L body leak prevention

[Nemesismachine]

Came out to the Rampage after a downpour and found about an inch of water in the passenger foot well. Until this thing lives inside it gets to live under a tarp :/. What needs to be fixed to prevent this? I read somewhere it leaks under the windshield, is that right? Is there a thread somewhere that covers this in more detail I haven't found yet?

[contraption22]

Take out the dash and carpet. Grind out all of the seam sealer. Grind out all the rust and replace metal where needed. Paint all surfaces with the rust preventative paint of your choice. Apply new seam sealer. Hope for the best.

Also check the seal around your windshield.

[going4speed]

Let us not forget the sealant behind the fenders as well. Have replaced all seal sealer on glhs 313: at the end of each cowl area, interior of cowl area, down sided of cowl to floor inside and out. Thoroughly water tested prior to installation of interior.

[83scamp]

Here is a good how-to with pictures.

I know this guy has been banned from all the forums, but it's still a good resource...

http://www.neonsquirt.com/rampage/new-carpet.html

[Nemesismachine]

Perfect! Printing this one out, this should be a sticky. Hold on while I snapshot it in the wayback machine.

[Chris W]

Don't forget around the antenna. They have been known to leak in that area. Chrysler's "fix" was to cover the logic module with a plastic bag.

Chris-TU

[going4speed]

Around the grommet they leak? I just put the car back together. :confused:

[4 l-bodies]

The door weatherstrip also tends to leak badly. The rubber molding takes on a permanently compressed shape after all these years. If, when you wash your vehicle or spray it down with a hose and you find water on the inside glass or on the door sill cover, it has no place to go but your footwells in your vehicle. Then it can't escape and your floor boards rust from the inside out due to all the moisture trapped in there.
I built some dams around the sill plates to address this area and also added a couple drainage holes in the lowest spots in my 4 dr Omni just in case any moisture finds a way down there. I also had leaks in seams underneath front fenders and in cowl area. All this in a vehicle with 37K miles on it. Since doing this my Omni has stayed bone dry.
Todd

[Nemesismachine]

Do you have any photos of your fixes? Im starting on mine tonight. Such a disappointing sight to see.

[ajakeski]

The first thing to check is to see if the drains in the cowl are plugged with debris. This would allow water to back up in the cowl and enter through the HVAC box.

Look for open holes in the cowl. The previous owner of my GLH drilled several holes through the cowl and firewall to run wires. Water would enter the interior through these holes.

Look for windshield leaks.

Rust forms at the base of the A pillers under the fender and sometimes causes a hole to form.

[going4speed]

These weatherstrips have been a great fix for my car

http://www.americanmuscle.com/door-weatherstripping-kit-7993.html

[shmedley]

These weatherstrips have been a great fix for my car

http://www.americanmuscle.com/door-weatherstripping-kit-7993.html

anything special you needed to do to them or just pop them on?

[going4speed]

Just pop them in really. Make sure you put the seam at the middle of the bottom of the door and be committed on the install. The reason I say that is they flange portion of the new weatherstrip has sealing compound in the bottom of the channel. If you take it off it leaves a bit of residue behind which can be a pain to clean up.