How was the factory hardtop rain gutter sealed from the factory?

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Splangy

Splangy

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Search on this came up inconclusive. I'm replacing my hardtop rain gutter with one of SouthbostonFJ's kits and I'd like to know how they came sealed from the factory. Mine had a nice thick shmear of white caulking all over the top of the rivets wihtin the whole channel. I can only assume that this was done by the previous owner. I was surprised to not find any type of sealer upon removing the steel raingutter from the fiberglass cap. These didn't come "dry" from the factory did they? I'm thinking they must have had a thin bead of seam sealer along the outer edge of the fiberglass up against the vertical portion of the steel gutter. Is that right?
 
I just ripped my caulking out too. And yes mine is dry between the gutter and top as well. I think the "smear" is standard as it seals the rivets as well.

But I'm really debating the idea of gluing the cap onto the channel with a panel bonding adhesive and skipping the rivets all together. I wrote to 3m and asked how to get the stuff off if you ever need to replace it and the reply stated that you have to heat it to 400F and peel it off. NOt sure if the fiberglass can go that high.

So that made me think that one nice thing about not having any bonding agent between the channel and the top is that you can get it off if you ever needed to.

So I'm on the fence: Try to repair it in such a way that will last forever- and hope that it does. Or go with rivets and smear sikaflex then paint over it- just like the one I took off. There are sealants that are do not adhere so well and can be removed. Maybe that plus rivets would be a good in between.


Best!

Pete
 
I think it was just seam sealer too, you are right, does not seem to be anything between the two.

I know what did not work. Pouring liquid fiberglass resin in the trough. It is too brittle, looked beautiful, covered the rivets and everything. After a short time, it started to crack in the rear corners due to body flex. Once cracked it let water inside, and I had water in the interior rain gutter sloshing about. Then I had a rollover, good bye to that top.

Second attempt was a good body caulk I got at NAPA, supposed to stay pliable. Layed a good bead of that in with a caulking gun all around the top. Smeared a little over the rivets. Got a good smooth bead using laquer thinner or something on my finger as I recall to dress it up. Left the rain gutter more functional than filling with fiber glass resin too. Paint will pretty much seal the rivets by the way, it is the seam that is crucial. Also used caulk to reattach the front peice, as I had to change it out. It can and will leak air, moisture fine snow between the fiberglass and metal lip if not sealed. This approach worked very well until I rolled again. It lasted several years though. I would do that again.

I have had good luck too using a good paintable latex caulk. I would not be afraid to run a bead of that under the fiberglass when putting in a new gutter. Clean off all the excess and then use body seam filler on the outside. It would be removable down the road, could be pried apart.

Under rustoleum type fininshes the paintable caulk has done well for me, just used some as seam sealer on a tractor cab I just built, painted over it with John Deere paint. In a hidden application like that I think it would work well, you could still paint it on the interior rail. For external use, I think the auto seam filler does better for shrink swell and the automotive paints. For my cab, if it cracks a little down the road, not a big deal, on a nice car paint job, I would be a little worried.
 
Thanks for the replies. I assumed that the factory used some sort of automotive seam sealer in the gutter. I guess my question is: How much did they use and how was it apllied? Was it smothered inside the entire gutter channel, including over the rivets? Or did they just run a bead along the outer edge of the fiberglass up against the steel?
 
rain gutter

The answer to the question as to how the top was sealed from the factory is... POORLY!!!!
The two that I have torn down to make one good one out of didn"t look as though they had any sealer in between the metal and the fiberglass at all. The body shop that helped me with the resto on my top used something that sounds like the seam sealer you had mentioned. It was on a roll, black and sticky. I just laid it on the metal over the rivet holes, stuck the top on, did the rivet thing, painted and be done.
It looks as if it is doing well for five years. I have not covered the top of the rivets with anything other than paint.
 
The sealant doesn't go between the raingutter and top. It goes on top of the rivets and extends out to the edge of the gutter. Tmarx did his, let me see if I can find the pics.
 
From the appearance of my sealer and of my roof, I've always assumed it was sealed by the factory with "colour-matched silicone sealant" that was smeared over the joint (and over the individual rivets) after the assembly had been painted.

IE. I DON'T think it is normal seam sealer.

Normal seam sealer can readily accept paint and hardens over time (particularly outside the joint)... whereas this sealant does neither and exhibits all the properties of silicone.

:cheers:
 
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I completed mine. I used (and highly recommend) the SEM self leveling 2K seam sealer. You'll have to buy (or borrow mine) the mixing applicator gun, and you'll need two kits, but's it's well worth it. The stuff is great. I also recommend using 5/32" x 3/8" Al rivets instead of the 1/8" diameter rivets that others have mentioned in other threads. No washers should be used, and they should be installed with the head on the fiberglass, and bucked on the bottom metal edge just like the factory did it.​

Edit: Here's a link: http://semproducts.com/Catalog.asp?prod=98
 
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Splangy said:
I completed mine. I used (and highly recommend) the SEM self leveling 2K seam sealer. You'll have to buy (or borrow mine) the mixing applicator gun, and you'll need two kits, but's it's well worth it. The stuff is great. I also recommend using 5/32" x 3/8" Al rivets instead of the 1/8" diameter rivets that others have mentioned in other threads. No washers should be used, and they should be installed with the head on the fiberglass, and bucked on the bottom metal edge.​
Click to expand...

How about some pics?
 
You'll have to pardon the messy garage. A lot of restoring going on!

100_1381.jpg
 
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