So, I'm now moving on to another repair project that I've put off since I got the car long ago. The lower passenger side corner has a water leak that has now over the years gotten worse. My father and I identified it by spraying water, but only 90% sure of exact location. Looks like some of the urethane has separated a little in that area. Took out all passenger side door pillars/carpet/jute insulation. The insulation padding is no longer usable. Soaked all the way back to the firewall, with a little rust I'm gonna have to wire brush and paint. Guess I'm now forced to start my dynamat project early. Pulling dash now to get better look at leak.
Starting this fix is putting me at a cross roads involving another repair project and getting the exterior painted (MY #1 GOAL, PAINT JOB!). The small plastic triangle on the driver side was damaged while the car was sitting so long at my parents house when the driver side mirror was hit and pushed into triangle during the winter. Door and mirror have been repaired, but replacing that triangle looks like apita. Looks like 2 of the 3 screws are under the "A" pillar of the roof piece. No sunroof.
So... i'm thinking that I might as well remove the roof piece and windshield molding and kill a few repair jobs at the same time. But since I'm looking to get the car painted, I don't wanna do things out of order. I would prefer to get the car painted with all panels removed and then put back on. That's my concern. (1) Is it possible to leave the windshield molding off without causing more damage so I can fix the leak and make it so I can easily take the roof piece off again for it to be sanded and painted? Could be about a month before paint job. (2) Is the roof piece/legs stuck to the windshield urethane adhesive? (3) Will the new fierostore windshield molding do any good/it's job since I'm not using new urethane around the windshield like during a windshield replacement? (4) Paint job best when panels removed? (5) By removing some of the damaged urethane under the windshield and forcing new urethane in, will that produce a good seal?
I'm no car pro so forgive me. So many projects at once, so little time. Ugh. Just wanna do things right the first time.
They are painted at the factory with nothing, no windshield or any interior parts. that said if you can pull the windshield without braking it, do so. If you can't go to an automotive glass place, they will take it out for you. it will cost you a hundred bucks or more though going that route. Many here have pulled windshields and back glass without braking them, I have done literally thousands at the factory with the knives, I hate those knives. A friend who owned a body shop turned me onto the wire method and my glass knives haven't seen the light of day in decades.
And oh ya, just because you think you found the leak doesn't mean you have, it could be getting in someplace above where you think it is and just running down to where you set it coming into the passenger compartment. So better to pull and do a new install than try to fix a leak. you can also ask the glass place about fixing a leak, but I am sure they will say they have to pull the entire windshield to do that, remember they don't want you coming back so they want it to be right the first time.
(3) Will the new fierostore windshield molding do any good/it's job since I'm not using new urethane around the windshield like during a windshield replacement?
The only thing that is for is to cover the gap, that's all, not seal the windshield. there are two kinds of those as well, one like the original and one that has to be put on the glass before they put the windshield in.
Steve
------------------ Technology is great when it works, and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't
Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.
[This message has been edited by 84fiero123 (edited 12-27-2015).]
Just pull out the windshield and fix whatever you find and have a glass company replace the windshield with a new one and new molding. Most guarantee installs forever. Usually only $150-$200. If you have a sunroof, make sure you check it for leaking down the A pillar too. Any car with over a few thousand miles could use new glass anyway.
I have the leak temporarily fixed with some left over butyl windshield tape from when I restored my tail lights. It was definitely right at the lower passenger corner. I'm gonna have the windshield pulled and hopefully put back on, once I finish laying out the dynamat/insulation/carpet. And if it does break, are the after market ones good?
Had a couple done by Safelite autoglass over the years. Been very good, no complaints by me at any rate. I'm just glad you can still get them!
PPG still had them 10 years ago, call around some places like to have a spare windshield in case they brake yours so they may want to do that. Just be advised they may have to make sure there is one available, just in case.
Now that i've got floor pan freshly painted and dynamat secured, I woke up this Sunday morning to the sound of wind and heavy rain. After a cup of coffee I went to take a look to see how everything is holding up. Water puddle ... ugh. And can see where it's seeping in in real time. Lower front part of door seal where it curves upwards. Door seals are original and no breaks or cracks. Even though it hasn't stopped raining yet, I am suspecting that hard molded "rubber" triangle piece mounted to the inside of the door in front of the mirror is the culprit. When the door is closed I see the gap in that area, where water can run down the hinge area and move toward the seal. Finger pointing to where water builds and spills over into floor pan.
I'm guessing the door is not seating up against the seal, but can't see. Thoughts?
One thing I've notice are the 'air/drain holes' in the seal. The one at the lower front has the hole on top, but the one on the bottom below it didn't have the plug part removed. The hole punch is there, but the piece of rubber was stuck inside to the inside hollow part of the seal. So I started looking at both passenger and driver side to compare. Driver side has no holes at all below the top ones, while passenger side had 3. What's going on here? Are these seal the same on other 87 GT door seals? Top Holes: Bottom hole close to front:
Anyone else have this oddity with the door seals being different on driver and passenger doors?
IF you had ever removed the front cowl cover, you could have created a leak around the screw holes that secure it to the body. Those screw hole penetrate through the front metal firewall and are sealed at the factory. I have always taken a small dime-sized wafer of butyl windshield rubber about the thickness of a nickle, and placed it over the holes before reinstalling the cowl and screws. It helps to seal and remains thicker than using RTV which will squish down to almost nothing.
