Water Leak from Soft Top

[GerryAttrick]

Hmmm..rain has arrived and tonight I got a couple of drips from the rubber seal on the quarterlight where it overlaps the drivers side window. Soft top is in good condition and I can't see any reason why water would drip in here.

Not much coming in - just enough to annoy me as it drips on my sleeve,

Any suggestions on where to look first?

Grrr... time for a hardtop?

[Gordon Tucker]

Check to see if the window winds up to be about 5mm above the quarterlight frame. If it isn't, the window stops need to be reset which means removing the door panel and adjusting the stops ( from memory its a 8 or 10mm bolts through the round holes near the top of the door.

[MatBat]

I had a similar thing (Leaked when accelerating or braking) and there are two other posibilities,

1: The rubber seal on the roof frame has become porous (this accours at the ends) and has absorbed water. Rubbing silicon sealant into the rubber might help if this has happened.

2: The same rubber seal has lost it's rigidity and isn't butting up against the window firmly, a fix for this is to remove the rubber from the roof frame and pack it with foam and then make sure it's glued back up without any leaks, this helps push the rubber hard against the glass.

[MatBat]

Just to follow up here's a link for the second fix:


http://www.miata.net/garage/weatherstrip/index.html

[GerryAttrick]

On Monday 21 May 2007 19:54, Gordon Tucker wrote:

Check to see if the window winds up to be about 5mm above the quarterlight
frame. If it isn't, the window stops need to be reset which means removing
the door panel and adjusting the stops ( from memory its a 8 or 10mm bolts
through the round holes near the top of the door.
------

Thanks Gordon will have alook this weekend - too dark when I get home. I quick
looks seems to be the same height on both sides but only one side leaks,

[GerryAttrick]

On Monday 21 May 2007 20:13, MatBat wrote:

I had a similar thing (Leaked when accelerating or braking) and there are
two other posibilities,

1: The rubber seal on the roof frame has become porous (this accours at the
ends) and has absorbed water. Rubbing silicon sealant into the rubber might
help if this has happened.

2: The same rubber seal has lost it's rigidity and isn't butting up against
the window firmly, a fix for this is to remove the rubber from the roof
frame and pack it with foam and then make sure it's glued back up without
any leaks, this helps push the rubber hard against the glass.
-----------

This sounds a bit more like the problem I am experiencing. Have had a quick
look at the fix for this and, provided I can get some Caulk backing I might
see about that fix.

Looks like I have at least one job for this weekend.

A

[GerryAttrick]

Well I finally got my A into G and had a look at the leaky drivers side window seal. Got some 10mm rubber strip from Para at Wairau Park - about $6 per metre.

I popped the drivers side rubber off the softtop and lo and behold somebody had been there before me. The rubber had been split and short length of foam pushed inside. It was doing nothing to firm up the seal.Slipped a length of rubber strip into the hole and although it firmed up the seal it was not enough so I figured if one was good then two lengths would be better...right?

Was a bit hard to get the second length inside the seal so I finished up getting the two strips and tying them together with a length of nylon fishing line and using it to draw them thru. When I finished it was a lot firmer but I'll probably get some neoprene rubber glue from the local dive ship and re seal the weather strip later bit I might try a thicker rubber strip first to see if I can get a really firm base.

Of course I took no photos - was going to but the batteries went flat in the camera but it was so easy that I'll take it all off and do it again when I get the neoprene glue and maybe some thicker rubber strip.

Now lets see if it rains tomorrow as I plan to use the car for work and then head for the Cardronna in Mt Eden about 5:30pm for a few drinks and see who else turns up.