One of my side flip-out triangular windows (the quarter glass) was missing the small lock. I just found it and I'd like to glue it back to the glass. I assume cyanoacrylate glue (super glue) is the right thing, but I wanted to check with everyone to see if there's something better I should use. Any opinions?

The lock mechanism looks like the pic below, and has one flat disc on it which is supposed to simply be glued to the window.

thanks!

I hope someone has an answer because I have the same problem

I scraped off the old glue (which seems to my eyes like it could be old CA glue) and so I'm going to try CA glue again. At worst it falls off again.

I don't think regular Superglue will work or if it does, it won't last long.
The problem is, over time, UV light causes the bond to fail.

Back in the '70's, as a Fiat dealership Mechanic, we used a Locktite product called iirc Glass-Bond. It required the use of a special primer to prepare the glass contact area.

A google search 'How to bond metal to glass' gives lots of info. including some product names.

You might try an Auto Factors (store that sells car parts and supplies, Autozone? etc., I'm not in the U.S.) and see what they stock. Nowadays, the demand is probably for an adhesive to re-bond car interior mirrors to the windscreen, but I reckon this should work for re-attaching metal catches/hinges to 1/4 light/vent windows.

Hth,

Al.

super helpful, thanks a bunch!

So, I am going to assume that rear view mirror adhesive will do it? Not just super glue?

As I said earlier, I don't think regular Superglue will work properly. YMMV.

The Loctite product that Fiat dealerships used back in the good ol' days, involved pre-treating the glass contact area with a special primer, I was told that this primer didn't just clean the glass but made the glass behave like metal to the adhesive. I've also seen a black circle painted onto the outside surface of the glass to try to prevent UV light affecting the bonded area but I don't know if this makes any difference to how long the repair will last.

I'm not in the U.S., but over here, I would ask someone in one of the local auto-factors to recommend a suitable product for what I want to do. Or possibly call one of the auto glass replacement companies to see what they use?

I suggested that one of the adhesives that nowadays is used to bond rearview mirrors to windshields (i.e. metal to glass) might be a suitable adhesive for bonding locks/hinges to 1/4 vent glasses (which is also metal to glass), but I can't offer any guarantee....

Al.

I ended up purchasing a rear view mirror adhesive, since it would make sense that that glue would have similar properties to what I need. I'm still waiting for it to be shipped to me via Amazon so I can't report on whether it works but I expect it will, based upon this thread and other reading I did.

HI neek,
I'm very new to this site having only taken delivery of my Fiat 124 spider yesterday.
I'll post a picture on the newbie forum later.

But just to be of some help...

In answer to your problem, I had a mishap yesterday and spilt some clear Gorilla Glue on my glass hob. I didn't notice until this morning and it is sooo stuck I'm actually going to have to chisel it off. And it is crystal clear if a little runny. I suggest a quick wipe with an iso-propyl alcohol swab and tape the lock in place overnight. It's what I'm going to use for mine.

I've looked at the directions for use on Superglue and it does not mention being suitable for use to bond glass.

I also checked a bottle of Gorilla Glue, it also does not mention being suitable for bonding glass.

By all means you can try using tape to hold the bonded part in position while it sets. If the metal base is steel, (I can't recall for sure, it might be stainless steel) a powerful magnet might be used on the outside surface of the glass? Back in my day, I used to dismantle the catch (the catch shown in the picture in post#1, has a grub screw in the side that has to be removed) cleaned, prepared, applied adhesive, positioned the mounting base correctly on the glass (it has to be correctly indexed) and clamped it in position with a small clamp with soft jaws, left it overnight then reassembled the catch.

In the 1970's/'80's, Locktite Glassbond was supplied with a special primer spray, this didn't just clean the glass (as isopropyl alcohol will do) but it made the glass 'appear' as metal to the adhesive. (I discovered this in conversation with a technical expert with the Locktite Corp.).

Nowadays, afaik, glass-bonding adhesives come as a single product so perhaps only a wipe with a cleaning agent is required before use. Idk. Read the instructions?

TweakyB - Your 'glass' hob is actually 'pyroceram', a high-temperature ceramic, it's not glass.
To remove the spilt Gorilla Glue, I wouldn't recommend attempting to chisel it off - maybe gently heat the area affected by turning on the heating ring to soften the glue, then try to scrape it off using one of the special purpose scrapers designed for use on 'glass' hob's. It's important not to scratch any pyroceram surface as doing so will cause it to then break more easily.

Lots of 'glues' might appear to bond glass to metal but won't last long - I've seen attempts at using Superglue, contact adhesives, epoxy, polyurethanes etc. - none last. The problem with using the wrong adhesive is that when it fails, it leaves minute traces embedded in the glass surface making it much less likely that the correct bonding agent will subsequently work and last.

So, as the adhesives experts say, use the correct product for the task and use it correctly including pre-application surface preparation.

Al.

Don't use super glue it an produce heat in the curing process and ive seen it crack glass before