FZJ80 96 Leaking Water

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Bombatron

Bombatron

10 Year
Joined
Aug 1, 2014
Threads
23
Messages
107
Location
Seattle, WA
Hi everyone, I recently picked up a 96 LC with relatively low milage however the previous owner didn’t really take the best care of her. I live in Seattle and today was finally dry enough to actually work on the truck. Previous owner told me there was a leak by the sunroof so I naturally came here to find the cure. The valleys by the sunroof were already cleaned out and the drain holes were draining properly. Truck was parked on relatively level ground.

Today while doing a little cleaning I noticed a pretty good wet spot on the carpet by the pedals. Any suggestions where I should start looking before I dig in and start tearing apart the interior? Hoping I don’t need to remove the dash.

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Windshield is a likely culprit but another leak source could be from the vapor barrier located behind the door panel. If that is damaged ie from previous work inside the door, water can trickle into the cabin.

Is the A pillar wet or showing moisture stains?

You might want to remove the kick panel sill guard and pull up the carpet in that area to let it dry out. There's also a rubber plug in the floor gutter you can remove to let water out.
 
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X2 on pulling kickpanel
1) can prop Up Carpet to help it dry out
2) can look for water staining running down behind it which to me would point to windshield.

Also look in bottom Corner of windshield gasket for moisture or water staining as well
 
Kernal said:
Windshield is a likely culprit but another leak source could be from the vapor barrier located behind the door panel. If that is damaged ie from previous work inside the door, water can trickle into the cabin.

Is the A pillar wet or showing moisture stains?

You might want to remove the kick panel sill guard and pull up the carpet in that area to let it dry out. There's also a rubber plug in the floor gutter you can remove to let water out.
Click to expand...
No staining on the A pillar. I’ll check the doors and be sure to lift the carpet to dry out. Thanks for the tip on the rubber plug, never knew that was there!
 
jfz80 said:
X2 on pulling kickpanel
1) can prop Up Carpet to help it dry out
2) can look for water staining running down behind it which to me would point to windshield.

Also look in bottom Corner of windshield gasket for moisture or water staining as well
Click to expand...
I’m guessing the windshield is a common leak issue on the 80 series? Hopefully it’s the case in my position. I watched a few YouTube videos and came across someone with an 80 that had the same issue but was on the passenger side. He used a little bit of silicone caulking to stop the leak. It apparently worked for him. Might give that a go if I can confirm the leak is coming from the windshield.
 
Bombatron said:
I’m guessing the windshield is a common leak issue on the 80 series? Hopefully it’s the case in my position. I watched a few YouTube videos and came across someone with an 80 that had the same issue but was on the passenger side. He used a little bit of silicone caulking to stop the leak. It apparently worked for him. Might give that a go if I can confirm the leak is coming from the windshield.
Click to expand...
The windshield leak is commonplace for two reasons. Losing bond over time rap with off-road use and also more prevalent is improper install. It is imperative you follow fsm guidelines and glue gasket to glass AND body no matter what your glass guy says.

Caution on silicone. I think I’ve read somewhere that it may promote rust ? Not certain though.

Here is one thread on a diy patch if it helps

forum.ih8mud.com

HOW TO: Fix your leaky windshield

UPDATE: This fix is still working, it's bone dry 3+ years later. I had water leaking into the cab from the windshield. It was a replacement windshield that was in the truck when I bought it. It didn't have the sealant/adhexsive as specified in the FSM. I noticed the carpet in the driver...
forum.ih8mud.com forum.ih8mud.com
 
Look for the Manufacturer's stamp on the windshield glass, if anything
other than Toyota then it's been replaced. Of course the PO could've
installed an OEM windshield incorrectly also.

Here's one of the 3M products designed for windshields (08603) it cures slower than another (08609) to give a bit more work time:


If the windshield is/has been leaking it might be better to have a shop pull it out, check for and fix any rust, then reseal the entire windshield with a new gasket.
 
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If the door drain holes are clogged it can fill up the door bottoms, overflow and saturate the carpet. Depending on how you are parked, the puddle can show up anywhere.

I have cleaned sunroof holes and door holes and depending on how I am parked, will take on water depending on the duration, intensity, and direction of the rain (Garage wanted lol). My windshield was replaced last fall (so nice btw) with no effects I can tell.

If I park perpendicular to a hill with the truck leaning to passenger or driver side it will poor out the main holes under the front floor pans (if they are unclogged). I do this periodically, use desiccant bags sometimes, remove plastic floor mats, drive it a lot, and live with it. For me, nit-picking water leaks in my Land Cruisers is not worth it, I end up getting them all wet inside all the time anyway. That said, if rust or mold and mildew is a problem in your climate/area then water-sealing may be a different animal.
 
jfz80 said:
The windshield leak is commonplace for two reasons. Losing bond over time rap with off-road use and also more prevalent is improper install. It is imperative you follow fsm guidelines and glue gasket to glass AND body no matter what your glass guy says.

Caution on silicone. I think I’ve read somewhere that it may promote rust ? Not certain though.

Here is one thread on a diy patch if it helps

forum.ih8mud.com

HOW TO: Fix your leaky windshield

UPDATE: This fix is still working, it's bone dry 3+ years later. I had water leaking into the cab from the windshield. It was a replacement windshield that was in the truck when I bought it. It didn't have the sealant/adhexsive as specified in the FSM. I noticed the carpet in the driver...
forum.ih8mud.com forum.ih8mud.com
Click to expand...

