point OR you can use the 2-bar bridge at the point (the tool with two suction cups) with 200 or 400 resin and straddle the crack. Use a liberal amount of petroleum jelly or Vaseline on the suction cup(s) as you will need to slide the tool - too much is better than too little.
3. Mount a crack opener on the inside of the windshield about one  inch from the drilled hole and a second crack opener right next to the first one. If you only have one crack opener use a liberal amount of petroleum jelly or Vaseline on the suction cups as you will may need need to slide it. Too much is better than too little. You do not need to slide if you have two crack openers. Two cracks openers will work better than one and you can use Spray-a-way glass cleaner instead of petroleum jelly to lubricate the suction cups of the crack openers. 
4. Use the vacuum and pressure process at the bullseye at the point. Now, flex open the crack with the crack openers until you see the 400 start to flow; then stop applying pressure with the crack opener.
5. Go to the edge and inject edge crack resin (1600 or 2400) appropriate for type of crack and temperature. Starting at the edge where the installation stress has opened the crack up and created a gap. Use another injector or just the resin bottle with a white seal on the bottle tip with edge crack resin 1600 or 2400 and slide toward the middle of the crack unto it stops flowing. It will stop when the lamination stress becomes greater than the installation stress and pulls the crack inward/closed.
6. Go back to the point and slowly slide down the crack keeping the resin flowing in front of the injector, do not get ahead of the resin. Slide until you meet the edge crack resin in the middle where the edge crack resin stopped. (If using the Crackmaster bridge structure at the point, straddle the crack and lubricate the suction cups very well.)
7. Remove all tools. Tab the entire crack by laying a bead of 2400 resin on top of the entire length of the crack and then cover with film tabs or the whitish looking scotch tape to remove oxygen (air) from the resin and cure. With the Scotch tape you can just scrape it off and throw it away when you are done.

More Tool Options and Repair Methods with the Wonder Bar Tools.

For long cracks you can:

1. Use the 2- bar bridge at the point and drilled hole with 200 or 400 resin and straddle the crack. Using the pressure bolt will quickly inject the 400 into the drilled hole and tapped bullseye but be sure to release it when you go to slide down the crack. Always use two crack openers at the point.

2. Use one bar as a Long Crack Slider with a soft suction cup or the stiff suction cup. Use much more lubricant if you use the stiff cup as it does not slide as easily as the soft. Also make sure the cup is always flat to the glass when sliding, not riding the perimeter of the cup. The cup with the black hex bolt is the soft cup, the white hex bolt is the stiff.

3. Injecting the edge area with edge crack resin 1600 or 2400:

  (a) injector-slide by hand with the quick-turn injector,

  (b)  the resin bottle with the white seal on the tip

  (c)injector slide by hand with the yellow plastic injector.

  (d) Use the one bar Long Crack Slider but do not attach the suction cup to the glass. Thread the injector and stabilizing bolts so they are about one inch out of the bottom of the bar. See picture below. It will slide very easily without the suction cup attached to the glass. You can also use this in the middle of the crack with 200 or 400 resin once the edge crack resin has stopped flowing switch to the 200 or 400 and slide toward the point until it stops flowing. Then slide off the drill hole to fill what is left. This will usually only be 1-3 inches down from the drill hole. You can also reverse this starting at the point area once the crack has opened up enough to where you no longer need the pressure from the cup to inject resin and go towards the edge. Using 3 crack-openers helps going in this direction. This also comes in handy with very long cracks or cracks with multiple curves.

4. Floater Cracks - use four crack openers- two on each side of the stone-break and two long crack sliders, one at each point.

LOW VISCOSITY RESINS:

LONG CRACK WINDSHIELD REPAIR RESINS:

200 CPS: For use in the point including the drill hole and tapped bullseye of an edge cracks and  floater cracks. Use above 40 degrees

400 CPS: For use in the point including the drill hole and tapped bullseye and the middle section of an edge crack. Also use for a floater crack. Use above 70 degrees.

