water still dripping, bottom of A pillar

[cdn_squareback]

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.

[raygreenwood]

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

[cdn_squareback]

update, removed the bottom bolt and water poured out. probably a litre water

[cdn_squareback]

[KTPhil]

Is the inside of the heater channel wet?
Did you replace air box seals? Drain hoses clear?

[raygreenwood]

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

[KTPhil]

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.

[Dfasty]

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

[ALLWAGONS]

[cdn_squareback]

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

[KTPhil]

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.

[raygreenwood]

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

[KTPhil]

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.