Cowel to windshield seal?

[Vitesse_6]

Hi all.
Doing some body work on the 40 and I noticed the PO used some sort of silicone as a sealer between the bulkhead and cowl(where the top vent is) Im going to dig it out, What should be used? Body glue? or should I just re silicone it? Its not huge, Its only about a 1/4" gap.
Thanks

 

[Poser]

There is a thick rubber gasket that seals the lower part of the windshield frame to the body...

 

[Vitesse_6]

This isn't the windshield its self, But below that where the body goes from vertical to horizontal

There is a whitish line, Behind the schwank chrome vent, That is the area I am speaking about.

But thanks

 

[Poser]

Flexiclear body seam sealer by 3M is what I have used to replace what you are describing when I have painted my truck in the past.

 

[lostmarbles]

I mig-welded the entire length of that seam so it can never open up again. (Actually to be truthful - I used flux-cored wire in the mig welder because that works better with my limited skills.)

I was worried about burning my wiring and starting a fire but in the end - I only melted the insulation on one wire that was easily repaired.

But it's not an easy job to do without the vehicle being stripped. And doing it to a "complete" vehicle certainly poses some risk. - But I'm happy now that this seam can NEVER give me trouble again. (No more rain dripping on my toes as I drive.)

Oh - And I have a policy of not using ANY bog/filler.

I don't even use high-build primer (peferring POR15 instead). And even so, I still got that seam looking better than "factory" in my opinion. (Concave curve rather than a bead of sealant sitting proud.)

 

[srgould41]

Auto body seam sealer. You could also use something like 3M 5200? Anyway I have seen the auto body seam sealer at auto parts stores. Comes in caulk gun tubes and maybe smaller ones? Not sure... It should go on and be dry/cured before painting...

 

[crushr]

I've used 3M Fast 'n Firm for body seams:

3M? Fast N Firm? Seam Sealer, 08505, 1/10 Gallon (US) Cartridge, 12 per case

 

[malcb]

Oh - And I have a policy of not using ANY bog/filler.

Not a bad policy - quite tough (to accomplish a good finish) - I might lead fill that seam when I get to that.

 

[Vitesse_6]

Cool, Thanks

I will see if I can get some pic's this evening during my class

 

[lostmarbles]

If you're really keen on using seamsealer then this is what I use - with the result (unpainted) in the background.



It is available in white, grey and maybe black too. (Can't remember.) This sealant is actually grey (which you spell "gray" in the USA I think) but it looks white against my sky blue paintwork.

And it is actually designed to be painted over. (Paint sticks well.)

You'll need to gouge out ALL the old cr@p from the seam, kill the rust in the seam thoroughly, allow a good primer to soak well into the seam, and then force the sealer as deep as you can into the seam. (This will take time to do properly!)

And it helps to have masking tape either side of the seam as you apply the sealer. Then, removing both tapes simultaneously, you should be able to achieve quite a good neat rounded bead of sealant on top of the seam.

Oh - and this sealant I use cleans up well with mineral turpentine so you can finish it off easily with a lint-free cloth dampened with this. (And clean up any stuff-ups with the same.) And - provided you don't SCRUB, the turps won't harm any new paintwork nearby.

 

[handcannon]

Hi all.
I noticed the PO used some sort of silicone as a sealer
Thanks

If it is a true silicone sealer MAKE SURE that you get ALL the sealer off. In my experience nothing can be put over the top of even a very small amount of silicone and count on it sticking.

Good luck!

Don

 

[Vitesse_6]

Thanks again all.
Im not sure its a true silicone or not, It could just be like gasket material, I did however get 90% of it out with a wire wheel, razor blade and knife, Then I sprayed a few cotes of rust converter on it throughout the class.
I plan on using some body glue type filler with the tape method suggested above.
I didnt have a chance to get any pic's, But Im sure I can in the coming days.