Close



Results 1 to 7 of 7
  1. #1
    FEP Super Member gr79's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    SE Michigan
    Posts
    5,141

    Default Hatch roof area water leak and rust repair

    A short story of how a leak was found. Water leaks like this cause damage.

    While doing rust repair work under the ps rear seat, noticed evidence water has been collecting there from somewhere.
    The fold down seat panel carpet was damp in that corner. Car towels that happened to be there- damp. Recent developments..
    The large ps 1/4 trim panel is temp removed, so nothing is hidden.

    While driving in light rain, noticed in rear view mirror the suspected water drip from the roof area.
    Thought i seen a drip last week. Now drip was enough to see consistently. Yup we got a roof leak.
    Rained overnite, my chance to place a bucket to catch and measure any water. Wow more than a quart.
    That put a roof leak repair on top of priority fix list.
    The hatch rubber seal was changed out in May. Suspected pinched hatch seal or something was ruled out.

    Opened the hatch and chiseled out the corner area seam sealer to inspect the metal under it.
    Quickly found out where the drips were coming from. Rust outs.
    Rust outs hidden under the seam sealer where the hatch metal, rear 1/4, and roof meet.
    Water was running inside car, hidden down the inside of the 1/4 panel trim. When the trim was on, no drips were seen.
    A faint water trail on the back of the panel looks to run inside the trim down toward the rear ps speaker area.

    Seam sealer did not seem to seal anymore. Failed. Prob years ago.
    The only time the leak was discovered is when the 1/4 trim was removed last week for repairs.
    Obviously took years for the water damage to progress this far.
    Aged cracked seam sealer, with pin holed rusted metal under it, allowed water into car. Welded seams are ok no gaps.

    The driver side hatch/roof area seam sealer area looks ok. At a later date will be removed for metal inspection and resealed.

    Before repairs, outside:
    Name:  rust hatch roof corner (2)3030.JPG
Views: 127
Size:  40.8 KB

    Inside:
    Name:  rust hatch roof corner (1)3030.JPG
Views: 127
Size:  17.3 KB

    Yesterday got the repair done. Is now a very solid area.
    3/16" rivets, black hammered type paint on base and new metal. Air rivet gun installed rivets tight and easily.
    3/16" x 1/2" size rivet was too long. Used 1/8". 1/4 or 3/8 long would have been be ideal. Did not have.
    Will redo if the 1/8" rivets pull out. Seem ok. Rivets were installed from inside car in case they have to be replaced.
    With repair metal in place, stuffed holes from the outside with butyl, then finished gutter area with black roof cement.
    Not exactly perfect factory work nor a lipstick repair, and will be hidden when trim panel is reinstalled.

    A 3/16" drilled hole for a rivet showed layers of old and new metal. Filed all hole burrs and patch sharp edges:
    Name:  rust hatch roof corner (4)3030.JPG
Views: 126
Size:  20.6 KB

    Metal patchs. Inner one is 24g to fill gap under outer plate patch. Metal was cut to shape with snips.
    Base metal and repair patches are sprayed non gloss black.
    Name:  rust hatch roof corner (5)3030.JPG
Views: 126
Size:  23.9 KB
    Last edited by gr79; 05-03-2020 at 11:35 AM.

  2. #2

    Default

    Wow good thing you caught that!
    Nice looking repair!
    79 Zephyr, 4.6L 4v/4r70w swap, with team z front and rear suspension, 8.8 and upgraded brakes and coil overs. Running Holley Terminator X Max.

  3. #3
    FEP Super Member gr79's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    SE Michigan
    Posts
    5,141

    Default

    Thank you M. Actually enjoyed it. Not exactly production quality, but was not intended to be. Functional rough sketched art.
    Its the fit and function that counts. Making it pretty comes later, if at all. It is a lot stronger there than factory.
    Try to do it right to make it strong and hopefully long lasting, without overkill or expense.
    Welding would have been neater and can always do that if needed, but have to use regular steel (redo). Soo..

    Have more areas like that. Floorpan for one. Have not checked ds of hatch yet. More practice.
    Have bit of water collecting in the ds floor.
    Same with the Ranger on the pass side. Stumped for now. Will find it.
    Last edited by gr79; 04-28-2020 at 01:55 PM.

