Windshield Leak on 87 Coupe

marine1975 · 01-07-05, 11:20 PM

I hope someone has gone thru this experience and can help me. I have a 1987 coupe that has a leak around the windshield that I cannot locate. I did a pressure test with the windows closed, fan on high and applied soap to the windshield around all the molding and rubber seals. It bubbled like crazy from under the molding but the seals were ok. The water runs down the plastic moldings on the inside and puddles on the door sill. I took it to the best auto glass garage (they do all the insurance and dealer repairs in town) in my area and had them look at it and told them to pull the w/s and reseal it. I had read somewhere that the sealant the w/s sets on can dry out over the years. The glass people said it is not leaking around the w/s but through a body seam that runs down the pillars on the side of the w/s. They recommended I take it to a body shop and have them repair the seams. Their explanation was the flexing of the body, without a roof to reinforce it, causes the seams to open up. Has anyone else encountered this problem? And does this sound like a plausible explanation? Should I take it to a body shop? I am new to this discuccion group. Thanks for the help!!!!

Ken · 01-08-05, 12:05 AM

I've had one somewhere around the windshield ever since I first got it in '94. Never could find that sucker, but living in SoCal means I don't see much rain, so I forget about it and never get around to fixing it.

01-08-05, 09:33 AM

Body flex IS a real possible cause. I had a situation after a particularily hard mountain cruise with the roof off where it took two people to get the roof to realign again. Perhaps another bubble test in that area might help to isolate the exact spot.
Another possible way to locate the exact leak, and this is all theory, is to get a hose attachment that sprays lawn chemicals and fill it with food coloring. Hose the car and look for a color trail.

Len

HPG · 01-08-05, 11:23 PM

Just a thought, I had a leak on my 88 and found it was from the windshield on each side at the metal strip. I used a small bead of black silicone at the edge of the metal and glass. That worked and stopped that leak.

marine1975 · 01-09-05, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HPG

Just a thought, I had a leak on my 88 and found it was from the windshield on each side at the metal strip. I used a small bead of black silicone at the edge of the metal and glass. That worked and stopped that leak.

Thanks. I had thought about applying some silicone all the way around where the metal strip contacts the glass. Guess it would not hurt any to try and might be a "cheap" fix.

HPG · 01-09-05, 08:10 PM

IF you do, run a piece of tape on the glass about 1/16 from the metal frame. After running a small bead of silicone, then pull off the tape. It will leave a clean straight line that is not obvious to see.

TheAnarkist · 01-09-05, 08:36 PM

I've always found Goop works REAL good too. I once used it to fill a rusted out section in the roof of an 81 Skylark many moons ago. Never leaked again. and the hole (under the trim) was a GOOD 2 inches long!!!!

96corvetteLT4 · 01-10-05, 09:45 AM

I had a similar leak on the driver's side windshield of my car. I removed the trim on the inside to be able to get a good look at how things are put together. Using the factory service manual, and looking closely, I found there is one piece of trim attached to the windsheild with sealer between the two, then another piece of trim attached to it that holds the weatherstrip. There is a piece of sealer tape between the two that was leaking. The way I found it was to spray the outside with 409 cleaner (soapy solution) and used compressed air to spray from the inside out. The bubbles showed where it was leaking. I used some black RTV to run a bead from the top to the bottom, and leak is now fixed.

vette-dude · 01-10-05, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken

I've had one somewhere around the windshield ever since I first got it in '94. Never could find that sucker, but living in SoCal means I don't see much rain, so I forget about it and never get around to fixing it.

No you just get monsoons once every 50 years or so!!!! Have you noticed any of your neighbors building an ARK like boat recently??

Stay dry.

Randy

Achilles · 01-10-05, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken

I've had one somewhere around the windshield ever since I first got it in '94. Never could find that sucker, but living in SoCal means I don't see much rain, so I forget about it and never get around to fixing it.

Have you looked outside lately? I just sold my boat and I wonder if my Vette will float when it's upside down.

My '86 leaks at both windsheild pillars. Sounds like this is a common problem. I'm going to try everyone's remedy until I find the leak. Thanks guys!

G Winter · 01-10-05, 11:12 AM

In hard rain I get a leak that comes from the far right side of the dash. Is that the windshield, I thought it was the door seal below the windshield.

jmccloud · 01-11-05, 07:28 AM

NAPA sells a windshield sealer (can't remember the name of it, old age perhaps) that is far superior to silicone or RTV. I used RTV for years to fight leaks and it caused a film on the window. The stuff that NAPA sells remains more pliable and won't cause a film.

marine1975 · 01-13-05, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by G Winter

In hard rain I get a leak that comes from the far right side of the dash. Is that the windshield, I thought it was the door seal below the windshield.

The leak on mine comes in around the windshield and runs down the inside plastic molding pieces that are on either side of the windshield. Check and see if that is what yours is doing. I was not sure where my leak was coming from until I did a little more checking..... Hope this helps.

Thanks to everyone else for their answers. This does seem to be a common problem so I am glad I asked.

Guess when I get back from Iraq I will take the rubber stripping off and then the metal and chrome strips to get down to just the glass. Seems to be the seal between the frame and the metal and chrome strips, if that is what I am understanding..... We will see.

clok1966 · 08-11-08, 11:51 AM

I am now looking at this problem on mine. For those of you who did seal this, did you seal it on insdie of car our outside? I'm assuming you do the outside to stop it at source (and so it wont sit in a crack and rot away at stuff). are you guys sealing between the windshield trim and windshiled? My trim is about 1/4 gap between it and the glass, I'm assuming you guys are filling this spot? I wanted to take the trim off but it appears it sealed in with teh glass from waht i read.

Side note, anybody know what flat black paint they use on the trim?

Clok

CorvetteArchives · 08-11-08, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmccloud

NAPA sells a windshield sealer (can't remember the name of it, old age perhaps) that is far superior to silicone or RTV. I used RTV for years to fight leaks and it caused a film on the window. The stuff that NAPA sells remains more pliable and won't cause a film.

EXACTLY the product I was thinking of! I used this on our pontiac 8 years ago and its still not leaking! Its got a viscocity that allows it to actually FLOW more like water into the gap to seal it very well.