2002 e350 ...... leaky leaky, best way to seal?

[deezdrama]

Got a 2002 e350 super duty v10 ext3nded van a few weeks ago to convert into a camper van.
Finally now that I got it running right I can focus on stopping rain water from getting in. Then I will por-15 rust treat inside....and finally then be able to insulate and build out interior.

Anyway.... i have 3 trouble areas. The top rain gutters,front windshield/cowl, and the rear cargo doors.



1st..... the rain gutters. They are pretty intact, only a small split in the paint down the entire length.. I was thinking of silicone, roofing tar, aluminum tape, or roofing aluminum/rubber adhesive backed valley tape.
Im not too worried about appearance since its out of sight. Just need a cheap,easy,lasting fix.

2nd ...... f4ont windshield/cowl area. This is the worst leak. I can see a bit of rust and gaps at top corners of windshield, I think its going in there and leaking down inside the front door pillars and puddling in front floorboards.
My delima is the windshield has a small crack so eventually thought about replacing it so think about putting it off but then think it would be better to seal it now and just deal with the cracked windshield since its not bad.

3rd... The rear cargo door seal leaks and water is collecting at the floor right under rear cargo doors. Just wondering if a new door seal will correct this or if its something more.

Any suggestions to correct these leaks are appreciated
. ...thanks

 

[djbonsu]

Congrats on your purchase! I sealed up my rain gutters using this stuff -> https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0012J3H1C/ref=gp_aw_ybh_a_59?ie=UTF8&refRID=3Q2TK6QDK1S4HDMH1W7Y

Works great but it can get a bit messy. A little less than 2 tubes should get the job done.

 

[Corneilius]

Do your rear doors have windows? My window seals were leaking randomly, thought it was the door seal until further inspection.

 

[philos]

I'd handle the rusty A-pillars pronto. No point investing in a rig if that area is bad in my opinion. Surface rust grows quick.

For the rear, I'd check the window seal as well. Replace with butyl tape if you can. Amazon has it. If not the window, and you can't find a good seal at the junkyard, you can try and fit a bit of SOFT thin rope into the existing seal to puff it up. Did this on an old GMC.

On the gutters, clean as much of the old stuff out as possible with wire wheels and scrapers. Fill it back up with Sikaflex or similar. 3M makes a seam sealer you can get at the parts store, but I've never tried it...Sikaflex.






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[deezdrama]

I picked up my por-15 today to treat the floor.
While I was out I picked up some closed cell super high density weather stripping.... hopefully that will take care of the cowl area.

Also grabbed some butyl-flex in a caulking tube. Im thinking about using por-15 in the top windshield corners to kill rust then butyl the corners and anywhere else along the windshield where I can get it in.

For the gutters.... i almost bought some of that "as seen on tv" flex seal stuff but figured its a gimmick. My gutters dont look bad at all, I think its mainly the windshield corners, so I just want something quick and easy to throw on the gutters just for piece of mind since I dont think they are actually leaking.

Back cargo doors do have windows. Ill check them next time it rains.
I dont know if anything is really leaking back there. When it rained i noticed water pooled right under the rear doors in that 2" lip area...maybee this is normal?

 

[ClubWagon]

For the back you might check the third brake light lens to make sure it's sealed well and not cracked. The inside rear cargo light is right below it. So if it's leaking there it will just go right through the light lens. That's what mine was doing if we got a lot of heavy rain. I just took the lens off the roof and resealed everything and I haven't noticed any leaks since. Hope that might help you out. Congrats on the new van!

 

[deezdrama]

Cool...will check there for sure. Thanks guys!

 

[deezdrama]

Looking at my rear seals closer.... they are not in bad shape, a few tears here and there, starting to like the "rope inside seal idea" after looking at the replacement seal prices.

So I would just be getting that closed cell foam rope stuff and trying to feed it inside the weather seal right? Anyone else tried this?
What would be the best product to fill and repair the tears?

 

[philos]

Use a coat hanger and string to feed the rope into the weatherstripping.


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[deezdrama]

Got all my leaks fixed except in the rear. Checked it out durring a heavy rain and seen it was one of the rear door window seals.

Thinking it would be a quick fix I popped the rear window out. Didnt realize it was sealed with butyl. There was a big bead of dirt above the seal that is now embedded in the old butyl and the foam strip is torn in a bunch of places.
Now i wish I would of just squeezed some silicone in there without pulling the window.

Whats the quickest way to fix this but be leak free?
I have some tubes of "butyl flex" left over from sealing the rain gutters on this van.
Should I just remove as much of the old butyl as possible then clean the door surface well, lay a fat bead of butyl and screw her down?

Does it need a piece of foam stripping?

Thanks

 

[Bbasso]

Front windscreen can be a bear with rust. Fully inspect and find the leak. But if it's from rust, it's best to remove the glass and fix as needed/ appropriately.

 

[Bbasso]

For the removable windows on the side and back, bytle tape will last the longest .
3/8 th (round) tape will seal for nearly forever.
Yes, the channel & body where the old butyl tape was has to be clean for the new stuff to seal properly.

 

[Raul]

I had leaks on both rear windows. flowable silicone is was took care of the issues, just apply on the gap between the top of the glass and the body.

I used this Flowable silicone. . You can buy it at the parts store for $10. You will need almost 2 tubes to do one rear lateral window.