  4. #4
    FEP Super Member gr79's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    SE Michigan
    Posts
    5,141

    Default

    Added the missing outside view to pictures after sealer was removed.
    Have lots of pics in other posts have to redo.
    Some posts are locked so cant correct them.
    You should see. Have 1000's on the pc. Annual Detroit car shows, cruise videos.
    Pics of repairs, mods, before and after. The old Cobra gets plenty of photo ops.

  5. #5
    FEP Super Member gr79's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    SE Michigan
    Posts
    5,141

    Default

    More pics coming. The usual and odd rust out spots found.

    Repair of rearmost 1/4 panel rocker and wheel well successful with Bondo Glass, riveted gutter mesh.
    Used easy to form gutter mesh and black tar like roof patch in the wheel well. Actually looks factory again.
    Roof patch acts like hd seam sealer. Much cheaper too. Flexible, waterproof, good finished texture.
    Using wire brush and black hammered paint on non-visual areas.

    Corded multitool, with regular d/a disks, working well for detailed sanding. Much more control than a d/a.
    Dedicated small corded grinder with knotted wire, right angle air grinder with flap disks, files, scotch loc disks help too.

    Hatch door and seam, hatch/roof rain channel, under side moldings, lower door panels, door sill and 1/4 rocker areas.
    Rusted floor pan sections repaired prior. Holes, but not big enough to replace whole pan.

    Working on the front ds A pillar now and starting to address the rust holes. Hinge area, fender area cowl seam. Cowl fine.
    Was leaking water dripping and mostly trickling onto ds floor pan in a heavy rain.
    Rust holes, pinch seam gaps. Temp patches with metal, butyl. Small holes patched with Bondo Glass. No mesh needed.
    Down to a couple small drips pouring a cup of water onto the w/s corner. Nothing like before.

    Unseen water leaks sure have rusted many a floor pan from the inside out.
    Have no carpeting in front, just rubber mats and rubber liner. Collected water shows up easily.
    No new rust has appeared on the pan.
    Carpet and pad suck this up like a sponge but no drying out. Hidden rusting.
    Last edited by gr79; 07-26-2020 at 02:31 PM.

  6. #6
    FEP Super Member gr79's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    SE Michigan
    Posts
    5,141

    Default

    Hatch/roof ps hole before being repaired with Bondo Glass tooled with a popsicle stick.
    Also touched up ds hatch rain channel, top corner, with plastic roof cement rather than seam sealer.
    PS was done that way last year and happy with result so far. Material is black, more flexible, tools the same.
    Name:  rust hatch rain channel ps.JPG
Views: 63
Size:  21.8 KB

    ds upper windshield Bondo Glass again. All done. Sanded, molding back on flat.
    Name:  a pillar top ds 1.JPG
Views: 60
Size:  31.7 KBName:  a pillar top ds 2JPG.JPG
Views: 60
Size:  47.1 KBName:  door jamb ds.JPG
Views: 60
Size:  42.5 KBName:  molding ps door holes.JPG
Views: 60
Size:  35.7 KB
    Last edited by gr79; 07-26-2020 at 03:36 PM.

  7. #7
    FEP Super Member gr79's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    SE Michigan
    Posts
    5,141

    Default water leaks and rust holes

    Yikes. Where all those t-roof reinforcement brackets in the aftermarket?
    Will pattern the repair after them. Same gauge metal and 1/4" rivets or weld.
    Prob will use strong tie brackets. They work good with rivets. Or weld on patches. Door removal either way.
    Are temp patched with aluminum and butyl. Stopped the water trails to inside of foot well.
    Passenger side is fine.
    https://www.google.com/search?q=stro...h=693&biw=1152
    Name:  jamb pillar hinge holes ds 3030.JPG
Views: 58
Size:  24.0 KB

    Poking around for a tiny drip, was puzzled that, when my pickup claw tool was shoved up the ds cowl vent, it came out this hole.
    Thought i found something. Nope. Poured water down the hole. Waaa- The water drained normal into the fender. None inside.
    Name:  cowl vent hole tool 3030.JPG
Views: 58
Size:  32.8 KB

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •