[boneSTOCK91]

So, I know the taillight gaskets can be / are an issue. I’m ordering those from online dealer today. A few years back I ordered and still have whats called the rear hatch Dam gasket. I can’t seem to locate this visually on my 91. Is this something used/ hidden under the chrome rubber trim? “Rear dam” is part #04562-30040, not the fat gasket that forms over the body to seal the hatch. (PIC). Im looking for advice or knowledge of any other areas of cause / infiltration. My back glass outer trims are brittle and failing, but most glass shops say they wouldn’t be cause for water leak. Has anyone ever had the back glass removed and re installed with fresh glazing to fix a water leak? Just curious about the outcome. Any pointers or tips for a complete solution to water infiltration. Im tired of lifting my hatch after the rain and two streams pouring into the trunk from the hatch bottom under the spoiler. Oh and thats another thing….has anyone made their own replacement wing to trunk lid gaskets from material like flex seal tape or something? Yesterday I pulled my spare and found standing water. Luckily it cleaned up with only a few infiltration rust spots.

 

[2jzturbo92]

This comes from the lower molding on the rear window. The clips that hold the trim down have little foam gaskets where the clips insert into the hatch itself. Water puddles up there and leaks into the plastic panel on the underside of hatch and pours out when you open the hatch

 

[2jzturbo92]

I zoomed in on a pic of my backglass with molding off and you can see the holes . You can see how water would puddle there.

 

[boneSTOCK91]

yeah, that's about where it seems to be coming in. thanks for the pic

 

[2jzturbo92]

No problem. You can also see one of the little gaskets still in place. I’ll be using a little bit of butyl tape when I reinstall mine. I actually install auto glass for a living.

 

[SupraMikeCT]

@boneSTOCK91

IMO, it's not possible to NOT get water in the spare tire well. Between the crappy sponge rubber taillight gaskets which I have replaces twice in 18 years and the spoiler mount gaskets which I also replaced right after I got my 92 Supra. I also replaced the lower hatch glass molding and used RTV around the stud holes. I replaced the rear wiper shaft gasket/spacer too and I still get water in on carpet when I raise the hatch. I keep a dish towel in back to catch the drips when I open the hatch.
I've laid in there with the hatch inside trim panel off with a hose running over hatch and no water came in. First time I removed the trim panel, I found 2 big car wash sponges someone put inside hatch. Previous original owner that I bought car from in IN was an old guy so I don't think he did it. He always took it back to the dealer for service.
So I gave up and just pulled the 2 rubber plugs out in the spare tire well and tossed them in a side bin. I don't want the well rusting out. My previous 87 leaked water in rear, my friend's 86.5 and 90 both leak and the body shop manager at Middletown Toyota told me every MK3 he's seen leaks water in thru rear which ends up in the spare tire well.

EDIT: BTW, that Dam Kit you have goes on the metal hatch and the back glass goes on top of it. You'd have to remove the glass if you were to install it. See 04641A in illustration:

Back Door Panel & Glass

 

[2jzturbo92]

Well I’m not the one water testing your car from Massachusetts to know for sure. I’m just mentioning what I found on my car. I pulled the plastic hatch panel down and I could see the dirty water trail in it, kinda like when I pull a high mount stop light on a trucks and show a customer.
How about you try something. Pull the panel on underside of hatch. Couple of screws and then an upholstery tool or tack puller will pry panel spring clips from the hatch. Sometimes best to get tool close or under portion of the clip, so it doesn’t stretch or break the plastic. Lay down in the hatch with it closed (fold down rear seats to have room if needed. Have someone with the hose pour water down the backglass which will end up filling the channel where lower molding is, garden hose for this not a 16oz water bottle, lol. While your in an awkward position in the hatch try and look through the access holes in the hatch for water coming in.
This could help you rule out a point of interest

a couple points you can see through from underside
My car has no rear wiper, holes for wing mounting ( water test should show leak here too) or power antenna for that matter

 

[SupraMikeCT]

@2jzturbo92

"How about you try something. Pull the panel on underside of hatch."

^ Yep, I did all that and saw no trails inside hatch area and no water leaks laying in rear with hatch closed and garden hose on it. I honestly think it's leaking in under the glass on the driver's side. That's the predominant side that water runs out when I raise the hatch and is the side that I found 2 large sponges stuffed inside. Maybe closing the hatch in all the years might cause the glass to separate from the the factory glass sealer from vibration or pressure?
I bought all 4 moldings years ago but only installed the new bottom one. I did do small dabs of black RTV at holes before installing it. I've made many attempts to fix the problem in 18 years but just figure it's what it is cause others I know have the same issue and from what I was told at Toyo dealer body shop.
It's garaged when not driven and if I know it's going to be raining hard, I'll just take my other vehicle.

EDIT: I'd drive to MA and pay you if you have the top & side molding removal tool. Maybe see the condition of the glass sealant under side moldings. I do have the 3 new moldings. The black vinyl coating has lifted at edges and metal is showing on the originals.