2nd this - I had a leak in the passenger corner of mine. Sealed all the way around with this same product and no more issues. It has been 2 years.
 
Check the roof for rust, especially near the windshield. After lifting the carpet, point a fan underneath. Another on top if you have two. Provide FSM pages to installer if you go that route; be there when they do it if possible; take photos at home, when you drop it off on their property, and when you pick it up on their property (in case they bust or crack it, etc.). I dunno if there's a way to check and make sure they followed procedure after the fact, if you can't watch them do it. There ARE guys who will come out and do this at your place. Not sure where you are, but there's a highly recommended guy who works the San Fernando Valley (CA) and nearby areas. Or, look for a reputable Cruiser shop. Or some nearby Mudders who know their stuff. (No shop insurance if they (or you) break the thing, though :) )
 
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Mine is still an issue !! Sunroof Drains cleared , New Windshield installed and still getting water running down the passenger " A " piller footwell area?

See picture above...
 
Sharky1528 said:
Mine is still an issue !! Sunroof Drains cleared , New Windshield installed and still getting water running down the passenger " A " piller footwell area?

See picture above...
Click to expand...
Wow! Thanks for the great photo. I’ll have to see if that’s where my leak is coming from also. The PO said he cleared the sunroof drains, I just hope he didn’t damage the tube while doing so. Hopefully you find a remedy for your leak soon.
 
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There's a couple of different things you can do. There's the zip tie method that you can use to clean the frame rails. That's where they drain. Here is the fix that I did though and never had to worry about the leaks again. Where your picture shows is where the sunroof drains are. They drain into the frame rails. Even when they are draining properly it's still not great. What you can do is re-route the drains. If you look into the cavity that you pictured you find the drain for the sunroof. You can pull that hose out of the cavity and re-route it through the floor. If you pull up your carpet you will find rubber grommets near the kick panels you pictured. When I did mine I added on a bit of hose to give a little more length, cut a slit in the rubber grommet or remove it completely and feed the hose through it. Once you get the panels back on you won't see any of this. Mine never leaked again.
 
Sharky1528 said:
Mine is still an issue !! Sunroof Drains cleared , New Windshield installed and still getting water running down the passenger " A " piller footwell area?

See picture above...
Click to expand...
It's not likely this is coming from the windshield. That leak is typically down the firewall, behind the dash. The only way to prevent this is to replace the sunroof seal. Since this isn't possible, or at least I don't know of anyone who has a replacement made for the OEM seal, the next best solution is to replace the front drain tubes with a pair of rear tubes and route them though the pocket out of one of the body panel screw holes, under the fender seam. FWIW, this is how the rear drains are routed and how the 120 series is designed.

This solution allows the water to drain from the sunroof pan out of the cabin, without draining into the cabin first. The rearmost of the two screws is the best one to remove, IMO, but either will work. You'll have to drill the hole out to allow for the tube to exit, but if you use the right size bit, you won't need any sealant.

You really can't clean the drain tubes, even if you run a string through them; the best you can hope for is that you have dislodged any large blockage.
 
@Malleus Thanks !!! do you have any way to send a few pic's of what you are talking about ? I think i'm picking up on it but a picture or two would help a lot !! Do you think I will need to remove the headliner to do this repair ?
 
Another thing to think about is if it may be coming from farther rear. Like your belt mldg gaskets or vent gasket hole things.
Remember a month or so ago, that guy that had all the coolant in the driver foot well of his 80???

Ended up that someone spilled a gallon of coolant in the trunk and it ran forward.

If you have a large leak and the vehicle is parked with its ass in the air, this could be the culprit. Check your jack location for wetness.

I'm probably wrong , but its worth a shot.
 
Sharky1528 said:
@Malleus Thanks !!! do you have any way to send a few pic's of what you are talking about ? I think i'm picking up on it but a picture or two would help a lot !! Do you think I will need to remove the headliner to do this repair ?
Click to expand...
Sorry, I don't have any from my work, and it's raining out now, so I can't get any until tomorrow. The lower body screws are easy to find; run your hand down the rear edge of the front fender, around the lower bend. The rearmost screw, with a large fender washer on it, is at that point. The front screw is about an 1.5" forward of that.

Yes, you have to drop the headliner, but not the trim on the A pillar. The holes in the pillar that the hose is routed through are not in a straight line. I tried for over an hour to push the tubing up from the floor and it kept binding. It took me 5 minutes pulling it down from the roof to get it in place.

You'll want to use a plug in the lower end of the tubing, with a string in it, to use as a pulling device. Attach the lower end of the string to the upper end of the front drain tube you're replacing and use the tubing to pull the string down through the body panels. Then attach the upper end of the string/plug to the lower end of the rear tubing you're reinstalling in the front tubing location, and pull that tubing down. Same process for both sides.

I soaked my replacement tubes in warm soapy water and ran a brush through them before I installed them. This is the only way to clean a sunroof drain tube, and it's impractical to do it while the tubing is in the body.

Be aware before you begin, this is not a 5 minute fix. I probably spent 3 hours doing this, not counting the time I lost fiddling with the tubing before I figured out the easy way to replace it. If you have an early 80 without the headliner tray, it'll be that much more difficult.

@jsloden's idea is much simpler, but you risk kinking the tubing as it comes out of the pocket and behind the plastic kickpanel. That's the reason I chose my workaround instead of his.
 
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