1600 CPS: Use for the edge section of an edge crack which is the first 4 inches from the edge of the windshield. Works best at 70 degrees and above. If used below room temperature, it will need to be warmed or it will not wet the glass well. If you cannot warm the glass, then the edge area (4-5 inches from the edge) should be primed with the 45 resin.

2400 CPS: For use in the edge section of an edge crack which is the first 4 inches of the edge crack when the glass is hot - 85 degrees and above. Prime the edge area first when the glass is below room temperature or cooler with 45 cps. Also use in the edge rea when the impact break is a star or combination break in order to separate and seal the break off so it can be repaired after you repair and cure the long crack.

 *Long crack windshield repair resins are all compatible with each other and with the primers.

HELPFUL HINTS

Always fill the crack with the thickest resins possible.

Compatibility means they can be mixed in the cylinder or injected on top of, or next to, one another. Once a resin is cured, any other resin can be injected or placed next to it.

Heating crack resins or the windshield when below room temperature will increase the bond to the glass.

Injecting a primer in the edge area when the glass is cold and then re-injecting a crack resin in the edge/remainder will increase the bond to the glass by improved wicking and wetting.

1600 AND 2400 cps must be used at or above room temperature or they must be heated. This is done by heating the injector with blow dryer, heat gun or a soldering iron placed in the heating port hole of the injector. A butane solder iron is best if you are mobile.

ALLOW TIME FOR INTERACTION: Allow time for the resin to interact with the glass which is about two minutes. The higher viscosity crack resins you use, the more time this takes. . Using methods that start with an injector at the edge is best as this will allow the interaction time required while doing the repair since these methods can take up to 20 minutes.

CRACK CLEANING: Prime the crack with the  Xtra Bond adhesive promoter or the X-Phobic pre-treatment if you suspect there is Rain X.

Talk to the Customer

Explain the procedure of the windshield repair, making sure they understand that the windshield repair will not completely disappear. The appearance will improve, the repair will not crack further and it will save them money. Many insurance companies are paying for the repair (discussed further in newsletters at www.windshieldrepairjournal.com ) get information as needed.

Always find out how old the crack is - how long has it been on the windshield.

If the crack is more than 14" in length and has been there for more than 2 months, there is a good possibility that there will be some dirt in the crack that may show up in the repair. Clean the crack (refer to Helpful Hints) and use the priming method, but be sure to pass this information on to the customer.

Preparing The Vehicle

1. Mobile: Have the customer move the vehicle into the shade. It is a bad habit to get into moving the car unless your liability insurance covers this for you. Remember you need "true" shade. If none is available use cardboard or Artist's board to shadow the windshield. Be sure the board is secured with something heavy, but soft.

    2. Place a thick towel on the hood of the vehicle and place your windshield repair kit on the towel to protect the car's paint from the windshield repair resin,

         and anything on your clothing that may scratch the car.

    3. Wash the area of the windshield around the crack. DO NOT SPRAY CLEANER INTO THE BREAK; IT WILL CONTAMINATE THE REPAIR.

Crack Repair Techniques

Objective: Completely fill the crack, preventing it from spreading any further, while achieving the best possible appearance.

Failures: Generally two types of failures occur with repairs:

1. Cohesive failure: The resin splits and is stuck to the walls or sides of the crack.

The appearance is spotty.

2. Adhesive failure: The resin pulls away from the side(s) or the crack. This type of failure looks as if it had never been repaired before and it can be re-repaired.

The use of our crack resins has eliminated cohesive failures when combined with a good technique. Normally adhesive failures occur in the winter months. The glass becomes cool during a repair even when using a 1600 or 2400 cps and the viscosity of these resins rise, preventing a good wet of the glass. During this season, we recommend the priming method, warm the glass whenever possible and keep your resin warm with a soldering iron placed in the heating port hole of your injector. Randomly check your crack repairs at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years to see if you are noticing a cohesive or adhesive failure. If you are, a change in viscosity or method will eliminate the problems. It also lets your customer know you care about he work you did for the long term.

