• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

Slant Back Roof Leaks

G3isMe

G3isMe

Member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
93
46
18
Location
Texas
I can use some advice. I have a 2003, 1045A2, slant back with a roof that leaks like a sieve. I have the “turret cover” pretty much sealed. I added additional bolts and then caulked and Flex-Sealed all around the round lid which was used to replace the turret. However, the slant back “hatch door” leaks really bad. Is there anything that I can do to minimize the leaks from the top of the door? I realize that by design it appears to be predisposed to leaking but certainly not as bad as mine. Would new rubber seals around the door be the solution? Thanks for any and all comments and advice.


Roof 1.jpg

Roof 2.jpgRoof 3.jpg
 
Ajax MD

Ajax MD

Well-known member
1,569
1,414
113
Location
Mayo, MD
Hm, looks like my post didn't make it. There's a product called butyl tape.

Instead of goop from a tube, which is messy and difficult to remove later when it has degraded and needs replaced, butyl tape is pliable, moldable by hand into whatever needed shape, lasts 20 years, and is easily removeable if needed. It stretchs as needed to keep gaps filled on moving platforms like vehicles and boats.

For individual fasteners, you roll a little snake and wrap it around the base of the fastener. Shape it into a cone. Torque down the fastener and scrape away the excess. For long seals that are not hatches, make long, thin snakes and torque down the panel. Scrape away the excess.

Not all butyl tapes are equal. The black stuff from NAPA is for windshields. Summer heat makes it thin and ooze out. Don't use that stuff. Look for gray butyl at RV shops for roof seals or this website for marine applications: https://shop.marinehowto.com/products/bed-it-tape

A single roll will last forever and has a million uses. I sail a 34 foot boat. I've used this stuff to bed all of my deck hardware and my boat is bone-dry in pounding rain or snotty seas.
 
G3isMe

G3isMe

Member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
93
46
18
Location
Texas
Today I installed a new large rubber seal around the rear hatch door. I also replaced the hex head bolts with carriage bolts on the rear pillar to keep the seal from ripping on the hex heads. Earlier I added a piece of rubber across the deflector above the hatch door and that has already worked quite well in reducing the amount of water that's entering the truck. Thank you Andyrv6av8r for your tips and advice. I greatly appreciate it. Ajax MD I may have to try the butyl tape.


This was a pretty easy and inexpensive job. The seals aren't that much (Midwest Military Equipment sells the seal on eBay for $20 and plus $13 shipping.) Well worth the investment if it stops a lot of the water coming in the truck. My old seal had several rips that you couldn't see when it was installed. So I'm sure was leaking pretty good through those areas. I also noticed where I think the leaks are still at even after I have sprayed it with the Flex Seal. I have noticed that the flex seal really bubbles after it's sprayed so I have used a brush to paint it into the seam of the the old turret cutout. I noticed several bubble holes where is I obviously missed. So I'm going to have to apply Flex Seal with a brush. I can see where the Flex Seal in the can probably works better than the aerosol spray.

So I'll let you know after the next rain.

IMG_20200229_105650018_HDR.jpg
IMG_20200229_105555373_HDR.jpgIMG_20200229_162102848_HDR.jpgIMG_20200229_162124324.jpgIMG_20200229_110038179_HDR.jpgIMG_20200229_105650018_HDR.jpgIMG_20200229_110159651.jpgIMG_20200229_105650018_HDR.jpg
 

Attachments

Last edited:
Andyrv6av8r

Andyrv6av8r

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,200
457
83
Location
Spartanburg,SC
G3isMe said:
Today I installed a new large rubber seal around the rear hatch door. I also replaced the hex head bolts with carriage bolts on the rear pillar to keep the seal from ripping on the hex heads. Earlier I added a piece of rubber across the deflector above the hatch door and that has already worked quite well in reducing the amount of water that's entering the truck. Thank you Andyrv6av8r for your tips and advice. I greatly appreciate it. Ajax MD I may have to try the butyl tape.


This was a pretty easy and inexpensive job. The seals aren't that much (Midwest Military Equipment sells the seal on eBay for $20 and plus $13 shipping.) Well worth the investment if it stops a lot of the water coming in the truck. My old seal had several rips that you couldn't see when it was installed. So I'm sure was leaking pretty good through those areas. I also noticed where I think the leaks are still at even after I have sprayed it with the Flex Seal. I have noticed that the flex seal really bubbles after it's sprayed so I have used a brush to paint it into the seam of the the old turret cutout. I noticed several bubble holes where is I obviously missed. So I'm going to have to apply Flex Seal with a brush. I can see where the Flex Seal in the can probably works better than the aerosol spray.

So I'll let you know after the next rain.

View attachment 791682
View attachment 791676View attachment 791677View attachment 791678View attachment 791679View attachment 791682View attachment 791681View attachment 791682
Click to expand...
Sweet!
 
Andyrv6av8r

Andyrv6av8r

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,200
457
83
Location
Spartanburg,SC
I highly recommend that you remove the turret cover and replace it with a seal underneath it. If yours is like mine, they just bolted the cover on metal-to-metal with no regards to sealing it. I have zero leaks from mine now.
 
patracy

patracy

Administrator
Staff member
Administrator
14,639
4,820
113
Location
Buchanan, GA
It's pretty much been covered, you're just going to have to keep on trying to seal up things as you can with tapes/silicone/exc. But they all leak to be honest. I store mine indoors now because of it.
 
G3isMe

G3isMe

Member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
93
46
18
Location
Texas
Andyrv6av8r

Andyrv6av8r

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,200
457
83
Location
Spartanburg,SC
G3isMe said:
This may, thank you. Depends upon how it is designed to be attached. If it designed to go around the actual rough cut out of the roof, and has excess at the top to act as the seal when the cover is bolted down, then yes it probably will work.
Click to expand...
This is what I used. About 3/4 x 3/8 very dense weatherstripping. With RTV on the bolts.
20200302_000849.jpg
 
G3isMe

G3isMe

Member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
93
46
18
Location
Texas
Andyrv6av8r said:
This is what I used. About 3/4 x 3/8 very dense weatherstripping. With RTV on the bolts.
View attachment 791808
Click to expand...

Yes, Andy mine was like yours, metal on metal. So I may to take your advice, bite the bullet, and tear off the hatch cover and start from scratch with a seal and be done with it until a new leaks manifests itself, hmm, did I hear windshield?.....
 
G3isMe

G3isMe

Member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
93
46
18
Location
Texas
I used the same neoprene tape as Andy, no rivets, and I drilled 4 additional holes through the turret top cover and the roof for bolts. She has not leaked since. This and a new $25 rear hatch seal and I too have 99.5% of my leaks "covered.".
 
A

azulrios

Member
62
13
8
Location
Incline Village, NV
Thanks for the advice!! I am ordering the cargo shell hatch [ SEAL ] today. Out of curiosity, is the neoprene 4 inch wide, and peel / paste or I need to also use butyl tape as well??

I still have the turret so will need to go with the PS 699-10-14 approach. I have included the PS as an attachment, if some are interested.
 

Attachments

You must log in or register to reply here.
110,913members
165,329threads
2,326,483posts
1,666online users
Top
✖
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks