Vanagon body water leak (and rust)

[Sodo]

Does anyone know where this water may be coming from? I'm pretty sure it's not coming from the Camper water system because my water tank has been empty for months. Also because it appears after a lot of rain, and stops after a few days. It appears when the van has been sitting in the rain, does not appear to be caused by "driving" in the rain.

Are there any 'standard' locations / methods to look for the source of the leak? I will tear into it soon, and post what I find. Just wondering if anyone already knows the cause of this.

Here is a photo of the water leaking and causing rust, just ahead of the rear wheel.

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'90 Westy EJ25, NEW oil rings (!) 2Peloquins, 3knobs, SyncroShop pressure-oiled pinion-bearing & GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox.
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered original gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[ragnarhairybreeks]

I think it's your rear wiper washer reservoir leaking, probably at pump, either grommet into tank, or tubing.

Or maybe pump body itself at seam.

alistair
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'86 7 passenger syncro, converted to westy pop top, project still in progress
'82 westy, diesel converted to gas in '94, now gone...
https://shufti.blog/
Old address still works...
http://shufti.wordpress.com

[toomanyveedubs]

Check your pinch seam (gutter) on the roof at the trunk hatch. Are they rusty? Also open the rear hatch and check for rust there. It will come in and travel forward to that spot.

[ThorAlex]

On a doka or sika water can leak in to the locker and rist into the channel causing it to rust in the channel from the inside out. on a van i'm not sure, but i think there are some drain holes in the channel to drain out water, they have a plug that is supposed to let water out but can get clogged. I think there is some drain or something ment for sunroof vans that drain in to the vertical frame and ferther in to the sill. not sure how it is on non-sunroof vans but i think i red somewere that there is a way for roof water to drain in there, and if the plugs are clogged water will be trapped in there. one solution could be to remove the plugs and try to clean up, then treat with a big dose of penetrating oil (something called Owatrol is common over here, google it). if offroading in water you can get water in from a lot of locations, same thing will happen. i would do an oil treatment and not worry too wuch, it takes a lot of rust to do serious damage there.

This is from my old doka syncro, it had a hard life with lots of road salt and non-existant locker seals for a lot of the last years causing it to rust form the bottom of the locker in to the sill and from there on out. this jack point did another 15000-20000 kilometers with no trouble at all, several long trips with 500-1000kg loads. about 10000km's after the pic was taken i bent it when jacking it up whith 400-500kg in the bed, but still with no apparent consequenses for the rest of the vans life, wich ended when it blew a rod.

if this don't make sense just yell at me a bit, right now it's 6 o clock saturday morning and i'm drunk
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1990 syncro 1.6TD "Smily"

Ex-vans:
1990 Caravelle coach 1.6TD
1986 Transporter Double cab syncro 2.1 112hp

"I'm wrong so often... It's great!" - Adam Savage

[Sodo]

I decided to poke a hole in the rust.

LOTS of water came out. I don't think this is from the rear washer fluid. I suspect it's been there a long time. I bet it came from the Westy water system, not from rain. Now that it's empty, the next time it rains I will know for sure if its coming from inside or outside.
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'90 Westy EJ25, NEW oil rings (!) 2Peloquins, 3knobs, SyncroShop pressure-oiled pinion-bearing & GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox.
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered original gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[candyman]

Why do you suspect the westy water system since that is on the other side of van? Even if it were leaking you would notice water in other areas before it made its way to the passenger side. Is you rear wheel well plugs forward of the tire in place? Water can enter from there and collect behind that panel, typically it will run out through the rocker openings unless the factory plugs are still in place. I would really like to know the source of this water, but i would be really surprised if it was somehow from your water tank

[Sodo]

[ALIKA T3]

that comes from the seal under the window above,there is a rust spot underneath:garantied.
_________________
Silicone Steering Boots and 930 Cv boots for sale in the classifieds.
Syncro transmission upgrade parts in the Classifieds.
Subaru EJ22+UN1 5 speed transmission
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=416343
Syncro http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4...num+gadget

[Sodo]

No rust at the window; and the window rubber is very good condition too. My van has almost no rust. Only 2 places, there where I poked it, and at the typical rusty seam behind the Driver door.
_________________


'90 Westy EJ25, NEW oil rings (!) 2Peloquins, 3knobs, SyncroShop pressure-oiled pinion-bearing & GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox.
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered original gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[ALIKA T3]

That's weird then....is the plug on the wheel arch still there?
_________________
Silicone Steering Boots and 930 Cv boots for sale in the classifieds.
Syncro transmission upgrade parts in the Classifieds.
Subaru EJ22+UN1 5 speed transmission
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=416343
Syncro http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4...num+gadget

[toomanyveedubs]

I bet it's coming from the rear hatch. Did you check up there yet?

