Fixing loose window in Lionel inspection pickup truck

Your photos are helpful.  Shape "magic Scotch tape" (role or crease) to secure to window as you hold the tape on the window with fingers or tweezers.  While holding tape, practice placing window and holding for a few seconds.

Use white craft glue similar to Aleene's® Fast Grab Tacky Glue that dries clear.  Apply a few dots of glue to the window  edges using a toothpick, position window and hold for a few seconds, let dry and remove tape.

Thanks for your input, Susan. Looking at this, and based on a little past experience, I decided it was necessary to take the truck apart. There's really no substitute for pushing windows firmly back into place from the inside with the glue in place. So that's what I did - fortunately there weren't any heroics required to get it done.

Kind of pricey but looks to be a handy tool at times. Offered by Micromark. Susan has some good tips regarding the gluing process. This looks like the ticket for positioning the window.

You can also use canopy glue for this type of repair.  Its designed to dry clear, with no residue.

@Dave_C posted:

Kind of pricey but looks to be a handy tool at times. Offered by Micromark. Susan has some good tips regarding the gluing process. This looks like the ticket for positioning the window.

You can buy those tools for a couple of bucks overseas.  $3.50 shipped from AliExpress

You could possibly create your own tool from an old eye dropper with a little bit of sticky stuff like museum putty at the tip or even a bead of Elmer's glue that you would let dry completely before using. It looks like the micro mark tool is a fancy version of that.

Thanks Dave and GRJ for those suction device ideas, as well as to others for suggestions. I was wondering if there were some small suction devices out there. That might be a handy tool to have around.

Before a repair I like to check the Lionel parts site to see if spares are available in case the part gets messed up. Using tape or even suction devices could be risky here - if the window slips or shifts in the process, glue could get on the window surface and smear. Plus pulling a window back in place tightly against the frame from the outside is problematic. Unfortunately these window replacements are "not available." Taking the truck apart and putting the window in place from the inside seemed the safest bet.

The beauty of Tester's Small Parts Cement (a.k.a canopy cement) is it dries clear, it's even used to make small windows.

Another approach...

Glue a tiny neodymium magnet to the end of a wood dowel/stick.  Then find a small steel washer or nut  that provides a strong attraction to the tool magnet.  Sandwich your plastic window between the magnet and nut.  Apply the dabs of tacky glue or canopy glue to the window flange.  Insert and position the window in the door frame.   Carefully turn the assembled car and tool on its side, tool/window downward.  You could support the car/tool in this position until the glue has enough time to set, the weight of the tool holding the window in place.   Pull the tool free, and you're done.

Sure, the small nut or washer is left inside the car.  But if it's small enough, gravity will help it find a suitable hiding place to come to rest unobtrusively in the interior (Just like the pocket change that finds its way out my pants to 'somewhere' beneath the driver's seat in my vehicle!!!).  After all, why would we be shaking the truck to cause a rattle on the layout???

Just a thought...FWIW.  It's the 'MacGyver' in me, I guess.

KD