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I replaced my T-Top Weatherstripping yesterday, it rained last night and there seems to be just as much water in my floorboard as before I replaced them ( I have the interior completely pulled from my car.) Anyone have an Idea of where else the leak could be, my hatch and door weatherstripping is in good shape and I have no idea where else to look.Oh yeah my car is an 82 Z/28
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It could be in the doors or the t-tops.there is a way to re-align and adjust the mindows and the t-tops.ive found it here somewhere and elsewhere on the net but i dont recall where
__________________
5.7,Stock TPI,LT4 production cam w/1.6 R.R.
ZZ4 heads,Hooker 2460 headers w/full 3" exhaust
2500 stall,3.42 gear,suspension mods.Full list of mods in VB garage.
well when i bought my car the t tops leaked and the seals looked newer and one day i was taking the t top off and i noticed it was lose and i found a adjustment. But anyway there is a adjustment were the t tops lock in just take the trim peice off and you should see were you can adjust the t tops up or down not sure if that is the case on you car but mine dont leak after i tightn the t tops down
here is a pic of it its in the circle i drew just take the trim piece off and adjust it down all it does is tighten the t tops down and if you adjust it up it will losen them O and theres a adjustment on the other side just take the A pillers off and theres another adjustment
Last edited by 83camaroMN; 06-23-2006 at 01:32 AM.
I am about to begin researching this job, too, since my tops were leaking like crazy during a recent period of prolonged heavy rain. Gets real old real quick.
I recall reading on here in the past that replacing the seals involves more than just replacing the rubber pieces. I seem to recall that there is like a groove or channel under the rubber weatherstripping that you have to fill with some type of putty, caulk, or asphat sealant type stuff. Otherwise, water can get under the rubber seals and into the car. Again, I am only recalling this from casually reading through the archives a while back. But, if you do a search, maybe you can find detailed instructions for the whole process. That's what I am planning to do.
prolonged rain..... def an understatement
I was putting off my T top seals as well, they just got bumped up to high priority
Good thing i have the entire interior out of my car except the drivers seat
I adjusted them and that helped a lot, but I still have a small leak, I guess Ill sit inside and have someone run the waterhose and see where the rest is getting in from, thanks for the help guys.
Running it through the car wash would be the best way probably,like one of those touchless carwashes.Mine doesnt leak very much at all when it rains even heavily,but when i go through the carwash i can see exactly where my problem areas are.A watr hose may not tell the whole story.THANKS.
I remember tricking most of my friends into sitting in the back seat while going through a car wash, my old 89 formula 350 used to leak dead rear center on both sides and It was only funnier when i used to get them to sit in the middle hump area between the seats and lean forward and see them take a cold soapy shower.
The trick was on me cause when i got this trans am, my wife and I ran it through a car wash and as i was telling her about the carwash prank, i was laughing, and it was at that exact moment that i discovered that this car leaks (pours) driver's side front corner...man my whole lap and leg was wet...
here is a pic of it its in the circle i drew just take the trim piece off and adjust it down all it does is tighten the t tops down and if you adjust it up it will losen them
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! you just saved me $100! i have had a leak in my drivers side T-Top since i bought it, and i always though to myself, damn it, there goes a hundered bucks. but after reading this i went stright outside, took me two minutes, and its fixed!!!! so THANK YOU!
__________________ Phil's Car Domain
1985 Z/28 clone - 10 sec. budget 383 project?
1988 GTA - The real deal, no add ons.
1968 Cutlass S - The Red Baron.
Well I tried the fix and we will see how it turns out. I will keep you posted. By the way it was very simple and I really appreciate the picture. That helped out tremendously. Thanks again.
Its been awile but last mounth I was replacing my headliner and when I took the A pillars off there was another adjustment, some of you prob found that out already but just thought I would let everyone know
__________________ Phil's Car Domain
1985 Z/28 clone - 10 sec. budget 383 project?
1988 GTA - The real deal, no add ons.
1968 Cutlass S - The Red Baron.
Its criceled in this pic 2 in the circle just like the other trim pecie take it off same kind ofd adjustment but taking the A pillars off is kinda hard they have clips on them so be carfull taking the A pillars off that you dont brake the clips but what we did is take the screw out and pull back a lil bit just to take it off the headliner and such and then press down but you prob alread know how to take it off the arrow is pointing at the plastic pecie aka the A Pillars that you have to take off
__________________ 1998 Mustang
Might be getting my 83 camaro back for free but it will no longer be my project it will be my winter beater drive it till it drops and junk the POS.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1983 camaro berlinetta Sold but might be getting back for a beater
oddly enough I had mine replaced by GM last summer and for the first couple washes they leaked a bit still.....I took it out this summer (even in it's first rainstorm) and it didnt leak at all, maybe it will settle a little better over time
I have 2 Trans am's two Iroc's all T top cars and they all leak from the same spot right to the rear of the windows, I used 3/4 " caulk saver underneath the weather strip , it worked rather well although in a very heavy rain storm some water still manages to get in.
ah, yeah i adjusted both of those, and my cars havent leaked since.
