HELP!!! Rain water is leaking into my 1993 Ford Explorer | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Greensboro north Carolina
Year, Model & Trim Level
1993 Ford explorer xlt
Hey everyone I have a 1993 Ford explorer xlt that leaks rain water in the passenger floor bourd and the headliner all around the windshield gets wet and the sunroof and the too back cargo glass windows leak so basically everything that I can think of is leaking and it gets soaked every time it rains I've tried multiple sealers and nun of them have fixed the problem can anyone please send me a link to new moldings and tell me how to access the seals? Thank you
 



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Probably more than one issue. Sunroof drains are common problem, and the Search button on this Forum would be very helpful. The cargo area glass panels are also often an issue. They each unbolt (be careful not to let them fall and break) with about ten small bolts that you access by removing rear interior panels. The cargo area seals can be obtained at any auto glass specialist.
 






There's nothing in the manuals about this problem. I suggest a test with the hose. The roof rails where they attach to the body alot of times leaks from rust underneath. Get the roof inspected by a body shop ask for a free estimate.
 


















I had my drivers side cargo glass leak, it only happened if it rained really hard, or at the car wash.
I have a glass guy that I hire on the side and pay him cash.
I removed the interior panels, and the glass itself.
He supplied the butyl tape, applied the tape and tightened the nuts securing the glass.
It worked great, no issues.
 






Check the sunroof drains. With the glass removed, run a water hose very slowly to pour into the pan around the perimeter. There are four drains in that pan, one at each corner, with a hose leading down each nearby pillar post(the A and B pillars). Water should not pool up in that pan, and you should see a solid flow of water below each pillar where the water is filled at.

The cargo area glass can be sealed from the outside, if you don't mind a thin line of RTV visible. I've done it a few times, almost all of them will leak eventually. If you are fine with that, just run some cheap tape along the top edge of the cargo glass, outside. Tape off the seam where the glass rubber trim meets the body, leave the tape about 1/8" from the rubber, so 1/8" of paint shows. The tape on the rubber you can make it 1/4" or so from the paint seam. Spread a very thin layer of Ultra Black RTV between the tape, smoothly as you can. The leak is usually along the top or one of the top corners. So taping it off including the top corners is a good idea.

That works well and will last for many many years, but if the sight of a strip of RTV bothers you, yank the interior trim and pull the glass out. I've done this because it's very quick and works. I had removed four of the cargo glass before, rebuilding two Explorers. So I was familiar with the time and difficulty of R&Ring the quarter glass. It's not hard, but it's not fun either.
 






I don't know about your other issues exactly, but the 2 rear quarter glass require what is called "butyl tape" www.amazon.com/3M-Windo-Weld-Ribbon-Sealer-08610/dp/B00GA3TMEG
I recall 1 package being enough but 15' seems a little short.
The 1/4" thick butyl tape linked above can be a bit on the thin side. I used the 5/16" thick stuff. You can get it at a NAPA store also. Will run about $35 there, but they usually have it in stock. It comes in a roll of 15' which is enough to do one of the rear cargo windows, but not both. I did my driver side last year and I still have about 1/3 of the roll left (right at 6'). You'll need two rolls if doing both sides.

Getting the windows out to reseal isn't too bad. Hardest part is getting the inside side panels out and out of the way. Once that's done, the nuts holding the glass in come off easily and the window just pops out. Make sure you have an extra set of hands holding it place when removing the last few nuts!
 






NAPA also carries a 3M adhesive in a caulk gun dispensing tube. I used that to seal my 93 rear quarter glass, in 2000. It was about $17 each back then, my body man chose it for both those and the windshield. That was a mistake for the windshield though, only a proper epoxy urethane product is right for that. But it worked well for the quarter glass, it hasn't ever leaked. I think one tube of that was plenty for one side.
 






Don't use this product for the rear windows if you ever want to pull them out in one piece ever again! If that's not the case, this will definitely seal them up well!

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Good thought, there are many different products. The one my body shop guy used wasn't a urethane, and I wish it had been. The windshield he put in himself, and I'm sure he didn't clean the channel well enough. It developed a leak at the top left corner after a few years, there had been a little corrosion under it. The windshield wasn't hard to remove, starting at that corner we had it out in ten minutes.

Reconstructing my 99 with the 93 body revealed that corrosion, I worked on it and treated it properly, and had a good glass company install a new windshield.

Projectthread043.JPG
 






The 1/4" thick butyl tape linked above can be a bit on the thin side. I used the 5/16" thick stuff. You can get it at a NAPA store also. Will run about $35 there, but they usually have it in stock. It comes in a roll of 15' which is enough to do one of the rear cargo windows, but not both. I did my driver side last year and I still have about 1/3 of the roll left (right at 6'). You'll need two rolls if doing both sides.

Getting the windows out to reseal isn't too bad. Hardest part is getting the inside side panels out and out of the way. Once that's done, the nuts holding the glass in come off easily and the window just pops out. Make sure you have an extra set of hands holding it place when removing the last few nuts!
Ok thank you I think I'll try the tape!
 












It shouldn't. The tape seals to the body on a recessed lip that is under the edge of the glass. Unless you pulled the glass out to put that sealant in, you should be ok. I would still clean up the entire area real good. There will be some dirt in there. Just make sure the lip where the glass bolts go thru is good and clean. Use some type of solvent and maybe a degreaser also, that way the butyl tape will stick good.

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It shouldn't. The tape seals to the body on a recessed lip that is under the edge of the glass. Unless you pulled the glass out to put that sealant in, you should be ok. I would still clean up the entire area real good. There will be some dirt in there. Just make sure the lip where the glass bolts go thru is good and clean. Use some type of solvent and maybe a degreaser also, that way the butyl tape will stick good.

View attachment 325354
Ok thank you!
 






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