Windscreen leaks

[Luxobarge]

Hi - after some advice:

Since we've had our Minor, it's been pretty damp inside. I've sorted one or two leaks through the door seals, but I have a persistent drip from the windscreen now - and the amount it's been raining recently it's got pretty wet in there!

It's coming from the lower right hand side - the drips are from the lower edge of the seal, not the upper part that seals the glass, so I think it's a leak between the body and the seal, rather than the seal and the glass.

Clearly I need to squirt some sort of sealer in there as soon as possible - my question is, has anybody got any tipsw/advice on what it best to use?

I'm very tempted to use black silicone sealer, but I seem to remember reading that you shouldn't do this on window seals - can anybody confirm or deny this?

Thanks!

[PSL184]

The seal "shouldn't" need sealer!. How old is the seal? The leak is probably not coming in at the bottom - Its just that it will come out at the lowest point.... Sealer, in my experiance, doesn't work. What does work is a new seal, a scrupiously clean window frame and a very tight fitting chrome trim. The trim is designed to push the outer seal tight against the body and stop the water from getting past. If you want to try sealer remove the chrome trim first then apply sealer in between the frame and inner step of the seal then renew the chrome trim using the longest possible length to force the outer seal tight against the body. When you cut the trim cut it at least 3/4" too long and force it in....

[Luxobarge]

PSL - good point, I should have mentioned this. It's a brand new seal, put in by the previous owner during the restoration. The whole car was resprayed at this point too, so I'm pretty confident that the metal frame is in good nick too. You're right, maybe I really need to take it out and re-install it, but that's not going to happen until the weather is warm, so I'm looking to seal it at least until next summer!

Yes, of course you're right the water will be getting in the top and running down - I was looking to seal it all along the top and down each side to make sure.

Any advice as to what sealer to use?

Cheers!

[PSL184]

Yes, this is about as good as it gets....

http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=8110

[Luxobarge]

Yes, this is about as good as it gets....

http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=8110

Thanks - top man!

Ah, Frost! - one of my favourite suppliers. The trouble is, I can never order from them without having a flick through the catalogue and ordering about 10 other items that I never knew I needed

Cheers!

[PSL184]

I know the feeling

[PSL184]

ps... don't forget to refit a new chrome trim and cut it too BIG !!!

[aupickup]

the seal should be fitted dry

[MarkyB]

the seal should be fitted dry

In the book it says use Sealastic sealing compound.
I like the sound of Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure. Nice mixture of ancient and modern

[aupickup]

mine was fitted dry when the car was new and still does not leak
i have sen that in some books, but if you can is better dry

[bmcecosse]

If FROST are selling something - you can always get it for much less somewhere else! Just depends if you can be bothered looking for the 'else'.

[Peetee]

you can always get it for much less somewhere else

NEGATIVE COMMENT, NEGATIVE COMMENT!
T's & C's !!
T's & C's !!!

[DAVIDMCCULLOUGH]

I would recommend using 3M sealer, all good motor shops should sell it. It remains fleible and Ive found it really good, make sure you polish the paint well round the screen to make it easier to clean off the surplus!!

[Luxobarge]

... make sure you polish the paint well round the screen to make it easier to clean off the surplus!!

Are you insinuating that my car isn't already highly polished??? How very dare you!!!




Only joking - thanks for the tip, I'll look into the 3M stuff and make sure that I am in a position to remove all the surplus - it's not a good look with smears of sealant showing all over the roof and A pillars, is it?

Cheers!

[linearaudio]

My moggy came with leaking screen and a tube of "arboflex", alledgedly purloined from local windscreen fitters. Non setting mastic which skins over, much better than silicone which won't stick to anything remotely moist ie anything anytime in our climate!!
Also put it to use sealing down the gearbox cover and sundry other bits.

[Luxobarge]

Finally - a day when a) it's warm and dry and b) my wife hasn't run off with the car - got a chance to seal this windscreen.

In the end I used these two products, from Frost:

(you've gotta love a company with the name Frost Auto Restoration Techniques, especially when you use only the capital letters.... )



The "crack sealer" is a very thin white liquid, so I squirted some of that all along the top of the rubber and down one side - and sure enough it soon appeared on the inside of the screen, where it's been leaking water!

Used the trusty hairdyer to dry this off for 20-30 minutes, then put the thick black sealer in, wiped off the excess with kitchen roll and job done! Actually quite a bit of black sealer went in behind the rubber, but the rubber is sitting back reasonably flush with the bodywork now, and you'd be hard put to tell I've put any sealer in there.

When it's all gone off I'll test it with a garden hose (assuming it doesn't rain!) but I'm pretty confident it will be fine now.

Cheers!

[PSL184]

I'm sure they named the company deliberately
I used to work in the USA and just down the road from us was the "Texas Interstate Truck Stop"

[Luxobarge]

I'm sure they named the company deliberately
I used to work in the USA and just down the road from us was the "Texas Interstate Truck Stop"

Hehe - puts me in mind of "Trotters Independant Traders"