__________________ Phil's Car Domain
1985 Z/28 clone - 10 sec. budget 383 project?
1988 GTA - The real deal, no add ons.
1968 Cutlass S - The Red Baron.
btw, is it customary (should it be done) using some rubber conditioner of some sort (I know armorall drys it up)....to keep the upkeep of them?....I am usually so tired after washing and detailing my car that I dont put anything on them
ive never used anything like that before. i just adjusted both of those down, and i havent had a problem in either car.
__________________ Phil's Car Domain
1985 Z/28 clone - 10 sec. budget 383 project?
1988 GTA - The real deal, no add ons.
1968 Cutlass S - The Red Baron.
i have a water leak that run out in the back seat has anyboby fix one yet
thats what this whole thread is about.
__________________ Phil's Car Domain
1985 Z/28 clone - 10 sec. budget 383 project?
1988 GTA - The real deal, no add ons.
1968 Cutlass S - The Red Baron.
i have a water leak that run out in the back seat has anyboby fix one yet
Did you try the adjustment? if not thats prob. it but if you did your T top seals are most likley bad. I have noticed that water still drips down from the window im not sure why but im guessing that the window needs to be adjusted.
__________________ 1998 Mustang
Might be getting my 83 camaro back for free but it will no longer be my project it will be my winter beater drive it till it drops and junk the POS.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1983 camaro berlinetta Sold but might be getting back for a beater
i have a water leak that run out in the back seat has anyboby fix one yet
If the adjustment does not work, take some weatherstrip caulking and fill in the small gap under the rear of the T-bar moulding where it almost meets the roof paint. Fill it right up to the top of the stripping, but be sure to leave enough room to get your t-top on. If the stripping isn't bad, this should improve your situation, and since the caulking isn't exposed, it won't look like sh**. Unfortunately, the culprit is usually two screw holes that are under the stripping itself, the screws that help hold on the t-bar moulding. When the moulding is installed, these holes are often poorly protected, causing leaks in the future. Hopefully, putting caulking on the rear of the moulding as mentioned above will prevent water from making contact with these screws.
Last edited by 87IROCZ350TPI; 07-30-2006 at 12:33 PM.
ive heard you are sapposed ot wiat for a REALly hot day and replace in the heat.. otherwise use a heat gun to heat the weather strips up because they are sapposed to form to the glass..
speaking of replacing seals... where are they cheap? ive looked all over online and cant exactly find a price that seems very reasonable. i know that they are expensive, but how much are you guys paying for them?
My seals were fine when I got the car they just were lose so water was dripping in.
__________________ 1998 Mustang
Might be getting my 83 camaro back for free but it will no longer be my project it will be my winter beater drive it till it drops and junk the POS.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1983 camaro berlinetta Sold but might be getting back for a beater
My seals were fine when I got the car they just were lose so water was dripping in.
same here.
like i said, i adjusted them and both my t-top cars are perfectly fine now.
__________________ Phil's Car Domain
1985 Z/28 clone - 10 sec. budget 383 project?
1988 GTA - The real deal, no add ons.
1968 Cutlass S - The Red Baron.
speaking of replacing seals... where are they cheap? ive looked all over online and cant exactly find a price that seems very reasonable. i know that they are expensive, but how much are you guys paying for them?
The cheapest I have seen them was $140. something from steelerubber & am-autoparts on ebay. I have been searching also for some, but after reading this thread I am going to go out & tighten mine up & see if that helps first. Mine leaks, but the seals look almost brand new. Granted I have not sat in there & looked for the leak so I don't know excatlly were it is coming from. I have my car gutted right now after fixing the floor & waiting on carpet & it is always in the back seat floor area where the puddle of water is. I hope this helps cause it will save alot of money from a purchase I don't need to make. Thanks 83camaroMN for the pic.
Last edited by 86-Iroc-Z; 09-01-2006 at 08:22 AM.
Reason: change info
The cheapest I have seen them was $140. something from steelerubber & am-autoparts on ebay. I have been searching also for some, but after reading this thread I am going to go out & tighten mine up & see if that helps first. Mine leaks, but the seals look almost brand new. Granted I have not sat in there & looked for the leak so I don't know excatlly were it is coming from. I have my car gutted right now after fixing the floor & waiting on carpet & it is always in the back seat floor area where the puddle of water is. I hope this helps cause it will save alot of money from a purchase I don't need to make. Thanks 83camaroMN for the pic.
__________________ 1998 Mustang
Might be getting my 83 camaro back for free but it will no longer be my project it will be my winter beater drive it till it drops and junk the POS.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1983 camaro berlinetta Sold but might be getting back for a beater
they only leak there when it rains really hard the weather stripping looks fine though, and I cant firgure out why it leaks
