drilling a hole in my floor - water leak
Discussion
Hi all, just wondered your opinions. I have a VERY bad water leak on the drivers side of my 98 chin. As in it will fill up to the bottom of the door. I have tried sealing the clutch cover, door seals look ok, and the roof fits "well". Cant think where its coming in as the carpets around the car were dry right down until the pool in the bottom of the floor.
So my plan is to drill a 5mm or so hole in the floor. Is it safe to do (won't cause cracking and weakness) and where is it safest or best do put it. To allow it all to drain out.
Thanks, james
So my plan is to drill a 5mm or so hole in the floor. Is it safe to do (won't cause cracking and weakness) and where is it safest or best do put it. To allow it all to drain out.
Thanks, james
You'd be surprised how much can get in around the door seal at the front and bottom edges. It runs through the carpets and onto the floor. I discovered mine by sitting in the car in the pouring rain and watching it come over the edge of the door seal. Talc can show water tracks too.
I've considered a hole in floor myself and as long as you don't drive it in the rain or when the roads are very wet, it won't really be an issue I'd have thought. A rubber bung in it at MoT time may be advisable to avoid explanations.
I've considered a hole in floor myself and as long as you don't drive it in the rain or when the roads are very wet, it won't really be an issue I'd have thought. A rubber bung in it at MoT time may be advisable to avoid explanations.
The 4 holes drilled in the floor for mounting the seats are something a bit like this, by the manufacturer! The battery box as well.
Many people add extra holes to fit other makes of seats too. It's the only way with a glassfibre body, there being no metal shelves or formed pieces on the floor to bolt them to.
Many people add extra holes to fit other makes of seats too. It's the only way with a glassfibre body, there being no metal shelves or formed pieces on the floor to bolt them to.
ianwayne said:
The 4 holes drilled in the floor for mounting the seats are something a bit like this, by the manufacturer! The battery box as well.
Many people add extra holes to fit other makes of seats too. It's the only way with a glassfibre body, there being no metal shelves or formed pieces on the floor to bolt them to.
What are you on about, you’ve lost me. there’s a big difference between the holes in the floor that form the mounting points for interior furniture, which bolts pass through.. versus just an open hole. Many people add extra holes to fit other makes of seats too. It's the only way with a glassfibre body, there being no metal shelves or formed pieces on the floor to bolt them to.
Add to that your still allowing the carpet to sit there damp smelling like a damp cave, rotting and you’re allowing any interior electrics to become damp with all the moisture in the cabin from evaporation, setting your self up for some future electrical problems.
This isn’t building a small version of the hadron collider. It’s sticking new rubber seals on the opening of a plastic box.
Edited by m4tti on Sunday 4th February 10:09
Edited by m4tti on Sunday 4th February 10:11
After spending a year chasing leaks including replacing the door seals, the problems were in no particular order:
1. The door seals even brand new do not fix the leak due to the design in many cars. A lot of water gets in this way.
a) At the front bottom corner of the seal cut a slot on the underside of the seal with a sharp blade about 2" long. Squeeze some glue in and then use grips or clothes pegs and squash the rubber together to form a flat surface. Leave to dry. Do this at the front and rear bottom corners but mainly along the horizontal part of the door sill.
b) Or, simply cut away the rubber seal part in the same area. Do just the fronts to start with as the result is not so pretty but it does work.
2. The seal around the brake reservoir is often overlooked. If you press against the side of the reservoir it may allow you to see any gap between the seal and the bodywork. Its best to reseal this anyway. Use masking tape around it to keep the result looking neat once all the old sealant has been dug out.
Oh and drilling a small hole in the lowest part of the floor under the pedals is absolutely and perfectly okay to do as a quick way to let the water drain out. But as previously mentioned this is not a cure.
1. The door seals even brand new do not fix the leak due to the design in many cars. A lot of water gets in this way.
a) At the front bottom corner of the seal cut a slot on the underside of the seal with a sharp blade about 2" long. Squeeze some glue in and then use grips or clothes pegs and squash the rubber together to form a flat surface. Leave to dry. Do this at the front and rear bottom corners but mainly along the horizontal part of the door sill.
b) Or, simply cut away the rubber seal part in the same area. Do just the fronts to start with as the result is not so pretty but it does work.
2. The seal around the brake reservoir is often overlooked. If you press against the side of the reservoir it may allow you to see any gap between the seal and the bodywork. Its best to reseal this anyway. Use masking tape around it to keep the result looking neat once all the old sealant has been dug out.
