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

[Indigo42]

Good info!
My FJ leaks like a sieve in a good rain. I also had a couple rivets pop loose the other week.

If I also wanted to replace the weather stripping under the top, what would I use?

Thanks!

 

[Splangy]

Good info!
My FJ leaks like a sieve in a good rain. I also had a couple rivets pop loose the other week.

If I also wanted to replace the weather stripping under the top, what would I use?

Thanks!

CCOT and SOR both sell a reproduction seal between the roof cap and the hardtop sides. Those are probably the best alternative unless you want to spend $250 from Toyota. I've heard of people using garage door seals but I think The CCOT and SOR parts are probably cheap enough to avoid screwing around with Home Depot parts! I'm picking up another hardtop tomorrow for the sides and may end up with a spare seal.

 

[3doghouse]

The self-leveling seam sealers, as recommended by Splangy, are made to dispense as a relatively thin liquid that can flow into gaps to seal. They firm up and level as they set, but remain flexible too.

3M and SEM both make them. They require special mix guns, and they aren't cheap, but this is exactly the kind of application they are made for.

I can't vouch from personal experience yet, but I have looked into every residential, automotive, RV, and marine application on this site, and I've decided to go this route on two tops this spring. I just don't have time to experiment, or re-do it every couple of years.

 

[twoturtlesracing]

Timely thread guys, as I'm working on my hard top right now. The snow melted, got in between the gutter and top, froze and popped the rivets. I didn't find this out however, till I was driving down the road and a gust of wind hit me and I thought that I was going to lose the top!

So I lke the looks of this self leveling seam sealer and think that it is what I'll use, but have a question about the gun, as the products website doesn't give me much info... Are the guns on this page the kind that I would need to apply it? And am I correct to think that I would need one that dispensed 1:1 and would need one for 200mL cartridges?

Thanks for any helpful hints or thoughts!

 

[BJ44V]

I used 3M Flexiclear on my roof. I put this stuff on in 2006 and still holds perfect...no leaks. The flexiclear is easy to use and requires no mixing or special guns, just a caulking gun. THis stuff is easy as heck to apply and not too spendy, only around $14-15 a tube. Good luck all. Looks like the part number for this stuff is 08405, just google 3M Flexiclear.

 

[Hoz FJ40 CO]

Subscribed...thanks for the good info.

 

[Splangy]

Timely thread guys, as I'm working on my hard top right now. The snow melted, got in between the gutter and top, froze and popped the rivets. I didn't find this out however, till I was driving down the road and a gust of wind hit me and I thought that I was going to lose the top!

So I lke the looks of this self leveling seam sealer and think that it is what I'll use, but have a question about the gun, as the products website doesn't give me much info... Are the guns on this page the kind that I would need to apply it? And am I correct to think that I would need one that dispensed 1:1 and would need one for 200mL cartridges?

Thanks for any helpful hints or thoughts!

I really recommend the self leveling sealer if you're going to spend money on paint and everything. A couple of those guns look like they would work, but they're way more expensive than whan SEM retails them for. Keep in mind that you'll need 2 seam sealer kits at $35/ea and a gun. It gets expensive quick. You can borrow my gun as long as you pay for shipping both ways and maybe a security deposit to ensure I get it back!

 

[twoturtlesracing]

I really recommend the self leveling sealer if you're going to spend money on paint and everything. A couple of those guns look like they would work, but they're way more expensive than whan SEM retails them for. Keep in mind that you'll need 2 seam sealer kits at $35/ea and a gun. It gets expensive quick. You can borrow my gun as long as you pay for shipping both ways and maybe a security deposit to ensure I get it back!

Thanks for the offer Splangy! I am going to check with the local SEM dealer and see what the prices are on the guns as a may need one in the future, but if I decide it's not worth it, I'll PM and I have no problem with a security deposit. Thanks for the info!

 

[Splangy]

Thanks for the offer Splangy! I am going to check with the local SEM dealer and see what the prices are on the guns as a may need one in the future, but if I decide it's not worth it, I'll PM and I have no problem with a security deposit. Thanks for the info!

I got mine on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SEM-...Z250615482447QQptZMotorsQ5fAutomotiveQ5fTools

 

[natvet]

Splangly....Are you applying the sealer on top of the rivits only or between top and gutter

 

[Tireguy87]

Mine didn't have any kind of sealer between the gutter and the cap. The sealer was between the inner edge of the gutter and outer edge of the cap with some sealer on top of the rivets. Mine was original when it was disassembled.

