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TR6 TR6 scuttle panel drain

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M

mgNOT

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I'm curious what others have done in the area where the channel next to the bonnet seal ends against the front wing on a TR6. This channel collects water from the bonnet and the scuttle panel on the outside of the car. It appears this area dumps water right into the infamous area where the scuttle drain empties. As I disassemble, I find a previous tinkerer sealed this area with a sticky rubber type caulk, leaving the water to dribble around under the wiper motor. Another question is the seal between the wings and the inner panels. If I don't use something there, won't water ooze through from the wheel. and sit there? How about some butyl tape, or ??
Thanks,
Dennis
 
Paul's the expert on this one. I'm sure he'll jump in but here what he used to fix the problem. I think he said they were from a Mustang? :crazy:

accident%20206%20(Small).jpg


accident%20180%20(Small).jpg
 
Here is a picture of mine "pre-modification). You can see that the water drips into the space behind the front wing and eventually causes rot. Some have extended the tube forward into the front splash guard and others dropped it straight down & thru the rocker.
June08021.jpg


Cheers
 
I went out through the front splash panel with the one way valves pictured above, rather than going through the rocker panels.
 
Thanks for the 2nd picture. Now I get it. I think the "How to improve the tr6" book tells you to extend them down through the rocker.

I think I like the Bobby's idea.
 
jackag91 said:
I think I like the Bobby's idea.
Click to expand...

Not my idea.....Paul came up with that solution. I just stole the pictures from his site to show you until he could jump in and explain.

Paul.....why did you route it the way you did? Ease of installation or another reason? Not being critical....just curious.
 
Allan from A&E Auto said that he would rather make holes in a cheap replaceable inner fender panel than into an expensive and hard to replace rocker panel.
 
I think the question about drains is not the scuttle vent drain itself but the drain from the bonnet channel (see arrow in pic below). If the area shown isn't sealed you'll get water draining into the fender area just like the scuttle vent except that clever routing of the tube doesn't fix this. So, how do you deal with it?

DRAIN.jpg
 
You don't. This drain was designed that way, unfortunately. This also allows to a certain extent for the inner fender space to dry out. I would suggest removing your front splash guard panels (they were made to be removed, replacements, if needed, are available from TRF) and with a strong light, inspect the area inside this cavity. If no apparent rust or only surface rust is there, clean it up, paint with a really water-resistant paint coating, and after fully dry, Waxoyl the heck out of it. This area is meant to drain water.
 
Hi Bryan,

The gap you show was actually “sealed” originally on my (late 76- 6) car before I removed the fenders for repaint as yours have been. The original intent of the sealer was to route the water down the fender channel and off the front of the car…..Hence quite a few rusted fender and inner fender flanges out there…..although just a theory (conspiracy?)….

BTW…I think I still have that old chunk of sealer in a toolbox somewhere…
Stephen.
 
Hi Dennis,

My 4A had the same setup, and I just extended the tubing (found some of the correct size at Home Depot) down thru the rocker panel and exited it out of the inner sill. My goal was to make it as least noticeable as possible yet improve the drainability of the scuttle. Strangely, I didn't photograph this mod...

Brian
67 TR4A
 
Thanks everyone, the picture BryanC has shows the area I was referring to. I wondered how the area was handled, fearing that leaving it open would allow water to drain into the infamous closed in area. Perhaps that is not the worst, although I do lean toward sealing the area and forcing water to drain into the engine compartment. At least engine heat will dry it there. Well, now back to scraping under coat! Grr
Dennis
 
I hate to say this, but where do you think that the water that comes in the grille on the center of the cowl panel is going to drain to? It will end up down the tubes.
 
The scuttle drains are the whole reason for the question in the first place. I will route the drains outside of the enclosed area, and thought letting the cowl channel drain in the same place was counterproductive. So, I think I'll dam them up some way and let them drain onto the fender lip.
Thanks
 
Just be careful that you don't try and seal this area off from air circulating inside it. That is what rust loves.
 
TR6BILL said:
Just be careful that you don't try and seal this area off from air circulating inside it. That is what rust loves.
Click to expand...

:iagree:

If you seal the holes for the channel drain, you will have created a nice warm, moist dark area for rust. The original primer coating and body sealer in this area was never designed to last 32+years (for that matter neither was the car). A well painted of otherwise preservation coating will last longer then the car has been around.

Just my two cents worth.
 
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