Had the same problem on my 84' Vanagon.

[Zetec#35]

What a coincidence, I too have the same thing on my 91 westy. Discovered it as I was removing carat exterior rocker panels( I added these last year), when drilling out the rivet that holds the plastic mounts to the body, about a quart of water came out. As my van is torn a part(prepping for paint, looking for rust), I removed interior panels and insulation to peer in there (this is also the only place I have rust as well), I could see a rusty 'tide line' about 6" above the bottom of this cavity, no cancerous rust. In the wheel well, forward of tire there is a rubber grommet in place and below that there is a plastic plug in place. I have installed the S. African mud flaps, could water get through those holes? My rust is not so bad you can push a screw driver through. Also standing at rear of van and looking at the wheel well weld seam there is a small amount of rust coming through from the outside or wheel well. Any more thoughts any body?

Jeff

[Sodo]

It's raining lightly, and water is coming out of the hole at 1 drip every 10 seconds. Rainwater is definitely coming into the van body. The main roof gutters are in perfect condition. I can't find any rust or any place to leak above this area, and the window gaskets are in nice condition.

Currently I suspect the water is leaking in around the screws of the slider-door-holder-opener. I'll gutter that with blue tape and see if it stops.
_________________


'90 Westy EJ25, NEW oil rings (!) 2Peloquins, 3knobs, SyncroShop pressure-oiled pinion-bearing & GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox.
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered original gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[BillM]

I don't know if the water could migrate that far forward but I had the two boots that go from the rear hatch to the body torn. Water was getting in through there and getting into my side panel and the rear hatch. I replaced all the wiper tubing and those two rubber tubes and no more issues. Like I said I cant remember the structure behind the panel if it could even drip that far forward. I feel for you on this leak though. I would try taping my window seals over see if that helps. I love those
"scope" camera's. I bought my son one for christmas (so I could use it to look in walls,body panels,etc.. See if you can get your hands on one of them so look inside the body.

Bill
87 Westy
Zetec Turbo--Just had the dash and front window out. The sill blasted,painted and clearcoated. All because of trying to fix a water
leak...

[candyman]

This is getting interesting, please keep us updated on everything you find.

[Zetec#35]

I thought I mentioned yesterday, but I didn't, is that from rear of van, w/both interior panels off on passenger side from sliding door towards the rear I saw a small amount of rust along wheel well/flare seem. Some water is traveling through there, no signs of water running down the wheel well to the pocket though.

Side note, How does one make a picture small enough to attach to my Samba acct?

[insyncro]

Water can easily migrate to a new location when it has saturated the fiberglass insulation that many vans have in them.
Better pull your panels and check.

[onsight2003]

My '91 has had a mystery leak for a year and 1/2 until I found it one day. I used to get a wet mattress at the rear right corner when it rained. The leak in mine was a small gap in the side window and plastic vent, at the bottom. I used some brown silicone to fill it and I think that may solve this leak of mine. Look carefully for a gap and daylight shining through it. There was also some rust down below on that side (in the same spot you photographed).

[Zetec#35]

I did inspect insulatation inthe panels, nice and dry, no tide line or discoloration. While removing (preasure washing) some bed liner I experimented with I saw water coming out the holes for the carat exterior molding pieces. My leak was failed factory seam sealer. I only have this pictur, but you can see it about 1/2 way up the body pocket. My old van apparently had been baged up more than I though. Besides where my wife rubbed a phone pole w/the rear of the slider and body panel forward of rear wheel well. Sorry I can't download the picture. How do I do that?

[insyncro]

I do not recommend pressure washing near any Vanagon seam.
As you see water will easily migrate into the interior and sit inside the seam to start or continue the rusting process.

Before full restorations I do use a heated pressure washer to remove as much underbody gunk as possible.
I leave the vans in a heated spray booth with air circulation for 36 hours to dry up all the moisture.

Any residual moisture left in the seam will spoil all your efforts to fix these areas.