Film Tabs: The following methods of crack repair will require you to know how to use "Film Tabs". When told to do so, generously run resin (a long crack resin) along the area of the crack that has been injected with resin and place the tabs over it, butting them up against each other. There should be no bubbles or places not covered by the resin and tabs.

Methods: "Meet in the Middle" and the "Two-Step" are the most popular. You can use 200 or 400 at the point of the meet in the middle method. Then place your Crack Master with 200 or 400 on the drill hole. Turn you crack opener bolt until you see the resin start to go into the crack and then stop. The slowly proceed down the crack until you meet where your 1600 stopped. With 200 or 400 in the point you do not need to cure the point under pressure as you have to when you have 90 in the point because 200 and 400 is mechanical (thick) enough to stay on the PVB upon curing. There are times when the crack is tight and you will have to use 90 at the point but pick up with the 200 or 400 as soon as possible.

Crack Repair Techniques

The Crack Opener is used on the inside of the windshield to pry open the crack. Lubricate the suction cups and mount perpendicular to the crack with the bolt right on the crack about 1-2 inches from the point. Slowly begin to tighten the bolt of the Crack Opener against the crack. You will begin to see the resin start to flow. Stop tightening when this occurs. Multiple crack openers are better than sliding one crack opener along the crack. Proper length with the proper size and durometer of suction cups opens the crack symmetrically and without spreading of the crack..

Unsurfaced Crack: Repair using vacuum and pressure.

The unsurfaced crack is very rare. It does not begin or end at an edge of the glass and is therefore also called a "floater".

1. Drill a hole at one of the points and tap a bullseye.

   2. Prepare your Bridge structure and fill the bullseye with a low viscosity windshield repair resin (45-100 cps) leaving the injector on pressure.

   3. Drill another hole 3-4" down the crack, tap a bullseye and mount your Long Crack Slider and injector also filled with a low viscosity windshield

   4. repair resin (about 4 drops) and leave it on vacuum. This is creating a pushing and pulling action between the two injectors

   5. When the resin from the 1st Crack Master (Classic) has reached the 2nd Crack Master switch the 2nd Crack Master injector to pressure.

    6. Remove the 1st Crackmaster. Drill another hole 3"-6" down from the 2nd injector and repeat steps 3, 4 and 5.

    7. When completely filled, tab and cure. * A 10" crack would require 3 drill holes.

THE "Y" CRACK

The "Y" Crack may look like a scary repair, but once you think about it as two separate cracks, it becomes quite simple. The "Y" crack off the side or horizontal can be repaired using any repair method. You will repair the bottom crack first stopping when it hits the joining crack and repairing the top section last. If you did the top portion first, you are taking the chance of getting resin into the bottom crack and preventing repair, or making it difficult.

1. Repair the bottom crack first using any method and a low viscosity windshield repair resin and switching to a medium viscosity windshield repair resin. Stop at the apex or joint of the crack. Tab and cure.

   2. Repair the top crack as you would a normal single edge crack starting with a low viscosity resin at the point, switching to a medium, or high or both,

       depending on temperature. Tab and cure.

If the "Y" Crack is off the bottom, the 2 step works best.

CRACK OFF A STAR OR BULLSEYE

What makes this repair difficult is filling the star or bullseye because you are unable to create a vacuum because the crack has surfaced. Therefore, these instructions focus on filling the star or bullseye. Separating the break as previously instructed above is the best method. Here are some more methods.

1. If it is a small bullseyes roll a drop of 45 cps into the impact point, it will fill by capillary action while you are working on the rest of the crack.
    
   OR
    
2. After step 1, take your injector and fill it with 1600 or 2400 cps windshield repair resin and place in the structure. Mount it on the impact point on pressure and let it slowly fill. If the star does not fill, take your probe and flex on each leg of the star that is not filling. Manually pressure pushing and probe flexing simultaneously is fast and works well.
    
   OR
    
3. Refill the injector with 1600-2400 cps and place on impact point in the pressure mode without the structure. Manual pressure push the resin which should push the low viscosity resin to the tips of the legs.
    
