99 explorer wet headliner and carpet

[Lee's Automotive]

I don't see any rust on the inside under the headliner so im guessing that's a good thing i do see the urethane though and it's wet in that top corner

 

[CDW6212R]

You can put RTV inside at the leak spot if you can pinpoint it. That should stick well if it's cleaned like the glass with a simple cleaner. That could stop the leak completely if you actually found it. That rust converter is surely very good given the brand, it's intended to be put onto light rust, not deep or scaled old rust. Big rust needs some basic sanding or grinding to get deep into it, the products convert surface rust, not thick rust.

It sounds like there is minor rust so far, so basic sealing of it will slow it until you get real body work going on it.

 

[Lee's Automotive]

You can put RTV inside at the leak spot if you can pinpoint it. That should stick well if it's cleaned like the glass with a simple cleaner. That could stop the leak completely if you actually found it. That rust converter is surely very good given the brand, it's intended to be put onto light rust, not deep or scaled old rust. Big rust needs some basic sanding or grinding to get deep into it, the products convert surface rust, not thick rust.

It sounds like there is minor rust so far, so basic sealing of it will slow it until you get real body work going on it.

Honestly looking at the entire roof channel there is light surface rust where the paint is chipping off so ill sand it lightly and convert it also it looks like it's coming between the seam

 

[410Fortune]

That is exactly what you want the permatex rust treatment… wait until you see what it does to rust

Like I said knock off the loose stuff and clean the area with a brush and some air the slather on the permatex many hours later your old rust will be hard black metal

I love the permatex stuff especially since
Moving to the pnw

 

[CDW6212R]

It is very good stuff, great product. I've used it long ago in the 80's, and a couple of other brands back then too.

My worry is the truck has a lot of little rust along the roof gutter channels, and the seam sealer is hiding the worst part. This truck here should not have anything too hard to fix properly.

I've seen many sedans with leaks at the base of the back windows; the seam sealer lets go in the truck jamb right at the corners of the window area. Nobody looks closely at that area or cleans it much. When the seam sealer hardens and cracks, it opens a big path for water to get under it, and the metal is eaten away in a few years. That kind of joint with sheet metal coming together in a corner, is extremely hard to take apart to fix rust.

 

[Lee's Automotive]

It is very good stuff, great product. I've used it long ago in the 80's, and a couple of other brands back then too.

My worry is the truck has a lot of little rust along the roof gutter channels, and the seam sealer is hiding the worst part. This truck here should not have anything too hard to fix properly.

I've seen many sedans with leaks at the base of the back windows; the seam sealer lets go in the truck jamb right at the corners of the window area. Nobody looks closely at that area or cleans it much. When the seam sealer hardens and cracks, it opens a big path for water to get under it, and the metal is eaten away in a few years. That kind of joint with sheet metal coming together in a corner, is extremely hard to take apart to fix rust.

Ok ill take the headliner down and look around but from what i see on the outside im not seeing anything that looks bad per say other than the seam sealer cracking

 

[Lee's Automotive]

That is exactly what you want the permatex rust treatment… wait until you see what it does to rust

Like I said knock off the loose stuff and clean the area with a brush and some air the slather on the permatex many hours later your old rust will be hard black metal

I love the permatex stuff especially since
Moving to the pnw

Will do man i plan on doing this tomorrow

 

[Lee's Automotive]

So finally I have had time to mess with the roof and clean things out since it's 80f out here now and this is what I found
Driver side

Passenger side

 

[dvdswan]

Looks like mostly surface rust which is good. The seam sealer looks to be cracking as well.

Was this just the windshield or both front and back?

 

[Lee's Automotive]

Looks like mostly surface rust which is good. The seam sealer looks to be cracking as well.

Was this just the windshield or both front and back?

Windshield driver and passenger side

 

[CDW6212R]

The windshield seal looks very old, if the glass is that old and you might be replacing it soon, I'd cut all of the seal away that blocks your access. I'd rework that window channel to kill and treat all of the rust, and then do the glass(which comes with a new seal). If there is no rust right along the glass(thus under it), then it won't need any treatment there while the glass is being changed.

 

[Lee's Automotive]

The windshield seal looks very old, if the glass is that old and you might be replacing it soon, I'd cut all of the seal away that blocks your access. I'd rework that window channel to kill and treat all of the rust, and then do the glass(which comes with a new seal). If there is no rust right along the glass(thus under it), then it won't need any treatment there while the glass is being changed.

I believe the windshield is original, also what would be the best course of action to fix this?

 

[CDW6212R]

I had to replace a windshield in my 99 Explorer less than two years ago, my insurance paid for it. The guy that did it said that they still cost a little over $200 to get it done at your site. That's a good price to get new glass, and the perimeter trim which looks better and keeps most debris from getting to the glass channel.

If you cut the trim off enough to access the channel, just clean it really well, and use a good rust converter after sanding the surface enough to remove most rust. A very very thin remaining layer of rust is fine for the converter products to react with and seal up. When it's done, then you just lightly sand it with a 150 grit etc, and final seal it with a quality paint etc.

 

[Lee's Automotive]

Well my sealant of choice has arrived so I'm gonna clean the area thoroughly and use rust converter after I sand off all the rust I see and then use this sealant for the entire top of the windshield gasket and gutter to stop the leak until I can replace the windshield and get the vehicle painted