Cracked Seam Sealer Along Roof Gutter (3 Viewers)

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Fzj80 1997

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My FJ62 is developing cracks in the seam sealer along the gutters. I have seen some trucks with serious rust damage because the owners neglected fixing the cracks. Mine is rust free and I intend to keep it that way. Ideally, I’m looking for something to hold me off until I have time to completely remove the old stuff and reapply new sealer (a very long time).

Does anybody have a good way of taking care of this without completely removing the old stuff?
 
I'm not aware of a way to do that. If you did, I think you'd be making the correct fix harder. It took me a day to get all the old stuff out with picks and wire wheels and to get the new stuff in. So, not really a huge project.
 
Eastwood sells seam sealer strips that you apply by hand. Consistency reminds me of old Silly Putty that we had as kids. They sell it by the pound pretty cheap. You just pull a strip off the paper (similar to tire plug strips) and press it into the areas you need it. I probably wouldnt leave it in long term, but could be a good temporary water tight seal until you have time to do it properly. As @chbrow10 said, I did both my roof gutters in a day the right way. Not a hard job, just tedious getting all the old stuff out and getting the surface prepped for the true seam sealer. I used the 2 part from 3m with the special applicator gun. It is self leveling and lays down nicely and pretty hard to mess up. Just take your time and learn the gun and how slow/fast you need to move along the gutter with it. YouTube has some very helpful videos on laying down seam sealer. Look up some from old hot rod body work guys, they do it right. Here’s the seam sealer strips Eastwood Flexible Strip Caulk Bk 2-lbs - https://www.eastwood.com/ew-flexible-strip-caulk-bk-2-lbs.html
And here’s the seam sealer and gun I used
Amazon product ASIN B000PEW40UAmazon product ASIN B002QWYG1OAnd you need extra applicator tubes like these:
https://www.amazon.com/3M-8193-Mixi...ocphy=9026919&hvtargid=pla-439727851630&psc=1

hope this helps
 
My FJ62 is developing cracks in the seam sealer along the gutters. I have seen some trucks with serious rust damage because the owners neglected fixing the cracks. Mine is rust free and I intend to keep it that way. Ideally, I’m looking for something to hold me off until I have time to completely remove the old stuff and reapply new sealer (a very long time).

Does anybody have a good way of taking care of this without completely removing the old stuff?

If it’s cracking and the only reason you aren’t fixing it is because of time; it will take much more time and money in the future when you want to fix the roof rust.

In my experience, if it’s already cracking, you can peel out the old stuff in an hour or less. Mask off the roof line and apply the new sealer.

Even a busy guy like you can do this. Try waking up an hour earlier one weekend. You could knock the entire job out before breakfast.
 
^^^^
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For those of you who have used the 3M seam sealer, I understand about cleaning out the 'open' horizontal gutter on the sides and the rear. How did you clean out behind the trim on the A pillars? Did you let the sealer flow from the top, and have tape at the bottom to keep the sealer off the paint?
 
For those of you who have used the 3M seam sealer, I understand about cleaning out the 'open' horizontal gutter on the sides and the rear. How did you clean out behind the trim on the A pillars? Did you let the sealer flow from the top, and have tape at the bottom to keep the sealer off the paint?
Let it flow. (I used the Eastwood product, but the same issue is encountered)
 
I sprayed Boeshield anti corrosion spray (using a straw) in my gutters for decades - maybe once a year. Filled the gutters and let it drip down the A-pillar gutter. It dries to a wax. After 30 years there was zero rust in the gutters and the car was never garaged and lived near the beach
 
I sprayed Boeshield anti corrosion spray (using a straw) in my gutters for decades - maybe once a year. Filled the gutters and let it drip down the A-pillar gutter. It dries to a wax. After 30 years there was zero rust in the gutters and the car was never garaged and lived near the beach

I’m guessing that you applied this after removing all the old seam sealer?
 
For those of you who have used the 3M seam sealer, I understand about cleaning out the 'open' horizontal gutter on the sides and the rear. How did you clean out behind the trim on the A pillars? Did you let the sealer flow from the top, and have tape at the bottom to keep the sealer off the paint?
3M has a self leveling (for the gutters) and a “heavy bodied” sealer for vertical applications. You need to be ready and work quick with the heavy bodied stuff, it sets up in seconds
 
I used this stuff as a temporary fix. Still haven't done it 😛



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I’m guessing that you applied this after removing all the old seam sealer?
Nope. Sprayed it on top of the original sealer.
The idea was to seal off any microscopic pores in the original sealer to prevent moisture from getting under it.
It worked.
 
Be careful using silicone sealer. I believe it releases acid when curing that can cause rust. my understanding is that It should only be put on glass and plastic.
 
Be careful using silicone sealer. I believe it releases acid when curing that can cause rust. my understanding is that It should only be put on glass and plastic.
You are almost correct. It is basic, not acidic. It has ammonia. You can smell it when it is wet. It will corrode steel, even stainless steel.
 
I am in agreement with the statements above that it's not a huge project, and best done right the first time. That said, I understand the issues relating to time, and I have the same time/leaky gutter issues. I applied some of this...

(the link isn't posting) but I used Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure, $25 on Amazon

...and it has fixed my issue. I can't say if it will make life more difficult when I finally get around to doing the proper strip and 3m re-seal, but for the time being it has worked like a charm and took may 30sec to apply. Encountered it in the maritime world and seems to work well for small cracks. You can't see it in the gutter even if you look closely, but I no longer have rain/snow dripping from my A pillars.

Clark
 
Mine has similar issues on the seam below the gutter to the body. Has anyone figured out how to grind/wheel that part? It’s such a tight area I’m having a tough time getting in there with dremmel
I used a sturdy razor blade and just thrashed the hell out of it. That seam is actually connected to inside. I sprayed Eastwood rust paint inside above the roof rail and it seeped outside a few places under the gutter. But this means you have to remove the headliner to get access, although you have a custom one so may be able to do this easier.

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I sprayed Boeshield anti corrosion spray (using a straw) in my gutters for decades - maybe once a year. Filled the gutters and let it drip down the A-pillar gutter. It dries to a wax. After 30 years there was zero rust in the gutters and the car was never garaged and lived near the beach
Looking into finally resealing my gutter as a winter project in my garage and came across this. I so wish I had done this because I see visible rust bubbling up under the paint in spots where my roof meets the gutter.
 

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