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I decided to make a new thread instead of having this info get "lost" in this guy's targa thread that I posted in:
http://supraforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=362956
Please understand (for your own benefit) that this is about as condensed as I can make this, especially since I unfortunately do not have pics from when I performed the fix
It may be a little tedious to read, but take it all in slow and then read again while you go out and tackle the job.
So, if you don't want to read all of this and would prefer "cliff's notes".....then just continue enjoying the smelly water in your carpet
Meanwhile, if anyone ever wants to add pics to this thread as they perform this, I think it would help out plenty for others to apply this written info.
I'll be happy to edit and or add comments to any pics that may get posted in here in the future.
A true fix:
I've perfected this fix and performed it on 2 seprerate mkiv's. If all checks out, and all tips are followed, you will be done sealing water out of the car and crucial areas of the gutter. The goal is to keep water from entering under the targa, beyond the gasket and into the interior of the car. A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link.
I discovered the water's entrance points by process of ellimination, while sitting in my car with a flashlight, interior removed and during a rain storm. That's how I found the various entrance points of the water, and learned to approach them seriously.
I did this to my car about 2yrs ago or more. I have not had a single leak on my carpet ever since. It holds up fine without a car cover and during any rain storm. After applying the dynamat adhesive backing where I advise, you'll see how little toyota spent on truly sealing down the gasket. So, that's what we're fixing.
These corners of the roof/A-pillar are very sensitive to the leak points discussed down below, but the dynamat adhesive works perfectly since it's pliable (sp?) and doesn't dry hard or messy like a glue. And since it's not a permenant adhesive for the gasket, it can be repositioned as needed throughout the fix!
THE PROCEDURE:
Forget the targa all together for this info. The targa is not at fault, unless you clearly see water dripping on your seat from the window + targa + A-pillar junction.
If you have water collecting on your floor by the kick panel, then read on!
Have a scrap piece of Dynamat on hand. For those that may not know, this is found at car audio stores for sound deadening. But you only need a scrap size piece.
You'll need to peel chunks of the rubbery backing and squeeze them together into thin strings....they'll be layed out along the crucial points of the roof corners that are lacking sufficient sealant from Toyota. This is what will keep the water out, instead of using messy glue that you can't reposition. It is perfect because it's easy to reshape/reposition as you work to cure the leaks. This is a very nice advantage over glues!
Remove interior headliner: sun visors, map lights etc. Get it all out of the way and remove the 2 nuts in each corner that bolt the seal to the body.
Remove the "eyebrows" in the gutter system.
Remove that 1 long seal that runs the length of the windshield ---> along the entire A-pillar, from 1 side mirror to the other. Gently pull the seal free from the car by whatever glue it has. Completely expose the corners where the drainage system is located. It will be a little tough to remove the gasket from where the studs go through the body ---> gently work in that corner, pulling the gasket free while pushing against the studs from in the car with a blunt tool...simultaneously "chipping away" at the sealant holding it down. I used the back of a large screwdriver to press against the studs while working the glue loose.
Now collect your Dynamat backing and squeeze and roll it all together into a single long string, about 8-12in long (you can stick it to your windshiled where you can easily grab more pieces)......
THE CORNERS OF THE ROOF, IN THE GUTTER SYSTEM IS WHERE YOU'LL BE CONCENTRATING ON SEALING UP:
This is where Toyota got lazy with the sealant/glue.....the gasket itself is very well designed and not particularly at fault. By the way, a new gasket is under $100 (If I remember correctly) if you think you need a new one for this job.
**The Dynamat adhesive must be layed out along the entire perimeter of the drainage system (NOT the entire gutter system in the roof, but the small plastic assembly in each corner that the clear drainage hose connects to).
**Lay the adhesive along the sheetmetal edge that the headliner hangs onto!!! Again, we're worried about the corners; along where the drainage is at each corner of the windshield....not along the entire length of the roof's gutter.
**Lay the adhesive in a circular fashion, ON THE GASKET ITSELF, immediately around the hole in the gasket contacts the hole in the plastic drainage piece ---> the hole in the gasket and plastic that feeds to the clear drainage hose. ***Squeeze this piece of dynamat adhesive into a more thin strip so that it's not so bulky and clogs the drainage hose during reassembly (it WILL/CAN happen).
**Squeeze a few more short (1/2 inch), skinny pieces of dynamat adhesive and lay them around ALL of the holes that the "eyebrows" bolt to (3 screws for the eyebrows I think). The adhesive will seal the screws and their holes from water.
**Lay a string of dynamat adhesive onto the gasket, around the base of the studs that bolt the gasket to the car.
Reassembly:
Once all of the dynamat adhesive is in place, you can begin installing the gasket at the corners. You MUST pay attention to the hole in the gasket that connects to the drainage hose. This pathway must remain open so that water doesn't back up in the gutter and leak into the car by way of the other discussed locations. I actually chased my tail over this for a little while....
