SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

Update April 2nd 2015
I removed the inner trim panels from the hatch and looked for traces of leakage from the past two years and found none. I looked and felt inside the hatch interior, I did not remove the spoiler or the spoiler mounting late, I figuered why mess with it and possibly cause a leak.

My first post in this section. A newbie.:rolleyes:


Unloading the trunk from the journey to pick up the car from Florida I noticed a few drips in the trunk under the latch and under the trunk mat on the sound insulation. A little prevention being better than a major cure I decided to investigate the cause.

I found the seals around the spoiler mounting panel to be leaking in the top left and right corners. The photos show the leaking areas. You can see where the OEM seal ran along the top side of the pocket and then transitions around the corner to the bottom face of the pocket, the seal did a good job on the side of the pocket but failed in the transition and the flat area. The seal on the top side of the pocket is to prevent the area where water can stand by letting gravity take the water to the sides. I think the leaks occur in the transition areas.

I replaced the caulking shown in the following photos with 1/8" x 3/8" closed cell adhesive backed tape that is used as a draft stopper in the home. I split this down the middle to make it 3/16" wide. I laid this in the same manner as the photos below.

There are various makes of the seal and some have larger bubbles in the rubber (Neoprene) you want the type with the very small hard to see bubbles in it as these are not so prone to get water in them. I tried one with large bubbles and although they said it was closed cell it filled with water anyway. This new one worked well when tested with water.

You can see that to get the slope from the top center of the seal to each side that the seal transitions from the top edge to the bottom of the panel. the slope leads the water to the sides of the panel. There is an indentation on the panel bottom and sides that the seal sits on.
https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...1&d=1427054487

https://www.crossfireforum.org/galle.../DSC_00622.JPG
This is Grip Grips hatch. Far worse than mine. You can see where the seal is and how water has got past it, this water will end up in the trunk or inside the hatch and cause rust. The two seals were laid out in different patterns as you can see.
https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...1&d=1427054148

Here is a photo where the seal has failed (not my car), it shows the leaks and the different pattern in which the seal was originally installed. This allows for a nice dip in the center at the top for water to sit and debris and dust to collect, that could easily lead to rust and the seal to fail early.
https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...1&d=1427468549

This picture shows the bead of sealant applied to stop the leak (not my car), It may do that but the part will be extremely hard to remove if it leaks again or needs repair. Notice the dip in he top where dirt and debris will collect and hold moisture against the panel. The gap around where the seal sits is not consistently the same size.
https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...1&d=1427468549

https://www.crossfireforum.org/galle...-18-36_737.jpg

This area is hard to seal as the seal area is not flat, the OEM seal is called a rope seal and obviously does not work too good as it moves and leaves the sticky film attached to it where it was placed while the seal itself extrudes itself slowly to an area with lesser clamping forces. I also want to have a seal that does not allow the deep pockets that form reservoirs of standing water.

Here is some rope type caulking that I used to gage the thickness of the gap.https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...1&d=1427469730


I will also tackle the pockets where the spoiler sits, the O-Rings did not leak but the steel that is part of the spoiler supports sits in damp pockets and made rust stains on the paint of the panel at the bottom of the pockets. I intend to prevent water sitting in these pockets. Possibly I'll use a permanently flexible putty type of compound around the spoiler supports and the pockets, this will not be seen due to the step in the spoiler supports. The O-rings are 5/16" inside diameter x 7/16" outside diameter x 1/16" (#011).https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...1&d=1427469730

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

Ah gee Dave now you've gone and done it! I gotta take my wing off!!!!!!!...............does it ever end????? :rolleyes:

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

Sorry, you may be lucky and have no leak. Mine has a small leak, just a few drops in the trunk but as you can see a lot of water has been through those seals over time and taken the dust with it. I think a little rain drains out the bottom gaps.

Jake80 said he had no problem and I believe him. I think that the freezing rain we got the first night I was home sealed the bottom gaps and as it thawed the water had nowhere to go but inside the trunk. This makes sense to me as there was no indication water had ever been in the trunk before, no water spots visible at all and the things in the trunk coming home never got wet even though we were in some heavy showers. I'm sure water went past the seals during this time but drained out the poor seals at the bottom.

I can see that if there was poor sealing at the top and good sealing at the bottom the water would back up into the trunk.