84fiero123: Yeah you read that wrong. Now finding out I have two leaks. 1 being the lower corner of passenger windshield. That has been identified and temporarily fixed. No leak in windshield anymore. Heater core was replaced a while ago. No leak there.
fierofool: My cowl is removed but I did plug the holes with rubber and the cowl will remain removed until I can remove the roof piece.
Maybe I have now changed topics but the new leak is involving the door now.
Screw driver at bottom of pic points to where water pools up on door seal, and then spills over onto floor pan. Finger is pointing to the hole where water comes from inside the door. And yes, carpet and insulation on interior door panel are soaked in that lower corner area. Door seal seats against door fine. New dew wipes were installed 3 years ago along with new windows from prosource. Some how it's getting through but am HIGHLY suspecting the triangle rubber molded piece near the mirror, then traveling down the interior metal cavity of the door and coming out that hole. Can reproduce it with me inside, door closed, window all the way up and have my father pour water on passenger window near mirror. I guess I could cover the hole with a small section of dynamat, which could redirect the water (even worse go to other hole at bottom right of pic). But this isn't right. And driver side pools water in that same area on door seal also. Does anyone have a good picture of their dew wipes/triangle near mirror with window all the way up I can use for reference? Maybe when I put mine on I don't have the outer dew wipe lined up correctly.
IF you had ever removed the front cowl cover, you could have created a leak around the screw holes that secure it to the body. Those screw hole penetrate through the front metal firewall and are sealed at the factory. I have always taken a small dime-sized wafer of butyl windshield rubber about the thickness of a nickle, and placed it over the holes before reinstalling the cowl and screws. It helps to seal and remains thicker than using RTV which will squish down to almost nothing.
I don't have any pics but there are 4 or 5 horizontal screws that are recessed into front edge of the air intake cover in front of the windshield. I put the butyl on the holes in the body, set the cowl intake cover in place and install the screws. The sealant should be between the cover and the body to squish and make a good seal
I don't have any pics but there are 4 or 5 horizontal screws that are recessed into front edge of the air intake cover in front of the windshield. I put the butyl on the holes in the body, set the cowl intake cover in place and install the screws. The sealant should be between the cover and the body to squish and make a good seal
If it's the windshield cowl fierofool is referring to, those screws don't go all the way through the firewall. They screw into the thin metal thats part of the windshield drain area (the 2 areas covered by that plastic mesh). Any water that gets in those holes would drain through the 2 windshield drain pipes.
fierogt28: You started this thread many moons ago: <--Link--> Take it that never got resolved, but believe I'm having the same exact issue. Remembering when I did my dew wipes and door glass, these guys were stuck on with some adhesive. Didn't put adhesive back on when putting things back together because I might need to take it apart again. Sometimes I have to do things twice in order to get things correct. But this molding piece looks like it's also supposed to stop water from coming down the side/thickness part of the window. Mine as you can see is beaten up with a little tear that's supposed to meet the window when all the way up. Got some 3M weatherstripping adhesive on order and will attempt to restore/build up split areas to see if that does anything. Driver door striker: Driver door mirror: Just like original dew wipes, maybe these pieces have cracked and split just as bad and need replaced or repair All 4 of my moldings are screwy. Damn I wish I had a garage.
If it's the windshield cowl fierofool is referring to, those screws don't go all the way through the firewall. They screw into the thin metal thats part of the windshield drain area (the 2 areas covered by that plastic mesh). Any water that gets in those holes would drain through the 2 windshield drain pipes.
I described the screws as being at the front of the cowl. They're actually at the rear of the cowl, and are the only screws that hold the cover in place. All other fasteners are push-in type and they do go into the drain area. The 4 screws do, indeed, go into the passenger compartment. You can see one of the screw heads in the recess just underneath the wiper arm. Another can be seen at the far left of the photo. There are two more similarly located on the passenger half of the cover. If you have the cowl cover removed, try passing a shop light around underneath the dash. You'll be surprised at what you'll see from the outside.
My cowl is off and I can put my fingers behind all 4 of the holes that are secured with screws. There are no holes that continues through into the passenger or driver compartments in dash. It's like an upward lip of the windshield drain area, all open space.
I'll take your word for it. I'm not going to take one of mine apart to verify, but every one I've ever removed that was original, had a sealant on the back side. So, I put sealant back on them when I install them. Aerodonamic (RIP) was the one who always told me that the screw holes passed through the metal and into the cabin.
I'll take your word for it. I'm not going to take one of mine apart to verify, but every one I've ever removed that was original, had a sealant on the back side. So, I put sealant back on them when I install them. Aerodonamic (RIP) was the one who always told me that the screw holes passed through the metal and into the cabin.
Not sure if those holes go all the way into the passenger compartment myself Charlie but I do know what you are talking about the butyl spots are common on anything that is outside and attached to the superstructure. We used to have a guy who just went up the line and put those in as far back as he could, also all seat belt anchors go right threw the same material but in like a bandage form, he would slap those on all belt holes and another type in other holes, just depended on what size the holes were. Those bandage sealers are used anywhere large bolts are used, the small ones are just the same sealer that was pulled off a log of the stuff and just rolled between the fingers and put wherever they were needed.
.JPG)
