Need to glue aluminum to glass

[Ryoko]

TL;DR

Need to re-glue aluminum trim back onto a glass t-top in an automotive application.

I have an automotive restoration project I am working on. I need to glue an aluminum trim strip edging to a glass t-top. Ideally, I'd use 1-part polyurethane windshield adhesive. The problem is that it's so damn thick it's near impossible to squeeze out of the tube into the strip. The strip is U-shaped and has only a 3/16" gap to work with. The windshield adhesive is just too thick to squeeze into that space if you use a nozzle small enough to fit into the gap. So I'm looking for an alternative adhesive. The requirements are that it be thin enough to squeeze into the narrow gap, that it resist the temperature extremes that an automobile roof would experience, and that it be stable and not 'dry out' and let go over time. Suggestions?

 

[DaveC426913]

Liquid solder. Or is it liquid metal.

I stuck a towel rack to my shower door with it. Stayed for a decade.

 

[Baluncore]

The requirements are ... that it resist the temperature extremes that an automobile roof would experience, ...

Differential thermal expansion will be a problem if the glue is too good, or the aluminium is too thick. Epoxy or superglue would last only with a thin trim. How thick is the aluminium trim?

Consider a synthetic rubber contact cement, or something like neoprene wetsuit glue, but use them immediately as a single application filler.

 

[phyzguy]

I would try silicone rubber sealant.

 

[Baluncore]

The problem I see with RTV silicone, is that it will bond well to itself, but poorly to aluminium or glass. Still, if the joint is close-fitting, and the silicone can keep air and water from entering the filled space, then it should work well.

 

[DaveE]

The problem I see with RTV silicone, is that it will bond well to itself, but poorly to aluminium or glass. Still, if the joint is close-fitting, and the silicone can keep air and water from entering the filled space, then it should work well.

Yes 100% agree. RTV isn't great in wet locations or sun, it usually shrinks with age, and doesn't bond well to most things. It's really like a gasket material more than a glue.

If you have a good marine chandlery nearby, I'd ask them. If they don't sell sailboat hardware, they don't count. Some are only for the fishing and waterskiing crowds. Real boat people know sealants well. I'm thinking a polysulfide might be a good choice.

https://www.westmarine.com/west-advisor/How-to-Select-Sealants-and-Caulk.html