On Tue, 29 Oct 1996 joseph_cianciotti@ns_gmosf.gmosf.com wrote:
>
> Well, the first real rain storm came last night and, as I suspected, my MGB
>has
> a few leaks. Replacing the vent window seals is easy. But I need some help
> diagnosing and correcting a couple of other leaks. (Any help would be
>greatly
> appreciated.)
I think you're kidding here, but that's all right. I have procrastinated
on the vent window seals but have completed the windshield (oh, the
Heartache). I dread trying to get at all those nuts inside the door to
get the vent window popped up... I assume you're replacing the vent
frame/door seal as well as the vent window/frame seal?
> 1) At the front right corner of the windshield at the top of the dash. I'm
>not
> sure if the water is coming through the windshield frame (Is that possible?),
> around the glazing rubber (water does seem to collect at the exterior corners
>of
> the windshield), or from beneath the windshield. The corner seal at the
>bottom
> of the pillar does look a bit old but the bottom rail to body seal is new.
Sure it's possible. Anything's possible. If the glazing rubber is dried
out and crappy it can leak.. but mine lasted a lot longer than the rail to
body seal.
I'd suspect that it is coming through the joint between the fender and the
body. My DPPO (the DPO didn't actually do anything to the car) squirted a
bunch of silicone sealer into these cracks.. which worked for a good
while, actually. Not very elegant but it wasn't too hard to take apart
either.
Don't forget the seal between the upright part of the frame and the vent
window frame. Under heavy seas seepage can come from fairly far away and
show up in really dumb places. My car's favorite was water pouring out of
the stereo, when actually it was a clogged drain tube in the vent. And of
course the soaked outside driver's knee from water running from the
top-to-windshield seal down the windshield frame, through the dash and
wiring system, and then to the knee.
> 2) On the passenger side, water is dripping down the heater/defroster hose.
>I
> reached up the hose and found it was damp all the way to the vent on the
>dash.
> Could this be originating from beneath the windshield?
Yes, or anywhere above that. Is there visible moisture on the top of the
dash itself?
> What can I do short of pulling the windshield and frame out and replacing all
> the seals? Is there something I can do to get me through the rainy season?
>BTW
> both leaks seemed to subside when I was moving. But this could be because my
> attention was on driving and not counting drips.
The silicone caulk is a good bet for the lazy... it should see you through
a few years. But my car is EVER SO MUCH NICER now that I gave up and took
it to the Windshield Guy. It took me a while to find one who appreciated
Britcars, though. Most of them thought it was a Volkswagen of some kind.
> 3) The other day when I washed my car, there was some water in the boot.
> Mostly in the rear near the spare tire and some in the area where the tail
> lights sit. Frankly, I wasn't very careful with the hose and may have
>sprayed
> some water around the filler pipe seal. The tail lights feel a bit loose,
>and
> can be moved slightly. But I've been told this is normal. Today, the only
> water I found was probably collected when I opened the lid to check for
>water.
> Should I worry about any of that and what should I consider replacing?
1) The tail light to body gasket shrinks like crazy. I replaced mine a
year ago and they are almost too small to work now. Similarly for lens to
fixture gasket.
2) Boot lock and badges. I have no gasket between my boot lock and the
boot itself, though I think it would be a Good Thing. I have my badges
fastened on with Blue Goo (RTV) instead of the press fittings and that
works great. I always had a bit of moisture on the back of the spare
before someone at the Berkeley car show suggested the RTV.
> That's it for the weather report from inside my MGB. Thanks in advance for
>your
> help. I need it quick. The car is my daily driver, parked outdoors and
>doesn't
> have the optional bilge pump installed.
You could always drill drain holes (scuppers?)
John M. Trindle | jtrindle@tsquare.com | Tidewater Sports Car Club
'73 MGB DSP | '69 Spitfire E Stock | '88 RX-7 C Stock
"It's bad luck to be superstitious."
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