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Thread: Leaking Windshield
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Uncle-Jim
Revvin Up
Posts: 64
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posted January 09, 2002 04:25 PM |
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Leaking Windshield
Greetings all!
I just found this list, it looks like a great resource. I've had 2-'74, and a '75 REPU. They've been sold, now I have a '77, that is going to get a new 13b next month. It's turned into a rather involved hobby, keeping all my old rotary's running.
Anyway, I have a problem with my REPU, that is a bugger. The windshield leaks (I think). I'm always drying out the carpet and backing. Apparently its been happening for some time since the floorboards are rusting.
Anybody have advice or suggestions on where to look. I had one friend tell me that its the rubber seal, and if I replace that, it will solve the leak.
Is this a common problem?
Thanks
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Uncle Jim
72 Rx-2 Show Car; '77 REPU (250K & goin' strong) 2 - '76 Cosmo's
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repuguru
Redlining
Posts: 319
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posted January 09, 2002 05:18 PM |
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Leaks
It seems that most of the leaking I have encountered comes from under the hood thru the cab. I have seen leaking thru windshields but, I installed a new gasket in my truck and it still had damp floorboard. I think what happens is the rubber matting material they stick on the upper firewall shrinks over time and comes unglued. That exposes the seam and rust starts up soon. Cleaning then undercoating that area back in the corner behind the fuse box has helped.
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rotarynews
Moderator
Too Many Rotary Websites
Posts: 206
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posted January 11, 2002 01:53 PM |
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Under the hood
Yes, I think the water in mine comes from under the hood too. Luckly, I live in vegas... we get 4 inches of rain a year, so it isn't a big concern for me right now. But I might try to get some rubber to seal the hood up (and keep it from bouncing around like it does now)
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Uncle-Jim
Revvin Up
Posts: 64
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posted February 04, 2002 03:26 PM |
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Solved Leaking windshield
Now that it's been raining and snowing here in the Pac.NW, I've had a chance to check my windshield sealing, which seems to have worked. I used some of this silicon caulk designed for this purpose. It is very thin and runny, so I used a screwdiver to lift the rubber seal and "goosh" this stuff in. It was pretty messy and ran all over the glass, and I had to do a lot of cleaning, but now that it has dried, it seems this is where my leak was located.
I have a friend who is rebuilding his Repu, and had it stripped down to the chassis. He showed me a nice round hole drilled in the bottom center of the windshield mounting flange, that should be covered by weatherstrip. His opinion was that many Repu's were built this way, and given a number of years, the wxstrip would pull back a bit, and water would find it's way in.
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Uncle Jim
72 Rx-2 Show Car; '77 REPU (250K & goin' strong) 2 - '76 Cosmo's
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Klaus43
Rotorhead
Posts: 1259
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posted February 05, 2002 09:25 PM |
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Holey weatherstrips, Uncle Jim!
Perhaps that detail of construction is why silicone caulking never fixed that f*#?ing leak on any of my REPU's... thanx for the 'heads up'... so how far from Eugene, OR. are you, if I may ask, with that impressive sounding lineup of old rotaries?
--K.
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Uncle-Jim
Revvin Up
Posts: 64
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posted February 06, 2002 04:29 PM |
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I am near Pullman Wa. Yes, I am a Cougar, in fact work for WSU. Anyway, the REPU is seen frequently around here since I use it almost everyday. I have a Hayes 13B ready to go in, hopefully in the next two weeks. I'm going to check for further leaks under the hood area. My Rx-2 is in storage for the winter, but I intend to bring it to Seattle and Portland for some car shows. I also need to repair rust and repaint the Repu so it can be shown, but it is a daily driver, and I can't keep it at the show level of the Rx-2. I think the Cosmo will end up with a 6p 13B EFI motor, although (if money were not a factor), I love to put together a 20B.
Frankly, it's a kick to keep these old rotaries on the road. I could write pages on the comments I've received from people.
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Uncle Jim
72 Rx-2 Show Car; '77 REPU (250K & goin' strong) 2 - '76 Cosmo's
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Jeff20B
Moderator
Posts: 661
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posted February 06, 2002 04:54 PM |
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Well, please don't let us stop you from writing anything about them! :)
By the way, my REPU had a small puddle right near the fuses today. My driver's floor is also pretty wet.
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'74 REPU
'76 Cosmo
'77 MG Midget 13B
'81 RX-7
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repuguru
Redlining
Posts: 319
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posted February 06, 2002 05:22 PM |
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Its pouring rain and freezing in the S.E now. They had said it was gonna snow, but this just sucks...
One thing that sorta,maybe,half the time works is park the truck with its nose down hill if you can. Just an angle steep enough for H2O to flow easily. Water doesn't back up against the windshield and under the hood as bad if you do this. So there is less of a leak, if that is good?
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Klaus43
Rotorhead
Posts: 1259
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posted February 07, 2002 10:34 AM |
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Thanks! I was already accquainted with the nose-down parking position... it worked at my previous residence, unfortunately not where I'm now. I've resorted to pulling the drain plugs in the floorboards; since I've yanked the carpet it doesn't matter so much anyway... no floor rust to speak of , so far, in my driver; "parts" truck has what it had--some repaired, some newer--; 'original' blue smoker lives under a canopy to prvent cab fishbowling.
Nothing a good garage, and/or a complete restoration wouldn't cure! Now about that time+money equation...
Portland might be a realistic destination for me to make it to a meet/carshow... Do keep us informed, Uncle Jim. Thanks!
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