My thoughts are to put seals all around on the bottom and have other seals at the top and bottom that will prevent water getting to the these seals along the top and bottom edges.

I am going to add a photo of the seals applied to the bottom face in the first post. The other seals will be stuck to the hatch itself at least at the top as the glass overlaps the recess for the spoiler mounting panel by about 3/32".

The big test will be done with a hose and then a good inspection.

This is a work in progress.:rolleyes:

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

Dave, I fixed the same leak on the Aero about a year ago.... I used the black RTV gasket stuff to do mine.... I also took the wing off and cleaned the bolts and re-did the seals around them while I was in there... no more leaks since then....:D

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

Hopefully this is isolated as an Aero Blue problem only.:p

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

Welcome to the srt6 world;) blue aero is nice :) hope you get the leak sorted.

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

When I installed the wing on my coupe, I used clear silicon window sealant. Ran a thick bead all around the perimeter before seating on the studs and tightening. Not one drip! :D

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

I thought of that, and it would work of course.

Why one would want to take that panel off again I cannot imagine. Unless you were another Fubu and wanted an NA spoiler on an SRT or wanted to put the NA spoiler back on an NA, too late for you now but ....;)

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

I'm subscribed, as mine is leaking in the same spot as yours and I don't have time to repair it for a while.

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

Bring it over and I'll do the repair for ya. Also, it pays to replace the four o-rings where the wing studs mount to the base plate...

Just say the word!

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

Update
I washed the car yesterday and removed the wing and then the panel. As I knew it would be, water was evident in the pockets where the wing sits, no water went past the new O-rings (5/16" inside diameter x 1/16" #011) this is not good over time as the wing has a steel plate in the bottom mounting face and rusts a little staining the paint. In a worst case scenario this stain could overflow down the panel itself and stain the exterior paint.

The closed cell foam I used to seal the panel did not work too well as it absorbed moisture and would hold water against the paint. I am now looking for a better seal, the original seal was probably a roundish seal with a sticky back on it. The original seal moved away from the sticky backing and caused the leaks, that's assuming it did not leak anyway.

RTV and silicone are not being considered as I want to remove the parts for inspection at a later date. Although I have thought of using the RTV or silicone and having a sticky tape on one or even two faces, the sealant will form to the correct shape but not be stuck to the paint. The panel would be lightly screwed down, the RTV allowed to set and then screwed down tight after the tape has been removed.

The search for a good seal goes on.

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

Dave, attach a small diameter rubber tubing to the panel with silicone sealant

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

A one piece seamless modification solved my problem.

Attachment 43738

Attachment 43739

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

That looks real neat and as long as there is a good seal at the top a perfect solution.
The OEM sealing is rubbish.
I also want to solve the problem of water sitting under the mounting feet as water sits between the two faces where the O-rings sit.

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

I have tried a new approach to the leak problem; as I was not sure as to the thickness of the gap that the seal had to close up, I thought that a caulking cord that comes in strips that you tear off a roll would indicate the gap thickness all around when crushed.
The panel has an indentation all around that the OEM seal followed originally so I applied this seal in that area and bolted it all up again. I shall wait for warmer weather to run a hose over it and see if it leaks. I shall then replace it with a better seal.

I also intend to stop water getting into the top and bottom by using seals just below the surface of the panel.

Update
I replaced the caulking shown in the following photos with 1/8" x 3/8" closed cell adhesive backed tape that is used as a draught stopper in the home. I split this down the middle to make it 3/16" wide. I layed this in the same manner as the photos below.

There are various makes of the seal and some have larger bubbles in the rubber (Neoprene) you want the type with the very small hard to see bubbles in it as these are not so prone to get water in them. I tried one with large bubbles and allthough they said it was closed cell it filled with water anyway. This worked well when tested with water.

You can see that to get the slope from the top center of the seal to each side that the seal transitions from the top edge to the bottom of the panel. the slope leads the water to the sides of the panel. There is an indentation on the panel bottom and sides that the seal sits on.

