TheSamba.com :: View topic - Putty on rear of overhead vent cover plate

Wed May 03, 2006 2:20 pm

That stuff is great... I think its used for setting windshields in modern cars. I got some at NAPA -- see the above post.
It comes in a box, and is on a roll. You don't need much! I used it for sealing the overhead air box (ambo fans tho), front turn signals, and even used a little to seal the sub hatch trim to the roof.

Wed May 03, 2006 10:06 pm

Mr. Mangler turned me onto this stuff.
Its also great for sealing doghouse tin on your engine cooling upgrades.
The OG rubber usually is shot, and the replacement rubber is shit.

Thu May 04, 2006 9:09 am

The butyl stuff is way more aggressive than dum-dum but that could be a good thing. It is much harder to remove, sticky and time consuming wise. I'd put dum-dum between plumbers putty and butyl on the stickyness scale.

Fri May 05, 2006 6:47 pm

I went to Napa but didn't like the Butyl stuff. First it comes in 2 thin strips where the original stuff is one wide strip. And it seemed sort of nasty. Price at NAPA was $11. They have it at Kragen/Checker/Schuck's too in a boxed roll.

The old school guy at Checker's took one look at the original stuff and directed me to local RV/Boat place for "strip caulk". It seems like a better match and is $4/roll. I went with that.

Installed on cover:

Plate installed:

It squeezed out a little when I installed the plate but the excess rolls right off with your finger.

I used new screws and re-tapped out all the screw holes.

Fri May 05, 2006 7:15 pm

EverettB wrote: I went to Napa but didn't like the Butyl stuff. First it comes in 2 thin strips where the original stuff is one wide strip. And it seemed sort of nasty. Price at NAPA was $11. They have it at Kragen/Checker/Schuck's too in a boxed roll.

The old school guy at Checker's took one look at the original stuff and directed me to local RV/Boat place for "strip caulk". It seems like a better match and is $4/roll. I went with that.

Installed on cover:

Plate installed:

It squeezed out a little when I installed the plate but the excess rolls right off with your finger.

I used new screws and re-tapped out all the screw holes. Butyl is nasty stuff!. AND, it is always nasty to work with, old or new. Kind of like roofing tar (really!). Sounds like you found the "right stuff", or close to it. 8) .

Sun May 07, 2006 10:36 am

everett,
could you post the screw size for the screws you used in the overhead vent cover?
they look like stainless

Sun May 07, 2006 11:24 am

abeed wrote: everett,
could you post the screw size for the screws you used in the overhead vent cover?
they look like stainless
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=51875
states they are 4 X .70 thread pitch.

I believe I did buy stainless at the local hardware store, although the originals are just plated.

Sun May 07, 2006 12:00 pm

the originals are also like another kind of metal, soft like lead or something. the phillips heads stripped out real easy for me anyways and i used a good screwdriver :wink: use the stainless lowes has them

Sun May 07, 2006 12:02 pm

True, all the originals strip VERY easily. I normally trash at least half of them removing any original cover plate. I think one problem is the moisture up in there makes sure they rust in place, even in AZ.

Sun May 07, 2006 12:13 pm

I'm 96.2% sure they are the same screws as the popout to catch screws although the window ones are chrome and the covers were cadmium. Don't know about earlies or deluxes' platings.

Sun May 07, 2006 3:14 pm

They are not the same screw but I think they might be the same size and pitch.

Mon May 08, 2006 4:39 am

Just found out Sunday during our cruise that I now need 1. Friction tape 2. Seam Sealer and 3. Strip Caulk
First time in 3 years I drove the bus in the rain, it was like ancient Chineese torture with the drips hitting my head during the first half of the cruise!

Mon May 08, 2006 5:57 am

EverettB wrote:
Installed on cover:

That's pretty hardcore patina. Shouldn't you have removed the rust before you installed the plate? :wink:
--Dan

Mon May 08, 2006 9:05 am

The OG cover seals are a little different than friction tape, but it will work. I media blasted the whole inside area, above the visors, and disassembled the flap, installed new seals, etc. I was tired of the chinese water torture! :o

While you're resealing, be sure to seal the whole air vent box and any areas the factory might have missed. The water rusted out a section Above my windsheild on the driver's side. It looks like condensation gathers above the visors and rusts the pillars/windsheild frame from the inside out. Made a nice little drain hole through the roof, and runs around the windsheild seal.:x

I also replace the set screws and locknuts. I used Allen head set screws so they don't strip out as easily in the future.

More pics in the gallery.

Mon May 08, 2006 9:49 am

gatorwyatt wrote: the originals are also like another kind of metal, soft like lead or something. the phillips heads stripped out real easy for me

For those messed up screws, you can fix them. Put them in a vice such that the head of the screw is resting on top of the jaw and tighten the vice just enough to hold it and not mess up the threads. Next, lightly hit the head of the screw with a hammer, mashing the metal back down. Follow this by hitting a properly sized phillips screw driver in the middle to re-shape the +. You may need to go back and forth between flattening out the top and reshaping the + to get it all back right. Realize, unless you really mangle the thing, all the metal is still there.

Never throw these away (or any hardware for that mater)... if you do, stop, put them in a small envelope and either mail them to me or wait until you see me at some VW show and hand them over. :D

Mon May 08, 2006 12:46 pm

Braukuche wrote: EverettB wrote:
Installed on cover:

That's pretty hardcore patina. Shouldn't you have removed the rust before you installed the plate? :wink:
Maybe... it's lighter than it appears though. Most of it came off with some steel wool.

Mon May 08, 2006 12:49 pm

So after the rain yesterday and this thread going, I was curious as to what's goin' on behind the scenes up above. What I ended up finding was:

3 different size screws holding the cover on

which one is correct?

backside of cover needs a little treatment

you can actually see rust streaks blown up by the wind, kinda cool really but still need some POR or equivalent

and do dry desert buses look like that up there??

and this view was a first for me, also needs treatment

Mon May 08, 2006 12:52 pm

JacsWagen wrote: 3 different size screws holding the cover on

which one is correct?
The top screw.

JacsWagen wrote: you can actually see rust streaks blown up by the wind, kinda cool really but still need some POR or equivalent

and do dry desert buses look like that up there??
A little bit, here's mine:

Mon May 08, 2006 12:53 pm

JacsWagen wrote: 3 different size screws holding the cover on

which one is correct?

The top most screw is correct/.. those screws should NOT be sheet metal screws. Some PO did a bad thing!

Mon May 08, 2006 12:58 pm

man you guys are quick, didn't even have time to refill my glass of water!

so since the top screw is correct, I now know I need to find a heck of a lot more since there were only 2 of those installed, and one was pretty chewed up, both the threads and head.

also, I can now finally put this picture into perspective :lol: