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Mr. Ostertag,
Indeed, the factory installed butyl rubber gasket can become brittle if exposed to tannins and constant moisture (your 1991 was parked outdoors for many years under trees).
The windshield gasket on my 1991 has not failed, yet. It is the original optically excellent SEKURIT glass. I'm slow to do so.
If you can afford it and the value is there in your 1991 240, probably best to have the work done by a qualified shop. Verify the work performed complete, meaning the work is completed right, one, the first time (as in excellent product development lifecycle). Research what shops are best.
However, you may be in for some sticker shock on body shop estimates. Check with the BBB. Like auto and exhaust mechanics, I'm don't trust body shops unless they are known to do good work and they'll make serious bank unbending the bent rear end of your 2002 C70 hard top coupe as insurance pays for it and the offending crash causing motorist is as fault. (Don't like convertibles yet love coupes. 1979 242 GT FOREVER!!!!)
While the windshield pan is a small area, it is a convoluted one. As you see in that one image of my 1992 240 GL with the windshield, dash, and all trim and visor removed from the interior around the windshield. Be careful as the interior plastic pieces get brittle as it gets colder. Body shops are heated as you know.
You may wish to contact your auto insurance representative as some insurance companies cover windshield replacement costs. A faulty windshield with cracks and / or star burst breaks from rock and other hard object high speed hits greatly reduce glass strength. If your windshield is faulty, the next windshield strike can intrude the passenger cabin endangering occupants. (Why I utterly HATE the cheap, soft, and thin, Chinese glass.)
So, with a leak in the butyl rubber gasket, if you choose a quick Winter time fix, you can remove the interior trim and judiciously expose gasket section with water. Your 1991 is a flush mount, so removing or lifting up the factory installed rubber reveal trim is difficult. Have yet to do it.
If you can, and it'll take some hours, remove the interior trim around the windshield and dash. And, somehow, (some other factory flush mount 240 windshield owners here on the brickboard), remove the black rubber flush mount trim (I don't know how to do this). Remove the debris so you see body color, the windshield edge, and the butyl rubber gasket. Apply cold water to gasket sections until it leaks, and then isolate with smaller water volumes delivered like via a turkey baster syringe. You can dig out the exterior brittle butyl rubber sections. Use, perhaps brake parts cleaner to remove find disrt and scum. Apply butyl rubber from a tube in a caulking gun. You may have success sealing the gasket leak with butyl tape. You also be able to discover rust that has formed as well as clean the two drain hole at about the right and left corners along the horizontal bottom of the windshield pan.
Via Pittsburgh Craigslist, some garages for rent if you must do this in Winter. Usually, if you have adequate AC power, those oil filled radiator like heaters work well. Helps if the garage is sealed or air exchange pretty well or is actually insulated.
http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/search/hhh?query=garage&catAbb=prk&srchType=T&minAsk=&maxAsk=&bedrooms=
Hope that helps.
Please lemme know if you have further question oh my fellow 1991 Volvo 240 owning brother!
You know, like Alex from A Clockwork Orange speaking in Nadsat slang and expression. The book or film do well.
Thank you,
MacDuff.
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I lost my .sig.
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