My friend Butyrub stopped the leak!

[Parker]

My current and previous 110 had the same leak resulting in wet feet from water dripping during rain events. Sure, the old sealant had been drying out. But also that strange crack that I have noticed in quite a few Defenders can't be good.

I took out the old gunk and used Soudal Butyrub. Cleans ok with metho but skims very slow. After that I used Captain Tolleys creeping crack cure from the top, a few applications until the crack was sealed.

Now I have dry feet. Been in some rather wild Victorian rain storms in recent days. Not bad for 30min work.

[Aaron]

What was the surface prep for the Captain Tolleys?

[Parker]

What was the surface prep for the Captain Tolleys?

I know a bit about boats. The stuff was apparently designed to seal small cracks in GRF and 'Plastic'. That means you can't really prep it. My crack is around 1mm max. That seems like a big crack. Personally I think it is that a previous owner had too much on the roofrack.

I cleaned as best as I could with a toothbrush. Then used compressed air. Metho, more air, metho, more air. Let dry. Air. Captain T unto it seems full, then wait, next day more Capt T until nothing would flow in. I bought two bottles on the bay but used only a small amount, maybe 2cc.

I think I will fill all the cracks on the gutter, then maybe paint it. I don't like roof racks.

[Aaron]

I've got very similar cracks and never had a roof rack. Maybe it's the sun?

I dont have any water leaks yet but just want to get on top of it. Thanks for the info!

[gromit]

I've got very similar cracks and never had a roof rack. Maybe it's the sun?

I dont have any water leaks yet but just want to get on top of it. Thanks for the info!

I think the sealant shrinks with age hence the cracks.

If a heavy load has been carried on the roof it's worth stripping out the front headlining section. The roof attaches to the windscreen frame with two big self tappers each side, these are inevitably loose.

I don't have any picture because it's years since I tightened the screws on mine.


Colin

[LouNat58]

My current and previous 110 had the same leak resulting in wet feet from water dripping during rain events. Sure, the old sealant had been drying out. But also that strange crack that I have noticed in quite a few Defenders can't be good.

I took out the old gunk and used Soudal Butyrub. Cleans ok with metho but skims very slow. After that I used Captain Tolleys creeping crack cure from the top, a few applications until the crack was sealed.

Now I have dry feet. Been in some rather wild Victorian rain storms in recent days. Not bad for 30min work.Thanks to your photos I now know why I have been getting wet feet. I have the same cracks . So now to get some captain tolleys and give it a crack!

[ramblingboy42]

Captain Tolleys eh?

sounds like rum or whisky.

[travelrover]

Thanks to your photos I now know why I have been getting wet feet. I have the same cracks . So now to get some captain tolleys and give it a crack!

Give it a crack? Doesn’t already have those?

[LouNat58]

Give it a crack? Doesn’t already have those?Yeah, I should have said have a crack at the crack! :-)

[Parker]

Bury rub is a noncuring mastic that develops a skin. At the thickest I have put a 6mm wide bead and filled it maybe 6mm deep. It has cured on the surface and is flexible to the touch. There’s no water coming in. Parking I brushed past a shrub and the skin was torn a bit. It’s 7 days old. I’ll wait another week and remove the bead to see. The bit over the windscreen was only a few mm deep and seems solid to the touch. This is very different to other mastic I have used in the past.

I wanted something that seals , is flexible over time but also solid. Not sure I like that it remains uncurled inside .

The Captain T stuff seems to get sucked into cracks until the crack is filled. I like that. And that it goes into the smallest cracks.

Thought you might like to hear this update...

[Parker]

I’ve parted with Butyrub. That was a disappointing and far from solid relationship.

It only took about 20 minutes to remove all that stuff, including the completely uncured compound that was under the skin.

My new friend, and I hope that will be a long and dependable relationship, is Soudal Multibond SMX35. By all accounts it is very elastic very flexible and UV resistant and black and paintable. Seems just perfectly suited for that kind of gap. There is a lot of rain forecast for the weekend so we will see.

I did lay down one bead of this stuff to see how fast it would form a skin. Today it is about 17° and the skin had formed within one hour. That’s pretty cool.

It also sticks really well. I did prepare the surface with thinner and then metho. I did notice that it was not as easy to get a really smooth and finish as it is with silicon sealant. The consistency is a little different. After an hour or so the surface feels good.

[MarkM]

I, on the other hand, have had good results giving my friend Sika a squeeze, I have found that it SLSTAB.