HELP my jeeps drowning

OK i need help, its raining like crazy and going to for the next five monthes, my cowl/winshield gasket was toast so i went and bought a new one at olymic 4X4 (90YJ) i unhooked all my crap on the winshield,,bars,,and inside plates, softtop bars, rolled the top back, dropped the winshield unscrewed the old one, cleaned it all out dryed it all, then replaced it with the new one, making shure ithe lips were into the gasket and it was seated correctly, tilted the windshield back up and re-assembled it all, so now its been sitting outside in the pouring rain and ya you guessed it, my floor-boards are soaked,,and carpet, im dripping water from under the dash and from the corners by the plates above the speakers, , i need help,,or my dash is gonna rot, or give up the electrical ghost, , was i supposed to calk behind the outside lip? was i supposed to calk anywhere on the gasket,,top,,bottom?? , help, please, John Pike, email me at scope_addict "at" verizon "dot" net or here, anything quick would be most apriciated,, thanks again

First try adjusting the bar to allow the window to pull back further to compress the gasket and check your wiper motor cover ensure it is up tight in the lip of the gasket this assists in compressing the gasket against the top and bottom of the window.

If all else fails and you do not need to drop your windshield silicone can be your friend. Remove the gasket, run a bead around the complete circumference of the dash mating area, replace the gasket, and do the same around the bottom of the windshield. I did this on my CJ when it came time to replace the gasket because aftermarket gaskets are not as good as the OEMs. It should be as leak proof as a frogs butt.

HarryS

First try adjusting the bar to allow the window to pull back further to compress the gasket and check your wiper motor cover ensure it is up tight in the lip of the gasket this assists in compressing the gasket against the top and bottom of the window.

If all else fails and you do not need to drop your windshield silicone can be your friend. Remove the gasket, run a bead around the complete circumference of the dash mating area, replace the gasket, and do the same around the bottom of the windshield. I did this on my CJ when it came time to replace the gasket because aftermarket gaskets are not as good as the OEMs. It should be as leak proof as a frogs butt.

HarryS

The stock ones come with two sided tape in that front lip to keep water out. They will leak like a sieve without it.

Do 'not' use silicone of any type. It reacts with humidity and will fast rot out the frame from it's fumes going acid.

If you must use goop, get the proper windshield stuff.

Mike

"JohnE.P.--JEP" wrote:

Thanks Bill but its not coming from the vent drain. i have my vent covered over on the outside, and have checked the drain, question 1-- was i supposed tp use adhesive on the top part of the winshield/cowl gasket? question 2--if so what type of adhesive??

thanks john p new Jeepers-creepers owner,,,

Frogs drink through their skin :-)

Dave Milne, Scotland '91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

Harry, my new replacement didnt come with the tape, so, yes silicone became my friend today,,,,acualy rtv,silicone, i dropped the windshield, and goodped all,,top and bottom, 9ll replace in spring, if the sun comes back out,,, then,,,got all back togeather,,,again,,,,, used the hose, and low and behold more waterfalls inside,,,grrrrrrr, so i finaly figured it was coming outove the winshield frame, its leaking "in" from where the softop meets the frame channel, ran out of caalking so i have to wait till tommorrow, but at least now i know where one of the major ones are, , oh i drilled out the corners of my windshield frame on the inside, to let the water drain,,,alot of water,, , thanks all, for the support, johnp

I feel sorry for you.... RTV silicone just became your biggest nightmare, not friend today....

The stuff will cure and out gas for months/years. The gas is acetic acid based. This will mix with any humidity or water and eat the steel frame. This will rot it away fast.

Mike

"JohnE.P.--JEP" wrote:

O.K. so back in the gerage and strip it all again, will sitka-flex calking work? the marine stuff, what do you recomend?? , i now have no leaking so i can just repeat with what adhesives?? that wont ruin the metal?

thanks, johnp

I'll back Mike up on that one. Bad news. Windshields are sealed with butyl rubber, even bathtub caulk would be better than a silicon product.

A butyl product is used to seal metal siding and windshields I believe.

The original 2 sided tape sure feels like a butyl product. Mine was still flexible after over 15 years. It is not a foam 2 sided tape.

That 3M weatherstrip adhesive Bill mentions is freaking amazing stuff! I used it to glue some chunks of 'rubber' foam flip flop on my cowl corners to help hold my one piece front flip clip square 4 years ago and the stuff hasn't budged.

I also just changed my cowl seal and didn't have any 2 sided tape and mine leaks like a sieve right now. I was planning on using some of the

Be warned. Where that stuff dries, it 'stays' so I am figuring on running a tape line across the frame 'just' at the edge where the rubber comes to.

Mike

"JohnE.P.--JEP" wrote:

Elephant Snot! Been using it for years. Great for sticking things together permanently, like weatherstripping, but takes all day to really bond. I have cleaned out a lot of VW valve covers some idoits glued in with gaskets it, it's a lot of work when Gaska-cinch does a great job and comes off easily.

The stuff I got was a permatex brand I believe and it applied like contact cement which is why I haven't been able to put it on 'after the fact' due to reaching limits. Gotta hold the lip open while it dries. If I dropped the frame down and took it off to do it right, no problems.

I think they called my stuff 'gorilla snot', so it sure sounds like the same goop.

Mike

Yep. If you no longer have frogs living in your area, it means they died from pollution. They are the first to go.

Too bad. Ordinary RTV silicone is eventually going to be your enemy. It off-gasses acetic acid (last time we discussed this one poster told of his aerospace experiments which showed that the stuff never really stops off-gassing) and will eventually rot in your windshield frame. It also plays merry hell with electronics and is a well-known killer of engine emissions sensors. I'd also be a bit worried about the RTV between the windshield rubber and the frame forming a `pond liner' under your windshield frame and holding water up against the metal. If I was going to caulk there I'd only do the leading edge and leave the cabin side open to drain.

If you've just got to use some sort of RTV caulk, be sure it is labled for windshield use.

I'm having a hard time grasping how so much water is entering the top of your windshield at the channel. It isn't unusual for water to get behind the glass seal and leak that way too.