 

[Yoshi-T]

Have you pulled up the hatch rubber seal? They can rust through under the rubber and stay hidden. The moisture gets under the seal and rots the metal seam. Generally at the lower corners where the arch forms. The picture was taken off another thread on this site not mine. If it leaks here there will be no water trail.

I have had all the rear glass trim off. The only way I see it coming through there is the bottom piece as pointed out. I just took mine off and reinstalled it with some silicone. Stopped it. Oh and when i took it off it basically destroyed one side piece. So I woukd avoid taking it off unless necessary. Even with the mangled trim no water has gotten in since I sealed the bottom 4 holes.

 

[SupraMikeCT]

" Have you pulled up the hatch rubber seal? "

^ Yes, I did a couple years ago when I installed a new seal. I had a few minor splits in seal in center bottom on the old seal. All was in excellent shape on metal flange, no rust anywhere. Good black paint at seam & welds.

EDIT: See that channel/gutter midway on the curve in metal in your pic? I never understood that as it's directing the water right down to the crappy OEM taillight gasket. It's like a deliberate way in for water to run in behind the taillights into car and down into the spare tire well.
I would bet that for every MK3 Supra sold Toyota made big $$ on replacement taillight gaskets. I know I've bought 2 pairs since 04.

 

[2jzturbo92]

Mike I could surely pull you backglass and reset it. These older 80’s and 90’s cars are plagued with stupid clips that insert into the body. I’ve run into so many different cases with water leaking in from clips like this. Early 90’s Honda accords got a crazy clip design holding down the molding on the backglass. Autoglass techs get the “ever since ya” my car is leaking statements far to often. I’m a master tech and have always been a “go take car of this guy” . The dealers are no help either. You call your service guy telling them your car is taking on water and they ask if your windshield has been replaced. I’ve actually replaced many windshields at the dealer because they think it windshield related. They assume it even though the car has a sunroof with a drain pan and 4 1/4” size barbed fittings connected to hoses going down your a pillars and c pillars to drain the water. Couple that with a customer who parks their car under trees, recipe for clogging.

Another spot clips insert into the body. Good job engineers , where is that water gonna go 🤣

 

[SupraMikeCT]

^ Thanks! Once weather warms, I'm thinking a run to MA

 

[Yoshi-T]

It seems like there would be all sorts of water trails if it was coming from those holes.

 

[2jzturbo92]

It seems like there would be all sorts of water trails if it was coming from those holes.

Mine was mainly coming from plastic clips not the studs.I don’t know if clips wore over time from wind vibration. These clips only have a small foam seal,they can’t last forever. The ones on the quarter glass are at such an angle doubt they would be a problem.the lower molding on backglass is recessed and pools there. If you run water down the backglass it runs off right at the holes.

 

[SupraMikeCT]

Mine was mainly coming from plastic clips not the studs.I don’t know if clips wore over time from wind vibration. These clips only have a small foam seal,they can’t last forever. The ones on the quarter glass are at such an angle doubt they would be a problem.the lower molding on backglass is recessed and pools there. If you run water down the backglass it runs off right at the holes.

Are those white plastic clips at the bottom of glass removable with the glass in? Probably not by looking at your pic. They are spacers for the glass to rest on, right? I thinking that might be my water leak too

 

[2jzturbo92]

Mike I have another pic for you. The thing on the right is called a set block. It does go through the hatch and is sealed with a little foam gasket. In a modern day urethane set these aren’t needed, as the glass isn’t gonna shift once cured. The left you can see the clip arrangement with a little rubber grommet that the clip inserts into , which is inserted in the hole. This type of molding installation is no longer in use on modern cars anymore, thank god. So we are talking about 9 holes through the hatch with little foam gaskets on a 20+ year old car, holding on a little piece of trim.
Trust me I’ve shaved and filled a ton of holes on my car and have to refrain from welding these shut.

 

[2jzturbo92]

Zoom in on the pic of the little grommet in my fingers then the hole it goes in. Notice how dirty they are, if those were sealed tight they would be clean.

 

[Rushnerd]

Oh wow, the plastic clips on mine didn't have that rubber grommet, I should have bought some had I known. What I did was cover the base of all the screws and clips with 3M body sealant before re-installing the strip.

 

[SupraMikeCT]

Oh wow, the plastic clips on mine didn't have that rubber grommet, I should have bought some had I known. What I did was cover the base of all the screws and clips with 3M body sealant before re-installing the strip.

^ That should work as long as you cleaned the surrounding area well before applying the sealant. I used black RTV on top of the new foam gaskets on the new bottom moulding but I didn't remove the black cup sockets to clean and apply sealant around hatch holes like I should of based on 2jzturbo92 pics.

 

[SupraMikeCT]

The 2 black L & R "caps" that Toyota calls them are p/n 90339-06012 $1.24ea at EB Toyo in MA.
The 3 white "spacer, back window" (Toyota name) are p/n 64818-14010 are $2.30ea at same ^
I ended up ordering them from my local dealer cause the ship was $9+ to CT from MA. F that!
Once I get them I'm going to clean well around 5 lower bottom hatch holes and install them using a thin ring of RTV after removing the foam gasket from the new ones. Less than $12

Rear Moulding

2 of these

Back Door Panel & Glass

3 of these