Once the gasket is pressed down into position, install the 2 nuts are bolted on snug. If all is good, continue installation by pushing firmly onto the gasket so that you mash the dynamat adhesive tight and flat....this helps the gasket sit down fluch where it needs to be.
Again, you need to test the drainage hose to confirm that the path is clear (it clogs easier than you'll think upon reassembly). Use a cup of water and simply pour some into the gutter, while watching that it easily passes down the clear drain hose in the car.
A tip is that you can use a round tool (like a medium sized allen wrench or equivelant) to stick through the gasket's drain hole while installing the gasket along with the 2 nuts. This will help keep the dynamat adhesive from squeezing into the drainage hole in the gasket and plastic drain hole etc. while you're pressing the gasket into position.
Once assembled, you can even peel back the exterior portion of the gasket in order to peek at the hole and see if the adhesive has squeezed into the hole.
One final spot for adhesive:
**As we all know, when the targa is bolted on, you can still see some of the gasket......you can peel back this small portion of the gasket (but just in the corners) and lay a skinny bead of dynamat adhesive along the top region of that plastic drainage assembly ---> right under where you can see the gasket when the targa is bolted on.
This last bit of protection will keep any water from even beginning to enter the gutter at the corners; avoiding even more possibilities of a leak to even begin.
Now continue reinstalling everything, while making sure the gasket is placed back into it's track all the way down to the side mirrors.
You will need a thin, blunt tool to help push the gasket's edges that fit into these "tracks". Once done, gently tug on the gasket all along, making sure that it's fully installed.
Points to understand/remember:
The ORIGIN of the leaks are in these corners of the gutter system of the roof.....water SPECIFICALLY enters the car's interior by any number of these detailed locations:
1) The screws that bolt the "eyebrows" in the gutter.
2) Once water is in the gutter and under the gasket, it gets backed up and drips into the interior along the sheetmetal edge that the gasket slips onto ---> is also exact sheetmetal edge that the headliner slips onto when you reinstall it to the gutter (opposite the clear drainage hose).
3) At the gaskets studs where they enter through the sheetmetal.
4) At the extreme corners of the gasket/A-pillar ---> right past the little plastic drainage assembly for the clear hose, as the gasket makes it turn in the direction of the side mirrors.
Final thought or FYI:
The reason water is found on the floor by the kick panel and hatch release is because the water gets into the sheetmetal above the headliner, gets redirected to the side/corner of the A-pillar (lowest point of roof), drips into the plastic interior trim, carried down to the side of the dash, behind the kick panels and then onto the floor at the hatch release.
sean
http://supraforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=362956
Please understand (for your own benefit) that this is about as condensed as I can make this, especially since I unfortunately do not have pics from when I performed the fix
It may be a little tedious to read, but take it all in slow and then read again while you go out and tackle the job. So, if you don't want to read all of this and would prefer "cliff's notes".....then just continue enjoying the smelly water in your carpet
Meanwhile, if anyone ever wants to add pics to this thread as they perform this, I think it would help out plenty for others to apply this written info.
I'll be happy to edit and or add comments to any pics that may get posted in here in the future.
A true fix:
I've perfected this fix and performed it on 2 seprerate mkiv's. If all checks out, and all tips are followed, you will be done sealing water out of the car and crucial areas of the gutter. The goal is to keep water from entering under the targa, beyond the gasket and into the interior of the car. A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link.
I discovered the water's entrance points by process of ellimination, while sitting in my car with a flashlight, interior removed and during a rain storm. That's how I found the various entrance points of the water, and learned to approach them seriously.
I did this to my car about 2yrs ago or more. I have not had a single leak on my carpet ever since. It holds up fine without a car cover and during any rain storm. After applying the dynamat adhesive backing where I advise, you'll see how little toyota spent on truly sealing down the gasket. So, that's what we're fixing.
These corners of the roof/A-pillar are very sensitive to the leak points discussed down below, but the dynamat adhesive works perfectly since it's pliable (sp?) and doesn't dry hard or messy like a glue. And since it's not a permenant adhesive for the gasket, it can be repositioned as needed throughout the fix!
THE PROCEDURE:
Forget the targa all together for this info. The targa is not at fault, unless you clearly see water dripping on your seat from the window + targa + A-pillar junction.
If you have water collecting on your floor by the kick panel, then read on!
Have a scrap piece of Dynamat on hand. For those that may not know, this is found at car audio stores for sound deadening. But you only need a scrap size piece.
You'll need to peel chunks of the rubbery backing and squeeze them together into thin strings....they'll be layed out along the crucial points of the roof corners that are lacking sufficient sealant from Toyota. This is what will keep the water out, instead of using messy glue that you can't reposition. It is perfect because it's easy to reshape/reposition as you work to cure the leaks. This is a very nice advantage over glues!
Remove interior headliner: sun visors, map lights etc. Get it all out of the way and remove the 2 nuts in each corner that bolt the seal to the body.
Remove the "eyebrows" in the gutter system.
