5 replies to this topic

[InnoCali]

Hello folks-

I've spotted some small bubbling-up in a few places on the outer side of my roof gutter/drip rail and am in the process of ripping out all of the old seam sealer which is white and has some orange stains on it as it comes off. To me, it looks like the paint cracked due to the seam sealer shrinking or expanding over time and then letting moisture in.

Whoever sealed it last time dumped a lot of sealer in there and then spread the sealer (with finger?) until it is very thin up near at the top edge of the rail (where the roof color meets the body color). Slap me if I'm wrong, but could this be the problem? I mean...seam sealer is only supposed to seal the seam, not fill the whole gutter, right? If I give water a vertical place to crawl in , it will crawl in , no?

Also, on the outside of the rail where the other seam is, I'm having the same issue. After wire brushing off the paint, the same thing again: seam sealer spread the whole width of the rail. Seems like to avoid paint cracking and weak spots that the sealer should be kept only on the same and not travel up the sides where it gets thin and leaky. Make sense?

My plan is to clean it out, apply rust converter in the nooks and crannies and then reapply new urethane sealer and keep it as neat and narrow (and uniform) as possible (with masking tape) and only where it is needed to prevent this from happening again anytime soon. Wish I had a welder and welding experience. I'd clean it all out, put rust converter in there and weld it up, letting the paint protect the metal instead of unpredictable shrinking plastic goop.

Will this make any difference or should I just shovel the seam sealer in as before?

I'll post some pictures which might be clearer about this that I am being right now.


Thanks

Jeff

[Guess-Works.com]

If I've got this right were talking about the seam around the roof, in which case, originally there is no seam sealer in there at all...

I think a couple of photos of what you are trying to explain is required, but from the description, I'd check it's not had a replacement roof skin fitted and badly bodged in...

[InnoCali]

HI Guess,

Maybe it's an Innocenti thing or maybe it was just done poorly. The seams I mean are the yellow one outside the drip rail and the green one down in the gutter. I've got seam sealer in both places smeared WIDE under the paint  roof_line_seams.jpg   61.53K   94 downloads. Maybe it was the guy who restored the car in Rome before I owned it. He also undercoated the whole car so , it's rust free (I've checked).

photo attached

If I've got this right were talking about the seam around the roof, in which case, originally there is no seam sealer in there at all...

I think a couple of photos of what you are trying to explain is required, but from the description, I'd check it's not had a replacement roof skin fitted and badly bodged in...

[mk3cortina]

somone has put a load of sealant in mine too, however it was not neat at all and looked all crinkly.

[panelbeaterpeter]

Mini's with the drip rail type gutters should have a little seam sealer in the seam between the gutter and rail, but definitely not loaded full! I apply a small bead, push it in with my finger then run over it with a cloth and panel wipe until it's as small as it can be whilst still doing it's job. Always use the proper PU sealant, and ideally apply it on top of prepped primer, prior to paint. If you use wet on wet type sealer, you can paint over it straight away.

[InnoCali]

Mini's with the drip rail type gutters should have a little seam sealer in the seam between the gutter and rail, but definitely not loaded full! I apply a small bead, push it in with my finger then run over it with a cloth and panel wipe until it's as small as it can be whilst still doing it's job. Always use the proper PU sealant, and ideally apply it on top of prepped primer, prior to paint. If you use wet on wet type sealer, you can paint over it straight away.

Thanks for the tip about sealing over primer.

Seam sealer doesn't last forever when exposed to the elements. It gets hard and brittle and if it shrinks (or expands) it can crack paint. I found that mine is hiding the beginnings of rust. Digging it out of the little channel is not easy. A wire brush on a drill works but you have to protect the roof paint with several layers of masking taped and then a durable tape over it like plastic mailing tape or duct tape (not directly on your paint).

It has to be smooth or little puddles of water can form instead of draining off.