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cdn_squareback Samba Member
Joined: September 25, 2016 Posts: 53 Location: canada
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Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 5:23 am Post subject: water still dripping, bottom of A pillar |
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so i just completely reassembled my car after an 18 month restoration, i have washed it a few times since and it seems the driver front fender at the bottom of the a pillar is holding water. its still dripping almost 24 hours later. i did use a rubber washer on the bottom bolt so i wouldn't scratch the fender.
has anyone come across this issue before? i figured i would post here before removing the freshly painted fender. |
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raygreenwood Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2008 Posts: 21518 Location: Oklahoma City
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Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 6:10 am Post subject: Re: water still dripping, bottom of A pillar |
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Places to look....windshield gasket in corner. All fender bolts from water coming under fender welting. Radio antenna wire and boot inside fender. Windshield wiper shaft seals to body.
Ray |
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cdn_squareback Samba Member
Joined: September 25, 2016 Posts: 53 Location: canada
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Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 7:14 am Post subject: Re: water still dripping, bottom of A pillar |
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update, removed the bottom bolt and water poured out. probably a litre water |
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cdn_squareback Samba Member
Joined: September 25, 2016 Posts: 53 Location: canada
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Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 7:17 am Post subject: Re: water still dripping, bottom of A pillar |
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raygreenwood wrote: |
Places to look....windshield gasket in corner. All fender bolts from water coming under fender welting. Radio antenna wire and boot inside fender. Windshield wiper shaft seals to body.
Ray |
every seal on the car is new, but i don't remember a radio antenna seal. but would it collect that much water through that seal? |
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KTPhil Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006 Posts: 34009 Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 11:00 am Post subject: Re: water still dripping, bottom of A pillar |
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Is the inside of the heater channel wet?
Did you replace air box seals? Drain hoses clear? |
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raygreenwood Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2008 Posts: 21518 Location: Oklahoma City
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Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 12:48 pm Post subject: Re: water still dripping, bottom of A pillar |
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So.....is the bolt in the red circle the one you removed?
and....is the frame member that the red arrow is pointing to where the water has drained from?
If so....the water could be coming in from the top area like the windshield wiper shaft grommets or leaking along the lower or upper edge of the windshield gasket.
And...if your car has an antenna on the left front fender....you MUST have a grommet like this.....on the antenna wire where it comes into the body or the A pillar can fill up with water.
Ray |
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KTPhil Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006 Posts: 34009 Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 5:11 pm Post subject: Re: water still dripping, bottom of A pillar |
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Russ Wolfe (RIP) had a VW publication on Type 3 water leaks, but his old site is gone and I can't find it on the Samba, though I suspect it's hidden in the Archives section.
EDIT: Aha! Found it:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/vw_1500_water_leaks.php
It's for older models, but other than the fresh air box design, this should be identical, and even those are similar as far as leaks go. |
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Dfasty Samba Member
Joined: November 22, 2005 Posts: 528 Location: north bay,ca.
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Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 6:20 pm Post subject: Re: water still dripping, bottom of A pillar |
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there are 2 holes in the lower channel of the windshield that the factory covered with tape that fell off when I changed the windshield. _________________ 70 fastback automatic 06 invader |
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ALLWAGONS Samba Member
Joined: June 03, 2000 Posts: 4189 Location: Pasadena CA/DTLA soon China
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Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 9:25 pm Post subject: Re: water still dripping, bottom of A pillar |
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cdn_squareback wrote: |
update, removed the bottom bolt and water poured out. probably a litre water |
Where could you possibly hold a liter of water? I have a sunroof car, and the sunroof drains into the fender wells and I have no water accumulation. _________________ I'd be UNSTOPPABLE if not for Law Enforcement and PHYSICS.
I recycle old cars and parts, other than when I rot, that's as Green as I am going to get.
Thanks to my Tesla driving neighbors, I feel more relaxed driving my SUBURBAN and old VW's.
NON INFLUENCER APPROVED |
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cdn_squareback Samba Member
Joined: September 25, 2016 Posts: 53 Location: canada
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Posted: Tue May 11, 2021 5:12 am Post subject: Re: water still dripping, bottom of A pillar |
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heater channel is wet and the carpet is soaked. the speedo grommet is new and all the heater box gaskets are new.
dfasty: i never seen the tape with holes at the bottom of the windshield, this might be it as it was stripped down to bare metal during the restoration. thinking i may have to pull the windshield.
raygreenwood: yes, it seems to be collecting in that area |
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KTPhil Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006 Posts: 34009 Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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Posted: Tue May 11, 2021 9:01 am Post subject: Re: water still dripping, bottom of A pillar |
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Original tape from my fasty rear window; fronts are the same.
It really won't stop water well. The holes were intended to let paint drip through during painting operations. The tape is not a good seal. If they are wet, your window seal has failed. |
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raygreenwood Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2008 Posts: 21518 Location: Oklahoma City
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Posted: Tue May 11, 2021 2:56 pm Post subject: Re: water still dripping, bottom of A pillar |
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With regard to winshield seals failing.......none of them for any VW model.....that are available now......fit and seal as 100% as what came from the factory . Even of they are NOS. Sometimes especially if they are OLD NOS.
Its either that tbe channel is not quite the same with age, rust and repair.......or......with aftermarket seals......the fit on the glass is not exact......or the fit to the channel or seal cross section or seal molding to fit the corner curves ia not 100% sxacf......or in the case of NOS and some new aftermarket......the seal has shrunk or hardemed from age or is not as soft as an original one when brand new.
So my point.....is that 100% of the time I apply sealer. Once the seal is installed.....meep it dry fof a few days....let it get warm, sxpand.....drive it around a day or so if you can and let the fit settle in. Then.....and this is a pain.......get the thinnish RTV of your choice.....with no solvent so it wi not affect paint. Even a mild indoor bathroom caulk will be fine. Its never going to see sunlight.
Warm the caulk so it flows as smoothly as possible. Cut the smallest slash cut on the plastic nozzle that you can. Place the tip under the flap of the outer edge and pump all the way around....workimg hard to have an uninterrupted bead. You will find that you need extra pumps in the corner because the fit to the chamnel of modern aftermarket seals is rarely perfect.
Work fast. With a smooth flow.....push down with light pressure and alide your thumb all the way around the gasket.....squeezing out excess. Wipe very clean. Let dry completely before getting wet. Ray |
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KTPhil Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006 Posts: 34009 Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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Posted: Tue May 11, 2021 3:39 pm Post subject: Re: water still dripping, bottom of A pillar |
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VW ISPwest has their homegrown seals that seem to be the best. They installed them on mine a few years ago, I believe without sealer, and I have had no leaks or shrinkage.
Others have had them pull up in corners, though the exact cause wasn't clear.
I worry about sealer acting like glue and making removal difficult without destroying the seal, maybe the metal trim, and the windshield. |
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