Remove that 1 long seal that runs the length of the windshield ---> along the entire A-pillar, from 1 side mirror to the other. Gently pull the seal free from the car by whatever glue it has. Completely expose the corners where the drainage system is located. It will be a little tough to remove the gasket from where the studs go through the body ---> gently work in that corner, pulling the gasket free while pushing against the studs from in the car with a blunt tool...simultaneously "chipping away" at the sealant holding it down. I used the back of a large screwdriver to press against the studs while working the glue loose.
Now collect your Dynamat backing and squeeze and roll it all together into a single long string, about 8-12in long (you can stick it to your windshiled where you can easily grab more pieces)......
THE CORNERS OF THE ROOF, IN THE GUTTER SYSTEM IS WHERE YOU'LL BE CONCENTRATING ON SEALING UP:
This is where Toyota got lazy with the sealant/glue.....the gasket itself is very well designed and not particularly at fault. By the way, a new gasket is under $100 (If I remember correctly) if you think you need a new one for this job.
**The Dynamat adhesive must be layed out along the entire perimeter of the drainage system (NOT the entire gutter system in the roof, but the small plastic assembly in each corner that the clear drainage hose connects to).
**Lay the adhesive along the sheetmetal edge that the headliner hangs onto!!! Again, we're worried about the corners; along where the drainage is at each corner of the windshield....not along the entire length of the roof's gutter.
**Lay the adhesive in a circular fashion, ON THE GASKET ITSELF, immediately around the hole in the gasket contacts the hole in the plastic drainage piece ---> the hole in the gasket and plastic that feeds to the clear drainage hose. ***Squeeze this piece of dynamat adhesive into a more thin strip so that it's not so bulky and clogs the drainage hose during reassembly (it WILL/CAN happen).
**Squeeze a few more short (1/2 inch), skinny pieces of dynamat adhesive and lay them around ALL of the holes that the "eyebrows" bolt to (3 screws for the eyebrows I think). The adhesive will seal the screws and their holes from water.
**Lay a string of dynamat adhesive onto the gasket, around the base of the studs that bolt the gasket to the car.
Reassembly:
Once all of the dynamat adhesive is in place, you can begin installing the gasket at the corners. You MUST pay attention to the hole in the gasket that connects to the drainage hose. This pathway must remain open so that water doesn't back up in the gutter and leak into the car by way of the other discussed locations. I actually chased my tail over this for a little while....
Once the gasket is pressed down into position, install the 2 nuts are bolted on snug. If all is good, continue installation by pushing firmly onto the gasket so that you mash the dynamat adhesive tight and flat....this helps the gasket sit down fluch where it needs to be.
Again, you need to test the drainage hose to confirm that the path is clear (it clogs easier than you'll think upon reassembly). Use a cup of water and simply pour some into the gutter, while watching that it easily passes down the clear drain hose in the car.
A tip is that you can use a round tool (like a medium sized allen wrench or equivelant) to stick through the gasket's drain hole while installing the gasket along with the 2 nuts. This will help keep the dynamat adhesive from squeezing into the drainage hole in the gasket and plastic drain hole etc. while you're pressing the gasket into position.
Once assembled, you can even peel back the exterior portion of the gasket in order to peek at the hole and see if the adhesive has squeezed into the hole.
One final spot for adhesive:
**As we all know, when the targa is bolted on, you can still see some of the gasket......you can peel back this small portion of the gasket (but just in the corners) and lay a skinny bead of dynamat adhesive along the top region of that plastic drainage assembly ---> right under where you can see the gasket when the targa is bolted on.
This last bit of protection will keep any water from even beginning to enter the gutter at the corners; avoiding even more possibilities of a leak to even begin.
Now continue reinstalling everything, while making sure the gasket is placed back into it's track all the way down to the side mirrors.
You will need a thin, blunt tool to help push the gasket's edges that fit into these "tracks". Once done, gently tug on the gasket all along, making sure that it's fully installed.
Points to understand/remember:
The ORIGIN of the leaks are in these corners of the gutter system of the roof.....water SPECIFICALLY enters the car's interior by any number of these detailed locations:
1) The screws that bolt the "eyebrows" in the gutter.
2) Once water is in the gutter and under the gasket, it gets backed up and drips into the interior along the sheetmetal edge that the gasket slips onto ---> is also exact sheetmetal edge that the headliner slips onto when you reinstall it to the gutter (opposite the clear drainage hose).
3) At the gaskets studs where they enter through the sheetmetal.
4) At the extreme corners of the gasket/A-pillar ---> right past the little plastic drainage assembly for the clear hose, as the gasket makes it turn in the direction of the side mirrors.
Final thought or FYI:
The reason water is found on the floor by the kick panel and hatch release is because the water gets into the sheetmetal above the headliner, gets redirected to the side/corner of the A-pillar (lowest point of roof), drips into the plastic interior trim, carried down to the side of the dash, behind the kick panels and then onto the floor at the hatch release.
sean
