Leaky Roof (1 Viewer)

[TimMc81]

I have an old MRP fiberglass top on my '71. The gasket is missing in places and brittle. Every time it rains I have water in the vehicle, coming down from the roof. Since it is very difficult to find parts for anything earlier than '72 I thought I would caulk the roof from the inside and be done with it. I don't plan on removing the roof to go sporting around.

Is there a down side to this approach, other than making folks cringe when the word caulk is mentioned... Is there a particular sealer that works best?

 

[gmac]

City Racer sells the roof gasket.

Roof Weatherstrip / Seal for Land Cruiser FJ40

FJ40 hardtop weatherstripping, also known as "Packing, Roof Drip Moulding". High quality OEM-equivalent replacement for the costly part # 63168-90307. Precisely moulded OEM pattern will provide a perfect seal for your FJ40's hardtop.

www.cityracerllc.com

If you are referring to the sealant between the Metal Gutter and the Fiberglass roof, I used this self leveling sealant.

Dicor 501LSW-1 Self-Leveling Lap Sealant,​

Hope this helps
Guy

 

[TimMc81]

City Racer sells the roof gasket.

Roof Weatherstrip / Seal for Land Cruiser FJ40

FJ40 hardtop weatherstripping, also known as "Packing, Roof Drip Moulding". High quality OEM-equivalent replacement for the costly part # 63168-90307. Precisely moulded OEM pattern will provide a perfect seal for your FJ40's hardtop.

www.cityracerllc.com

If you are referring to the sealant between the Metal Gutter and the Fiberglass roof, I used this self leveling sealant.

Dicor 501LSW-1 Self-Leveling Lap Sealant,​

Hope this helps
Guy

Thanks for the link to the site with the weather stripping as well as the sealant recommendation. I've seen some threads on this site where folks took their roof off to do some work and then struggled to get the roof to line back up during re-install. As a result, I'm reluctant to take it off to install a new gasket. Hence, the thought of just sealing it from the inside...

If I apply the self leveling lap sealant at the gap where the roof meets the body, will if sag or stay in place while it cures?

 

[B y r o n]

A picture or two pointing out where the rubber is missing/brittle would help.

 

[TimMc81]

Thanks for the link to the site with the weather stripping as well as the sealant recommendation. I've seen some threads on this site where folks took their roof off to do some work and then struggled to get the roof to line back up during re-install. As a result, I'm reluctant to take it off to install a new gasket. Hence, the thought of just sealing it from the inside...

If I apply the self leveling lap sealant at the gap where the roof meets the body, will if sag or stay in place while it cures?

I'll take some after the monsoon passes...

 

[gmac]

Thanks for the link to the site with the weather stripping as well as the sealant recommendation. I've seen some threads on this site where folks took their roof off to do some work and then struggled to get the roof to line back up during re-install. As a result, I'm reluctant to take it off to install a new gasket. Hence, the thought of just sealing it from the inside...

If I apply the self leveling lap sealant at the gap where the roof meets the body, will if sag or stay in place while it cures?

My guess is, that it will run/sag, as it is self leveling. If you are going to patch where the gasket goes, I would use :

PERMATEX RTV Gasket Maker: The Right Stuff, 7.5 oz, Pressurized Can w Trigger, Black, Oil Resistant​

I had to use it on the gasket myself, as when I did this project, the gasket was not available for the Troopy, so had to glue a couple of straight sections. No leaks. Also used it around the windshield.
Guy

 

[wolfbak]

City Racer sells the roof gasket.

Roof Weatherstrip / Seal for Land Cruiser FJ40

FJ40 hardtop weatherstripping, also known as "Packing, Roof Drip Moulding". High quality OEM-equivalent replacement for the costly part # 63168-90307. Precisely moulded OEM pattern will provide a perfect seal for your FJ40's hardtop.

www.cityracerllc.com

If you are referring to the sealant between the Metal Gutter and the Fiberglass roof, I used this self leveling sealant.

Dicor 501LSW-1 Self-Leveling Lap Sealant,​

Hope this helps
Guy

I bought the roof gasket from CityRacer and was very happy with the quality and fit, and the price was much better than others I've found.

 

[TimMc81]

Gaps in roof gasket on both sides, near doors and rear windows. Gasket is dried and splitting. Also noticed the gasket that the sliding rear window goes in is shot... any recommendations?

 

[B y r o n]

Your biggest problem here is that none of these seals appear to be OEM Toyota top seals. The other problem is the top manufacture is no longer in business so obtaining original seals is not going to happen. There are companies that produce rubber seals, you're just going to need to provide them the profile of your existing seals to see if they have a match or one that is close enough to work.

 

[TimMc81]

Your biggest problem here is that none of these seals appear to be OEM Toyota top seals. The other problem is the top manufacture is no longer in business so obtaining original seals is not going to happen. There are companies that produce rubber seals, you're just going to need to provide them the profile of your existing seals to see if they have a match or one that is close enough to work.

That is why I'm considering caulking the seam from the inside...

 

[OlYellr]

I just looked up the roof drip molding/packing for '71 - part number is 63168-60011 ( here). It is superseded with part 63168-90307 and that is available OEM. I got mine from Lewis Toyota Nov 2022 - Toyota changed their parts website last week (and I have a rant about that on MUD). Point is still is available for 300+.

I would not seal it from the inside if it were me. Water will still penetrate and rust whatever it runs down, pillar supports, barn door frame, etc. Just my opinion and experience. My roof was leaking like yours and I took mine off a couple months ago to find some rust. Not horrible, but I never heard rust fixing itself. So I'm in the process of addressing the rust. You're in TX so that could be different ball game than north of you.

Even to open it up and put a rust neutralizer (IE Rust Convert) to slow it way down and slap new rubber would be better than locking sealing from the inside. Again, just one yahoo's opinion.

(PS thanks @Green Bean) for the links how you look up parts - wherever you are out there).

63168-90307 Genuine Toyota Packing, Roof Drip M - https://www.toyotapartsdeal.com/oem/toyota~packing-roof-drip-m~63168-90307.html

 

[OlYellr]

To extend - this is what I found after I decide to take the roof off and put new rubber down- and this wasn't where it was leaking - nor did I have any idea it was there rotting away.

 

[TimMc81]

To extend - this is what I found after I decide to take the roof off and put new rubber down- and this wasn't where it was leaking - nor did I have any idea it was there rotting away.

View attachment 3319824

Thanks for the insight. I guess it comes down to doing it right ...
Any recommendations on the sliding window trim? That gasket is pretty much gone. I don't see very many photos with sliding windows so I assume that replacement will be really hard to find.