I had a busy Saturday taking care of a laundry list of fixes for Xfire issues. I first did the sticky ignition key fix, and then tackled the Relay Control Module solder repair. Since those went so well I moved on to pulling the spoiler to check for the potential rust problem that I've been reading about on the forum. Here is what I found....

Driver's Side -





Passenger Side -





The O-ring seals weren't working to keep water out of the threads, but even if they had been OK rust still would have been forming due to water sitting in the mount pocket. It's just a terrible design.

I used a cordless drill with a small wire wheel to clean the rust off the spoiler mounts and bolts. Make sure you remove the torx bolt and clean up that area as well. I used a small brass brush to clean out the trunklid pocket as best I could without damaging the paint.





In order to keep water out of the pocket altogether, I decided to use clear silicone sealant and coated both the spoiler mounts and pockets prior to reassembly. Once the spoiler was bolted back on, I cleaned up the little bit of silicone that oozed out with rags and Q-tips. I don't see how moisture will be able to work it's way back in there now, so I'm satisfied that this problem won't return.



Also, while I had the inner trunk liner removed, I disconnected the emergency release cable assembly from the trunk latch. For those of us with roadsters, this can break and cause a trunk entry problem as Pizzaguy described so well in his post. I've been having occasional problems with the trunk lid latch, and although my emergency release wasn't broken like Pizzaguys was, I think it was causing problems and wanted it gone.

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum/441770-post41.html

The moral of this story is don't postpone checking under your spoiler mounts for rust. Due to the lack of any decent gaskets in the mount pocket moisture will get inside and will cause rust.

 

Wow, that looks absolutely awful. Guess I've got a new project on the
list. Thanks for detailing this so well. Those pictures are worth a thousand
dollars.

 

It appears you have a roadster. The mounting is totally different on a coupe. I wonder if that is the difference. I took my wing off a coupe and didn't see any of this rust.

James

 

Forum member "Melspank" made this post back in 07 about her SRT coupe.

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...-problems.html

If memory serves, they replaced the entire spoiler on her car under warranty.
It's probably a good idea for "everybody" with a SRT to check theirs out.

 

Not totally different. I just do not remember the 3rd bolt with the rubber discs on the coupe.
Mine had some of this rust. (some have had far worse)

 

The coupe wing support is totally countersunk into the mounting panel. The coupe mounting has a larger span between the studs (only 2) making a more stable mounting.

Only a portion of the roadster support is countersunk. And the mounting studs seem not centered. Just an observation.

James

 

Hi Mike, yes, I had to get a whole new spoiler. It was so bad it had eaten some of the paint around the bottom. All fixed under warranty. Hey Mike I had to order new tires too. It took a month but they will be put on tomorrow. I also have a scratched up wheel from my last visit to the dealer, hope to get it fixed soon. I got the contis. They worked well for winter and summer so I stuck with them. I would like to have had the pirellis but the cost is crazy,well a girl can dream, maybe next time. Hope to see you, Tony and Gene at Heath.

Melspank
srt-6

 

I just pulled my spoiler. Thanks for the great thread.

I have had mine for about a month. It started leaking a line of what appeared to be a combination of mud and calcium down the outer trunk lid. When I pulled it I could tell it had been "repaired" before. I didn't have the rust as shown in the original post, but the repair had been done poorly. Sealant (not silicon) was in all the wrong places.

Some advice from a someone who spent 25 years as a plumber keeping water from getting into places it shouldn't be.
1. Put the orings down in the recessed openings, not around the threaded studs. That will insure they seal properly to keep water out of the trunk.
2. Put silicon only around the flat portion of the spoiler that will touch the trunk lid. Silicon around the rubber gasket, bolts, orings, etc. will not keep water out of the assembly, which is the whole goal.

I wish they would have designed a way for the water that got in around the rubber gasket to drain away in the first place. What they designed was a moat around that gasket.

 

Great Thread! I didn't realise the spoilers will be an issue also..

Guys, just remember to use the appropriate silicone, if you use an acetic cure then it could create even more rust issues.. Some silicones (such as window/glass sealants) are made to etch into the surface - this is not what we want..

 

Great post! Thanks for the information.

 

I would not use silicone as a sealant, if you ever want the wing of again it might be too tight. Yanking on the wing may break it, the roadster wing is not too strong.

On my coupe I found that the O-ring that fitted in the pocket for it was a good fit on the two studs as well. I think they were 5/16" ID. The studs had a radius on them to fit them as well.

When I finally finish this job I will put in some caulking that has stayed flexible in my toolbox for thirty years so far. I will put it around the outside of the well so that the step on the wing supports crush it. This will fill the gap you see when it is assembled, trimmed flush to the support it will not be seen.

I think this stuff has asbestos in it, but it looks like dark grey plasticine. I purchased it in the seventies and it is still pliable. It's probably not allowed to be made these days.

 

I would not use silicone as a sealant, if you ever want the wing of again it might be too tight. Yanking on the wing may break it, the roadster wing is not too strong.

On my coupe I found that the O-ring that fitted in the pocket for it was a good fit on the two studs as well. I think they were 5/16" ID. The studs had a radius on them to fit them as well.

When I finally finish this job I will put in some caulking that has stayed flexible in my toolbox for thirty years so far. I will put it around the outside of the well so that the step on the wing supports crush it. This will fill the gap you see when it is assembled, trimmed flush to the support it will not be seen.

I think this stuff has asbestos in it, but it looks like dark grey plasticine. I purchased it in the seventies and it is still pliable. It's probably not allowed to be made these days.

 

That stuff is called "Duct Seal" and should be available at a HVAC Supply Store.

 

Looks like I have another chore for the weekend.

 

 

Cheyoru
I found that a company known as FASTENAL (Fastenal.com) has a very large inventory of fasteners that may supply you with the bolts you need for your project. I've found a variety of fasteners at a reasonable price.
Dennis
DTMenace