   IF
    
4. By chance all of the legs of the star still do not fill, continue repair of the long crack and cure. Return back to the legs or areas of the star that did not fill and drill and tap a bullseye. Vacuum and pressure fill. Cure under pressure. Pit fill the drill hole, cure and clean up

REPAIR TECHNIQUE:"INJECTOR SLIDE"

1. The "Injector Slide" does not use the Crack Master structure to hold the injector. Instead, hold the injector in your hand and slide it along the length of the crack as you inject the resin. This technique can only be used when your eye has been trained to see if the crack is open wide enough to allow the resin to enter and completely fill.

2. Use your long crack slider tool but remove the suction cup. Slide it from the edge in toward the point. Use 1600 if the impact point is the typical pinhead size chip. Use 2400 if the impact is a star or combination break. 

WINTER TIME REPAIRS

Wintertime makes long crack repair a delicate operation and because the cracks are surfaced, your resin will be exposed to the atmosphere. Resin will flow into the crevices of the crack most effectively and bond to the glass when at room temperature and above. If the resin gets cold it will not flow into the crevices or bond to the glass as well. Try to heat the glass and use the heating port by placing a soldering iron into the hole in your injector body to keep your resin warm. This will help, but best results are obtained indoors during the cold winter months. Use the Priming method. The Primers flow into the little nooks and crannies while the thick resin adds the cohesive strength. Be sure your windshield repair kit has all the windshield repair resins and windshield repair tools to handle the winter months.

RULES OF THUMB

1. Always fill the crack with the thickest possible windshield repair resins according to the temperature (check bottle labels).

   2. If mobile, you MUST use true shade.

   3. Take extra care on a hot windshield, it is sensitive and damage spreads easily.

   4. If you have more than one crack or break, work from the bottom up, otherwise resin could drip from the first repair into the second damage curing before

        you can repair it and blocking an easy flow of resin.

    5. Warm a cold windshield slowly with the defroster bringing it to a warm temperature.

     6. If you need to flex on a cold windshield, do the point first. Drill a hole at the point and fill about ½" of the crack and cure. Turn on the defroster and warm

         up the windshield. DO the remainder. This will help prevent the crack from spreading when you flex the glass.

Trouble Shooting

Writing down which windshield repair you used as well as weather conditions on all your invoices will assist you in problem solving. Write down any other problems you noticed or were informed about (recently washed or waxed).

1. Refraction line:

There is one problem that can occur in crack repair. "The Runner". This is a thin line of refraction that appears along the bottom of the crack against the lamination (PVB) after the repair is complete. This is generally caused by using a resin too low in viscosity that has shrunk and separated from the PVB during the curing process. Low Viscosity resin has no bond to the PVB and pulls away upon curing. Our 400 resin and higher will not pull off the PVB. The "pulling away" occurs rapidly and spreads (runs) therefore called the "runner". TO REPAIR: Drill into the middle of the runner, tap a bullseye, vacuum/pressure fill with 20 cps resin. Cure under pressure 5-7 minutes, Curing under pressure will force a mechanical bond to the PVB. Fill the pit, cure and clean up.

2. Refraction near point:

Too much pressure with the Crackmaster at the point. Too much pressure can push the crack closed and out of its natural position. The same thing will happen if you forget to remove your Crack Opener before curing.

3. Crack Failure:

1. Contamination in the crack when it was repaired will reduce the bond and the crack will fail. Clean out cracks before you repair or add one of our additives, like Xtra Bond or X-Phobic.
2. Windshield repair resin that is cold when it is injected into the crack results in poor wetting (filling of crevices) and compromises the bond. You have better control of the temperature if doing repairs inside. Change resin combinations. Try the Priming method. Heat the crack before repairing. Keep the resins at room temperature, in a cooler (no ice) during the summer and try a pocket or hand warmer for the winter. Keep your windshield repair kit under controlled temperatures as much as possible.
3. The wrong resin was used in the remainder/edge. 1600 or 2400 cps works best. Change resin combinations. Try the Meet in the Middle method or start repairs at the edge and work towards the point.
4. Windshield repair resin has been through too many changes. Temperatures can be better controlled if indoors if possible. Store at room temperature, in a cooler in the summer and try a pocket warmer in the winter. Never leave your windshield repair kit in your vehicle over night.
5. Too much stress on the edge. Drill and tapping a bullseye at the edge by the molding may relieve some of the stress and it will fill easily with 2400 cps.
6. Solvents were in the crack. Always ask the customer before you start if Rain-X or a similar product was used, or if the car had been recently waxed.
7. Try cleaning cracks prior to repair with X-Phobic or use a windshield repair resin additive. This may be the only type of failure that cannot be fixed.

