Have an 02 Taurus that's leaking water at the top of the windshield, and the gasket is doing this...



It'll pretty much pull out all the way around the windshield. Guess I need to take it all out, clean the edge of the windshield interface with a degreaser and nylon brush, pump a bunch of sealant in there and reinstall the gasket.

What kind of cleaner and sealant should I use for this job? Any advice appreciated.

 

That windshield should be professionally reset if you have airbags. It's designed to stay in place to back up the airbags in an accident.

 

I would say the last outfit to replace the windshield did not do a spectacular job and skimped on the adhesive/sealant. You could go cheap and add more sealant to try to stop the leak and reglue the trim (its not a gasket, only a trim strip) but as Dave points out it serves an important function in a collision to provide a support surface for the airbags. If the windshield did not get bonded to the pinch weld lip due to insufficient adhesive it could pop out in a collision when the airbag hits it and the airbag simply exits the now vacant windshield opening rather than fully protecting you and passenger.

If you decide you must risk it, DO NOT USE SILICONE. The correct adhesive is a special urethane glue and comes in a caulking type tube and is specific for setting auto windshields, 3M is a trusted brand. Walmart won't have it on their shelf. Try a NAPA auto parts store or better yet, an actual auto body supply store. For cleaning I would use lacquer thinner. It should be aggressive enough to clean without hurting the paint, although on a 26 year old car all bets are off. Best of luck!