 

[Splangy]

I applied a little shmear in between the gutter and top cap and then filled the gutter area with SEM self-leveling seam sealer.

Splangly....Are you applying the sealer on top of the rivits only or between top and gutter

 

[60fj25]

Here are some pictures of my unrestored 1976 top showing the seam sealer and rivets.

Hope this helps

 

[jestlurnin]

Good morning everyone. I'm gonna resurrect an old thread here as this seems like the best place to post some questions that I have that were not answered in this thread or others.

I'm getting ready to take my hardtop off and drop it off at fiberglass shop for them to repair some speaker mount holes from the PO as well as some bondo patches and re-gel coat the top and paint Cygnus white.

Questions:
1-what method have folks used to remove existing drip rail seam sealer? Wire wheel? Sand paper? Old dull screw driver/chisel? This seems like a prep step I could knock out to save some $$ on shop labor.
2-I'm sure the shop will have some suggestions, but in what order has everyone repaired the tops? Gel coat-paint-seam sealer? Gel coat-seam sealer-paint? Etc, etc. I'm not in any way shape or form a body and paint guy so I'm truely clueless in the order that it should be done and or the order that makes sense.

Thanks everyone.

 

[gcrump01]

I'm no expert either, but here's the order I'm doing it.

Powder coat the metal drip rail - I wanted the entire metal drip rail protected - done
Rivet the fiberglass top to the drip rail - done
self leveling seam sealer
finish & paint

am I missing anything?

 

[jestlurnin]

Yah I'm gonna have the top gel coated so I was wondering where in the process that happens?

-Gel coat after paint?
-Gel coat before paint?
-Ive also seen where the gel coat is tinted with Cygnus white?
-Seam sealer after gel coat?
-Seam sealer after paint?

If I were to guess and don't forget I'm no fiberglass wizard or body guy...it would go, paint-gel coat-seam sealer. But then I'd be worried that the seam sealer would be a different color than the paint. I doubt they sell seam sealer in Cygnus white Doesn't seem like you'd want to gel coat or paint over seam sealer but what do I know...

 

[mdsims]

Yah I'm gonna have the top gel coated so I was wondering where in the process that happens?

-Gel coat after paint?
-Gel coat before paint?
-Ive also seen where the gel coat is tinted with Cygnus white?
-Seam sealer after gel coat?
-Seam sealer after paint?

If I were to guess and don't forget I'm no fiberglass wizard or body guy...it would go, paint-gel coat-seam sealer. But then I'd be worried that the seam sealer would be a different color than the paint. I doubt they sell seam sealer in Cygnus white Doesn't seem like you'd want to gel coat or paint over seam sealer but what do I know...

You should do some more research before spending any money. Google gel coat. Gel coat is a process performed as the final finish on boats or other fiberglass products. It's a hard, solid-color opaque resin applied as the top coat over the structural fiberglass mat/fibers. A shop will sand and clean up the existing fiberglass surface, fill any holes or damage, then apply the gel coat. After that, you'd attach the gutter and sealer. Usually you would not paint a gel coated surface. No point. You could plan to keep it waxed and with yearly effort you shouldn't need paint for many many years.

 

[jestlurnin]

Thanks @mdsims that makes sense. My gutter is not coming off. My rivets are all very solid and I have zero rust on the drip rail anywhere. I'll have them fix up the damage in the fiberglass, paint, gel coat, then maybe I'll do the seam sealer myself.

 

[mdsims]

In that case, gel coat may not be needed. Sand, paint and seal might be best and easiest. Post some photos of what you're working with when you get closer to go time and we can weigh in. Typically, it's either sand and paint or professional gel coat. Not usually both.

 

[bugsnbikes]

yep do some research. the reason to use gelcoat on fibreglass is that fibreglass expands and contracts with temperature change and the gelcoat will also. paint cracks . so i would double check the gelcoat process/best practice as im almost positive painting wouldnt be an appropriate layer pre gelcoat.

I sanded off all the old paint. repaired fibreglass gouges. and then applied gelocat from a marine supplies place. 2 layers was all that was needed and it goes on fairly thick and self levels if you want to use a brush.