M109 body panel leaks

[dero1548]

Hey everyone!

My father-in-law recently purchased this M109.

We have been having a blast with it, but we are finding that it is not nearly in as good of condition as we initially thought. 4/6 van body windows need complete rebuilds. The body leaks, and I don't know where. There is moisture in the front drivers side of the body. I don't think the wetness is from the screwy windows, I think it is leaking in the top drivers side roof corner.

What sealants do you guys recommend to go over the joints with? I want something to look as original as possible, and of course be paintable.

I don't want to tear out body panels unless its completely necessary.

I am planning on cleaning the interior floor and coating it with a sealer, but before that I have to fix this leaking issue.

And second question, are the windows rebuild-able? It appears they have separated into 3 layers, the outer aluminum, the glass, and the inner assembly. I have not taken them apart yet.

-dero1548

 

[KaiserM109]

No answers for your questions; my '66 M109 is nice and tight. It was refurbished to go to Iraq in 2002.

My question to you is 'what engine does yours have (turbo or non-turbo) and is it powerful enough for the road and higher altitudes?'

 

[dero1548]

Mine is turbo'd. I do not live in the higher altitudes, so I have no idea.

It seems to get around fine.

-Dero1548

 

[theeDIZ]

The windshields tend to leak , also check all the door seals . As far as the windows you can rebuild them. When built the inner pieces holding the two halves where made of wood , I found some plastic cut it to size and reassembled the windows.

 

[dero1548]

Thanks,

I will have to look into that.

I was planning on picking up some windshield urethane to fill the window frames after I take them apart and clean them.

 

[Hitman]

if it has leak's the floor may be rusted out in the box climb under and see if you push a screwdriver through it try a lot of places on the steel. that's how i found out on mine the other way is to remove the wood floor and thats a lot of work .

 

[dero1548]

Okay, makes sense. But where would the water be entering from?

do they leak at the top cast piece on the corner of the box?

 

[SCSG-G4]

Take the windows out and clean them up, then get some #8 stainless steel machine bolts about two inches long (might be shorter, but after you do one, you can adjust the length). Push the window back together as best you can then drill two holes for the #8 bolts to go through from the outside to the inside. Put the nut on and tighten, cut off the excess bolt. Do the same on both sides, two on the bottom half, one on the top half. Re-install the window and make sure the bolts do not interfere with closing the window. Repeat on all other windows (including the ones that are not broken - yet). On the other leaks, put some cool seal latex paint on the top of the roof - three coats should do, then put the BEHR paint using the FSS codes for the correct colors on top of that. You will probably have to take all the panels off the inside and remove/replace the fiberglass insulation to find out exactly where the water is coming in. HTH.

 

[theeDIZ]

Mine had a couple small spots where the roof panels are riveted together that leaked , the inside looked solid until I started pulling the wood floor up .

 

[dero1548]

On the other leaks, put some cool seal latex paint on the top of the roof - three coats should do, then put the BEHR paint using the FSS codes for the correct colors on top of that. You will probably have to take all the panels off the inside and remove/replace the fiberglass insulation to find out exactly where the water is coming in. HTH.

Can you hotlink to the recommended product?

I don't feel like removing all of those panels.....

 

[SCSG-G4]

Both Loews and Home Depot have 'cool seal' type paints in the roofing section. It's a white elastometric paint that can expand as much as 350 percent to cover cracks, normally used on campers and mobile homes to seal up joints that are leaking. It does take as many as three coats to make a thick enough coat to cover large cracks completely. But you can paint over it with the Behr paints (see the threads on using house paint on MV's) if you want to keep the exterior looking military. I left mine white, since I live in the south and it makes a difference in how warm (northerners might say hot) it gets inside.

 

[daytonatrbo]

My 109 seems fairly dry inside, yet the floor is still rusted through in the front d/s corner.

 

[cbrTodd]

My M109 was a 1990 rebuild and had water leaks at some of the riveted seams in the roof, as well as at most of the window frames. The body seams all had a polyurethane caulk around the edges, which I replaced with a Loctite brand polyurethane caulk (Loctite PL S40 specifically). I know others have used a Vulkem product, but I couldn't find it available locally.

On my truck in particular, the interior had been insulated with spray foam, and the water leaks filled the foam up like a sponge. It was rusting from the inside out. No amount of surface prep or paint to the interior or exterior would have helped - the problem was inside the walls.

I also echo the comments above regarding pulling up the floor. Once water gets in, the metal pan beneath the wood floor keeps it from getting out. I had a slight creak in the front drivers side floor of my truck, not even visible moisture, and when I took the wood floor out I swept up 8 gallons of rust from the metal floor pan beneath it.

Good luck!