Windshield Repair Equipment Cleaning and Maintenance

Piston & Cylinder:

The piston and cylinder should be washed in rubbing (70%) alcohol at least once a week. You do not need to clean after each job. If resin has begun to cure or is sticking to the piston or cylinder, they should soak in alcohol for at least 1 hour.

Use your cleaning brush provided in your windshield repair kit to scrub out the inside of the cylinder. Make sure there is no alcohol on the windshield repair equipment before you begin a repair because the alcohol will contaminate the windshield repair resin. Alcohol is the solvent to windshield repair resin. If resin spills on the customer's paint (which it shouldn't because you have it covered well with a large towel) DO NOT use alcohol, try a little window cleaner. The resin will remove the paint and alcohol will remove wax.'

O-Rings:

Dip them in alcohol and take them out immediately. DO NOT SOAK. O-rings will swell and will not fit properly.

Film Taps:

Film tabs can be re-used. Let them sit in the cleaning jar with alcohol and remove at the end of the day. They can be used quite a few times.

Battery:

Charge at least once a week.

Tool Box and Other Tools:

Clean the inside and outside of your toolbox and other tools regularly. This makes an impression on the customer as well as your own appearance.

Updates, new products, new instructions can be found on our newsletter website: Windshield Repair Journal

Getting Your Windshield Repair Business Up and Running in One Month

Filing the Claim for the Consumer - take control, do not let the consumer make this call alone or it will be steered into a replacement and to one of their shops.

Call the claim phone number on the insured's proof of insurance card and follow the prompts. After you call in your first repair you will be in the system and they will fax you tax forms for you to fill out and fax back to them. You are then in the system. You will get paid within about 30 days.

• LYNX - Fax your invoices to Glass Comp. at (239) 479-6161
• Safelite - go to www.sgcnetwork.com and fill in the blanks
• Harmon - fax to the number on the dispatch they fax to you

Have the Assignment of Proceeds printed on your invoice.

Assignment of Proceeds - In consideration of [COMPANY NAME]'s agreement to repair or replace my damaged automobile glass, I hereby assign my auto glass claim and all policy proceeds due me for the glass claim under the terms of my insurance policy to [COMPANY NAME]. Accordingly, I instruct my insurance company to address all issues associated with this claim with [COMPANY NAME] and to pay all amounts amounts directly to [COMPANY NAME]. I authorize my insurance company to release policy, coverage and other information related to this glass claim to [COMPANY NAME]. I agree to pay my deductible, if any, myself. I also agree that if I do not have insurance coverage, I will pay for the work myself.

Getting Paid for Long Cracks - see the newsletter here and/or call Rich Campfield (970) 256-0200
 

Getting Paid for Long Cracks - see the newsletter here and/or call Rich Campfield (970) 256-0200

Getting Paid For Long Crack Guide - From your customer's insurance company and or agent direct! Never loose another job, Ultra Bond, gives you immense power in the market from the current and ongoing lawsuit against Safelite. Read How Here

Learn How To Close Your Windshield Repair Leads - Discover how to close more of your windshield repair sales calls with this guide directly from Richard Campfield. Become a solid closer and increase your profits days after reading this guide. Read How Here

Contact Information

2458 E. Main Street, B-1, Grand Junction, CO 81501
970-256-0200 (phone)
970-256-1786 (fax)
  Company Email

This web site is provided by Ultra Bond and is strictly about windshield repair resin, tools, equipment and supplies.