I am going to put a seal along the top edge of the panel that is trapped between the glass, the hatch frame and the spoiler panel. I have not found the correct size rubber pipe with the correct softness that will fit. The idea for this is to keep the water away from the whole top part of the main seal, it will go from one side of the glass to the other, it may not fit for about 1" or so in from each side though. A drawing for this idea is at the bottom of the thread.

https://www.crossfireforum.org/galle.../DSC_01031.JPG

https://www.crossfireforum.org/galle...m/DSC_0102.JPG

https://www.crossfireforum.org/galle.../DSC_01011.JPG

https://www.crossfireforum.org/galle...PANEL_SEAL.jpg

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

Nice job with the "winder puddy" Dave! Hope it doesn't dry out and crack. :rolleyes:

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

This caulk will be replaced, I have to see if it's in the right spot and touching in all areas so it does not leak.Basically I'm using it as a plasti-gage.

This is an on going project, I have to wait until it's warm enough out to run a hose over it.

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

Hope it doesn't stick to both surfaces when you remove the panel. Good luck with it!

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

well...california is a great place to garage your cars. as long as you don't drive them much. of course, i'm not factoring in the real estate costs.;) and we've got high-speed rail to look forward to.:p

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

I took of the panel today and found that I had a pretty good seal all around. A bit light in the top right corner but still touching.It was not stuck too tightly and popped off OK, the caulk all stayed on the car side.

I now have to find a good adhesive backed seal that is not to wide. 1/8" thick x 1/8" or maybe 3/16" max. wide should be OK. If its too wide it takes too much pressure to clamp it down.

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

I found the closed cell foam and applied it a month or so ago. Today I tested it with the hose and there were no leaks.
Job done.

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

Great work, and thanks for the follow through. Can you please provide us with a Part # for the final gasket you used and where you got it? And did you use a double sided tape to hold it in place or did the gasket come with an adhesive? Thanks again for the very throughly write up.

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

Thank you sir, much appreciated.

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

For everyone that has accomplished this fix, I have a couple of questions and would appreciate your input. Right now, I have the panel and spoiler off the car and, of course, the panel and spoiler are not attached to each other.

180 - you mentioned in the first post that you were going to tackle the "wells" where the spoiler sits in the panel but I don't see what you did to remedy that area (unless I missed it). I, also, have the rust on the spoiler mount and the panel at the attach point. I don't think the new o-rings will stop water from getting in there. Was there something else you did?

For those that used silicone to seal the panel, did you just follow the "path" on the back side of the panel? Did you double up the width of the silicone near the bottom of the panel where it goes around the Chrysler logo - like 180 did with the putty in post 18?

How "tall" of a bead of silicone did you use? How much squeeze out did you experience?

Did anyone else do something to stop the water from getting between the spoiler mounting feet and the panel?

I assume that if water was to get in around the mounting feet of the spoiler, the new o-rings will keep the water from getting into the trunk area, correct?

Sorry for all of the questions, but if I silicone this thing, I want to make sure I have all of the bases covered since it won't be fun to take the panel off to try again.

Thanks all for your help!!

RL

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

I had forgotten this project. I have to take of the wing and see how it fared over the summer. I have not found any tube that was soft enough to put along the top to stop water getting into the top of the panel. I will take a photo of the parts when I take it apart.

To seal the pockets where the wing sits I was thinking of using a putty like substance, rolling it and putting it around the foot that goes down the pocket so that it was squashed between the outer surface and the wing with some getting pushed down the edges of the pocket. I have some stuff that I have had from the sixties which is still pliable. It is like plasticine with strands of what I think is asbestos in it.

The flat area above the Chrysler badge I think I will leave clear except for the seal that is on some areas. I may spray it with some thin undercoat.

Remember if you do silicone it you will not get it off again, so any fluke body damage in that area or another leak will not be fixable.

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

Thanks for the update, Dave. I would like to see the pictures and hear your evaluation of your repair after you remove the parts again. I know what you mean about using silicone - that is my fear - if I don't get it completely fixed, I won't get a second chance. I may try to find some sealing "rope" in my neck of the woods that will provide a good seal while still allowing re-work, if needed.

A thought about the spoiler feet - since the "plate" at the base of the feet is the only metal part at the join area, do you think the plate could be coated with a rust inhibitor or just painted to stop the rust? If the o-rings are new, that would keep any water from entering the trunk area. Keeping ANY water out of the "well" would be the ideal plan, but do you think that would help stop any rusting if water was to get in there?

Thankfully, this isn't my DD so I have time to experiment.

Thanks again!!

