Leaks leaks leaks

I took advantage of today's monsoon to track down the leaks in the cruiser. Upon getting in the car I could hear the water trickling, so it must have been leaking bad. Got the storage box out of the back and saw what I expected, water in the well. It was not as bad as had been, thanks to the hole I drilled after the last flood. I spotted the stream of water running down the D-pillar where the sheet metal meets, but not sure where its coming in. Its a very steady stream, so it must be a big leak. Both D-pillars have a drip, but that's not anywhere near as bad as this leak. Who wants to take a shot at where this one is coming in?

I am going to make a wild guess and say its probably the RAIN causing the leak!Seriously can you back the camera away from the leak a little so I can get a better look?
J E G

Roof rack maybe?

I would guess the roof strips or rack rails. It's not uncommon.

There is a drain hole in the left side well there which gets plugged up pretty easily. Crawl underneath and look a couple inches back from the leading edge, you'll see a little bump. Use a small screw driver from beneath to clean it out. Just don't be directly underneath it or you'll get wet.

I sometimes think GM intended the cars to leak since they're so well drained.

I was kind of leaning toward the roof racks. I took a look and did not see the drain. Found the one where the tire is (well found that on my Caprice, there is no bottom of the tire compartment on this wagon ).
I used RTV on my racks on my RMW a few years ago and it seemed to have held. Is RTV best for the long haul or some sort of body seam filler?

well one of the main reason why i painted my roof rack was because of a leak on the rack.. i dont kno if its the same spot but back of the roof rack(back window)where you unscrew the stopper for the actual bar that goes across the rack to come out.. right under both of those is where my leak was.. like where the roof meatal meets up with the D-pillard.. there is a space right there where my body filler was just dust there really..

That is the same place mine was leaking before I resealed the roof racks.

Now mine is leaking at the bumper. The water puddles up in the gate area and seeps through the worn out seam sealer.

Well, I think I located the leak(s). There was a cracked body seam under the roof rack that I put some RTV in, and I also noticed a seam broken in the corner behind the bumper where the hinges are for the gate (like 94Woody saw on his). Now I wait for the next rain storm....

Tonight's big rain is how I found mine. After pulling the headliner and stuff out I was kinda miffed that it wasn't leaking from the roof anywhere

a couple cups of water works just as well as a rain storm..

95BRMW wrote:

I was kind of leaning toward the roof racks. I took a look and did not see the drain. Found the one where the tire is (well found that on my Caprice, there is no bottom of the tire compartment on this wagon ).
I used RTV on my racks on my RMW a few years ago and it seemed to have held. Is RTV best for the long haul or some sort of body seam filler?

GM likes to seal that drain with seam sealer!! It is rectangular bump that Mike described. It is very small. I used a ty-rap to clean mine out.

I spent HOURS cleaning and sealing stuff on my wagon last weekend. Removed the gate so I could clean out all the rust and busted seam sealer. Sealed EVERYTHING I could see and put it all back together.

The darn thing STILL gets water in it. I'm completely stumped as to what it could be. It comes in at the bottom rear of the quarter on the driver side. It pours in like a water hose is on back there.

Mine was leaking around the entire large rear side window. I had a body shop remove the window and re set it. These are great guys and I trust them on ANY of my cars. When I went to pick the car up is still leaked!!! They never checked it, but did it again for me of course. Works great now!! Knock on wood!!

I have silicone surrounding the side window as well. The rack leaks are gone and just a slight mist forms on a small part of the inner window seal. The Water is pouring in on the very bottom. It is in the place in the OP's second picture, where you can see the rust flakes piled up. Basically the very bottom/rear of the quarter where the bumper is. It pours in like a water hose in in there and runs out the drain. I applied Silicone on every nut and bolt that I could see when I had it apart.

There are several pieces of steel in that area that makes it a blind spot. Damn this rusty wagon and GM for doing such a terrible job of sealing them.

I have sealed everything and used fiberglass to repair my rotted quarter. Because of that I can't have ANY water getting in there

I'm happy to say my leaks are gone for the most part. I pulled the right roof rack off and found a bunch of cracked seams by the D-pillar, and some big ones by the vista roof. There were no leaks that I knew of that far forward, but the cracks can't be helping. I still have a small amount coming in the lower corners of the wheel wells (like 94Woody mentions). No idea where its coming in. Its more like seaping in instead of a flash flood though.

95BRMW wrote:

I still have a small amount coming in the lower corners of the wheel wells (like 94Woody mentions).

I found mine today!!!!

Pull your tail lights and check the seam where the quarter panel meets the tail panel. My sealer had a hairline crack in it. I poured a cup of water on it and it flowed right into the wheel well.

The area on the far left side. You can see a spot in it near the tail light harness.



I guess I forgot about sealing it once I installed the missing cover support brackets.

Nice work. I bet I have the exact same issue. I get water in my left 1/4, but it doesn't come in from up top. I'll check it out...

I have an appointment with the local auto glass company to have the side window removed and reglazed on the Caprice Wagon. I gave it the hose test and could see it come in. I will give it the hose test when they are done, no I will make them do the hose test before and after.

Tom C.

94Woody wrote:

I have sealed everything and used fiberglass to repair my rotted quarter. Because of that I can't have ANY water getting in there

No need to worry,. fibreglass doesn't rust,. thats why they make boats out of it,..drill extra holes let the water flow out faster,.

nick

LOL. Thought about that. I did get the drain on that side cleared out, makes for a nice water fall

It's the rusty metal the glass "Long Strand Bondo" is stuck to that worries me. This old wagon will never be a show queen so I did what I could. Used an entire 2 pound can on the one quarter and both rear wheel housings. It had water coming in from everywhere.

I went around my side windows with "Flowable" Silicone, wonderful stuff.

save your wagons' quarters <<
Nick

Damn, you read my mind. Wheel wells have already received a nice coating. Quarters are next in line. I just used a standard undercoating, but may be ordering what you posted. My rust is nothing compared to what some of you guys have to contend with. Doing what I can should get me many years of use from this ol wagon.

I'd like to do something with the floors but knowing me that would turn into a frame drop. I don't have the funds to support that right now.

Son of a ..... All this work and the thing STILL gets water in the spare tire well

Got the interior apart and waiting for the next down pour which is an hour or so away.

wagon leaks are a nightmare,. drop the headliner out,and the trim around the windows etc,. tape te garden hose to the roof rack turn it on get inside,. and use a decent flashlight (the new style bright led ones work best)

Nick

I just ordered a 6 pk and even though I dont think and hope that there is no rust. I plan
to rubber coat anything that even looks like it might be capable of rusting sometime in the
future.6 ozs should do about 6 square feet which should cover both inner fender and the tailgate insides.
I saw an old Zeibart spray gun and equiment in Craigslist about a month ago and hope I can still find it.I remembered when I worked at Goodyear how NASTY that stuff was to get off if you had an accident with that gun.My boss then' loved selling that $199.99 package to any
body who had bought a new car without undercoating.
Great Memories
Jim Gordon

I have been all over this one while it rained. While I know where the water is dripping from, I have no idea how it is leaking. Water is dripping from the body of the car itself. The area where all the panels come together at. One drip is in the very back and the other is in front of the spare mounting brace.

I think it MAY be the roof rack but that normally causes the leak from the grab handle and D pillar. Both those areas are bone dry in even the heaviest of rain. I have even poured LOTS of water on the car myself.