Oh and drilling a small hole in the lowest part of the floor under the pedals is absolutely and perfectly okay to do as a quick way to let the water drain out. But as previously mentioned this is not a cure.
m4tti said:
What are you on about, you’ve lost me. there’s a big difference between the holes in the floor that form the mounting points for interior furniture, which bolts pass through.. versus just an open hole.
Add to that your still allowing the carpet to sit there damp smelling like a damp cave, rotting and you’re allowing any interior electrics to become damp with all the moisture in the cabin from evaporation, setting your self up for some future electrical problems.
This isn’t building a small version of the hadron collider. It’s sticking new rubber seals on the opening of a plastic box.
I agree that stopping the water coming in is best, but the OP raised the issue of additional holes in the floor and asked if it was safe. I believe it is, as long as you don't make it like swiss cheese of course, pointing out that there are already several holes albeit with a nut and bolt through them.Add to that your still allowing the carpet to sit there damp smelling like a damp cave, rotting and you’re allowing any interior electrics to become damp with all the moisture in the cabin from evaporation, setting your self up for some future electrical problems.
This isn’t building a small version of the hadron collider. It’s sticking new rubber seals on the opening of a plastic box.
Have you looked at the 'mounting holes' for the seats? I have removed mine a couple of times. They are just holes through the carpet and thin glassfibre. My car had a seat secured with flat M8 nuts, not even nylocs! The section there is no thicker there than anywhere else on the floor. Metal cars have strengthened areas where seats are mounted.
The seatbelts are secured to the chassis though which is the important bit. Some owners have put additional metal sections there for strength.
Drain holes under scuttles in cars, especially those with a sunroof, are just that, holes, albeit with a rubber bung with a slit in it sometimes.
I have no idea what a reference to the Hadron collider is meant to be a metaphor for.
ianwayne said:
I agree that stopping the water coming in is best, but the OP raised the issue of additional holes in the floor and asked if it was safe. I believe it is, as long as you don't make it like swiss cheese of course, pointing out that there are already several holes albeit with a nut and bolt through them.
Have you looked at the 'mounting holes' for the seats? I have removed mine a couple of times. They are just holes through the carpet and thin glassfibre. My car had a seat secured with flat M8 nuts, not even nylocs! The section there is no thicker there than anywhere else on the floor. Metal cars have strengthened areas where seats are mounted.
The seatbelts are secured to the chassis though which is the important bit. Some owners have put additional metal sections there for strength.
Drain holes under scuttles in cars, especially those with a sunroof, are just that, holes, albeit with a rubber bung with a slit in it sometimes.
I have no idea what a reference to the Hadron collider is meant to be a metaphor for.
I have no idea why you keep referencing drains that are purposely engineered into a car. Drilling a hole in the floor of a cockpit for the purpose of drainage is pure Bodgery. Have you looked at the 'mounting holes' for the seats? I have removed mine a couple of times. They are just holes through the carpet and thin glassfibre. My car had a seat secured with flat M8 nuts, not even nylocs! The section there is no thicker there than anywhere else on the floor. Metal cars have strengthened areas where seats are mounted.
The seatbelts are secured to the chassis though which is the important bit. Some owners have put additional metal sections there for strength.
Drain holes under scuttles in cars, especially those with a sunroof, are just that, holes, albeit with a rubber bung with a slit in it sometimes.
I have no idea what a reference to the Hadron collider is meant to be a metaphor for.
Drain holes are placed outside the weather proof cell of the car. Ie at the bottom of doors and sills and are purposely engineered for the purpose of drainage. You’ll see things like the interior of the door is sealed between the drainage area and the door card.
The reference to the hadron collider is simple. Building the collider was a difficult piece of engineering. Sealing a car is not.
It’s obviously a much better idea to find the leaks.
That’s not as easy as it sounds
To try and narrow this down a bit,
If you Park the car dry carpets, then it rains.
Do you get a splash of water on your shins when you first drive it as the water runs off the dash shelf above your legs, if so, windscreen and or rivets that secure screen mesh and even water jet pipes.
Your first fix should probably be to nip a small hole out of the door rubber as it runs along where the door base would be at the front end just before it bends and goes upwards
Put a drop of super glue into the hole and pinch rubber together so you now have an indent in the seal. That can be enough to allow excess water to drain out and away rather than up and over rubber and onto the carpets.