RL

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

Since the silicone would not allow any rework if I didn't get the leak fixed, I opted for 180's original idea of using the "putty rope" around the indention of the panel. I used the "Mortite" product that I found at Lowe's for about $7. Since it can be peeled off in small diameter ropes, I used a single strand around the perimeter and did a triple strand around the curve where the logo will fit (180 uses a double width of it in post #18). Since this stuff is tacky, it stayed in place well when the panel was reinstalled and seemed to smash into place very well. I opted for the Mortite because it was the only caulk rope I found that advertised that it stayed flexible and wouldn't dry out. Only time will tell on that, but I put a piece of it in my oven at 200 degrees F for about 5 hours and it did not melt or dry out. Was still flexible / tacky when I removed it and tested it. I also put a piece in the deep freeze for 24 hours (ranges from 0 to 10 degrees F) and it did not freeze - was still pliable when I took it out. Additionally, I put a piece in the garage (protected from the elements) and a piece on the porch (subjected to the elements) and so far, so good. Wind, rain cold and sun don't seem to greatly affect it.

I also took a piece of this and rolled it really thin to put around the bottom perimeter of the spoiler mount wells. As an extra water prevention measure, I coated the metal feet of the spoiler with a spray lubricant to help if any water was to get in the area.

Bolted it all back together and immediately ran water over the panel and around the spoiler feet for several minutes, concentrating on trying to flood the gaps of the panel. Not a drop ended up inside the car, so I am guessing the seal worked. Once it warms up again, I am going to take it to a high pressure car wash - both a manual and a touch-less automatic - to see if there are any leaks. If it passes, then I guess I will call it good. Since I am not sure how it will react to soaps and other chemicals that might get in there, if, down the road, the caulk rope begins to fail, I have plenty of stuff to do the repair again as that box has 90 linear feet of product.

Thanks

RL

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

Quote:

---

Onehundred80, do you think that a gasket cut from cork gasket material or a bicycle tube (my choice) would be able to seal the whole pocket from water getting in. I just took my wing off yesterday and noticed a little rust forming in the pocket but not too bad.

---

The trouble I found was that the gap is not even all around, some places touch of course but the other areas have gaps that vary in thickness, this required a gasket that could conform to the appropriate thickness. I used the soft caulking to get an idea of how thick the gaps were and what the final gasket had to fit to without leaving air gaps. The largest gaps were where the panel transitions from the bottom of the pocket to the top face, mostly the corners where the radii are.

The caulking I used did stick to the metal, but it all came off on the panel if I recall correctly. I would hesitate to use it permanently in case it did stick tight. Maybe a light spray with Pam would act as a release agent.

I have to take off the panel and see what happened to my attempts. The flat area above the Chrysler emblem is awkward, any gaps there might let water in but not let it dry out due to a lack of air movement. I opted to leave it open with the seal farther back.

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

I had the back plastic trim off and it rained. Noticed I have a leak as well. How long is this repair with RTV? 1-2 hours?

I would plan on the 2 hour time frame. Once you get in there, you'll want to clean it well and it takes a bit of time to get the old gasket removed from the panel. Be sure to keep a hand on the spoiler when you remove the nuts - you don't want that thing falling off unexpectedly.

RL

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

Thanks for the info. What about the seals for teh wing itself. Dealer item? if so how much?

There really aren't seals for the wing "feet" bit there are o-rings on the studs. My o-rings looked really good, so I reused them. The bottom of the feet have a metal insert in them that rusts, so I coated them with some spray lubricant / water repellant like WD-40 to try to keep moisture off of them. I also put a bead of the caulking rope (a very thin bead) in the bottom of the foot well to prevent moisture from getting in there. If you end up needing new o-rings, I'm sure an auto parts store would carry them. I think 180 listed the size of them somewhere on the forum.

RL

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

Thanks for the great detail!

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate
 

I had some good leaks that were masked by the plastic trim. Fortunately I had it removed, saw water drips, then searched here, problems solved. I just ran a thin bead of black water proof RTV silicone around the gasket which had squished out of alignment OEM in two areas at the bottom and in one long area on the top. The studs to the wing were starting to rust. I sealed those up as well. Water was dripping from most of the nuts under this spoiler mount plate. crazy.



Attachment 41904

Attachment 41905

Attachment 41906

Attachment 41907

Attachment 41908



Here's the top of the plate



Attachment 41909



Here's the wing



Attachment 41910

Re: SRT-6 Liftgate Leak On Spoiler Mounting Plate