My passenger door half filled up with water and destroyed the window motor. Looking closer the runbber strip along the bottom of the door had been positioned so when door was closed it blocked off the holes that allow water to drain out the door. Unbelievable.
I pulled it off and the door now drains.
My car was built nigh on 10 years after they started building them, high turnover of unskilled staff is all I can think as that’s a proper fail and as obvious as putting the wheel on upside down to me!
That’s not as easy as it sounds
To try and narrow this down a bit,
If you Park the car dry carpets, then it rains.
Do you get a splash of water on your shins when you first drive it as the water runs off the dash shelf above your legs, if so, windscreen and or rivets that secure screen mesh and even water jet pipes.
Your first fix should probably be to nip a small hole out of the door rubber as it runs along where the door base would be at the front end just before it bends and goes upwards
Put a drop of super glue into the hole and pinch rubber together so you now have an indent in the seal. That can be enough to allow excess water to drain out and away rather than up and over rubber and onto the carpets.
My passenger door half filled up with water and destroyed the window motor. Looking closer the runbber strip along the bottom of the door had been positioned so when door was closed it blocked off the holes that allow water to drain out the door. Unbelievable.
I pulled it off and the door now drains.
My car was built nigh on 10 years after they started building them, high turnover of unskilled staff is all I can think as that’s a proper fail and as obvious as putting the wheel on upside down to me!
Edited by Classic Chim on Sunday 4th February 16:34
Thanks for the reply's guys,
I have already sealed the clutch cover, brake chamber and the cables that go in lower, and have done the super glue trick on the seals, which are quite new. It doesn't seem to run off onto my legs when I set off but it is parked on a slight uphill slope so that could be disguising the window leaking.
I took the opportunity today with the first dry day in at least 15 years to bail out and dry out the inside, and am going to try to keep on top of bailing and covering. If it persists tho I think a small hole at the back of footwell on one side may be needed to keep gold fish from moving in. Just didn't want to do it and then find I caused a weakness that could result in cracking. If ever I find the gaping hole that the water is getting in through, I can always fill the one I made with fiberglass again. thanks, James.
I have already sealed the clutch cover, brake chamber and the cables that go in lower, and have done the super glue trick on the seals, which are quite new. It doesn't seem to run off onto my legs when I set off but it is parked on a slight uphill slope so that could be disguising the window leaking.
I took the opportunity today with the first dry day in at least 15 years to bail out and dry out the inside, and am going to try to keep on top of bailing and covering. If it persists tho I think a small hole at the back of footwell on one side may be needed to keep gold fish from moving in. Just didn't want to do it and then find I caused a weakness that could result in cracking. If ever I find the gaping hole that the water is getting in through, I can always fill the one I made with fiberglass again. thanks, James.
The rubber door seal that pushes onto the edge of the body and goes from the hood left side down the passenger door along bottom up and over windscreen then down along and up drivers door to right hood. I cured my wet carpets by putting silicone sealant in the channel of this seal and then pushing it firmly in place and letting it set.
Fastpedeller said:
I did this on my old Rickman Ranger kit car, and it's certainly better than having a paddling pool - as others have said it's best to cure it...... But in the meantime why not? I used 6mm though 
Just make sure there's nothing critical the other side ... Oh, and you're at a low point 
I think the fact that he's resorting to drilling holes in his car proves he's at a low point Just make sure there's nothing critical the other side ... Oh, and you're at a low point 
I had a problem with my drivers side. I eventually worked out it was coming in behind the seatbelt between the hood and the body.
Took the hood off and in fact there was no sealant there, nothing. No lip or flange, either.
So I ran a continuous bead of silicone around the entire rear section and then dropped the hood back into it.
Dry as a bone thereafter.
Still find bits of kitty litter in the foot wells, though. This, by the way, is an excellent way to dry it out. For goodness sake use the crystal stuff, not the clumping stuff. The latter is, essentially, dry clay and turns very messy when wet.
Rich
Took the hood off and in fact there was no sealant there, nothing. No lip or flange, either.
So I ran a continuous bead of silicone around the entire rear section and then dropped the hood back into it.
Dry as a bone thereafter.
Still find bits of kitty litter in the foot wells, though. This, by the way, is an excellent way to dry it out. For goodness sake use the crystal stuff, not the clumping stuff. The latter is, essentially, dry clay and turns very messy when wet.
Rich
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