Volvo RWD 120-130 Forum

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Water in the trunk 120-130

While I was at the welders shoring up my ripped shock mount (more about that on another post), I found water pooled underneath the carpet in my trunk of my 122 sedan. We have had lots of strong rains lately. I thought the water might be coming up with the shock but it was dry there.

I checked the seal and the rubber is not ripped and is soft but it is only attached by some sort of adhesive along the bottom. Perhaps when I shut the trunk, it pulls the seal off its guide and lets water in.

Should the rubber seal be adhered all the way around?

If so, what adhesive is best?

Anywhere else the water could be seeping in your experience?

Thanks








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    Water in the trunk 120-130

    Eliminate the easy culprits first. Side trims may be the reason so spread a bit of weatherproofing goo around the clips. I replaced all my wire clips with a plastic sleeve with a small bolt and nut that slips into the trims and screws onto the side panels (absolutely waterproof). I can't comment on the possibility of it leaking through the rear screen as I have just replaced mine with a new seal (old one was hard and perished). The boot seal is an ongoing problem with my beast. I have seen other 120s that have only had the bottom part glued and the top loose to enable leaves and dirt to be easily cleaned out and no problems. Personally I like to glue the whole thing down. I have had several attempts at this and have used the black rubberised 3M product after being recommneded by professional car restorers. I am not totally convinced on this as mine has still pulled away from the top area. This may be because of a pressure problem with the trunk lid adjustment as when I close the trunk the seal wants to peal away which it has done on several occasions. I have just imported a tube of Bostik 292 from Sweden which is supposed to be the rcommended glue to do the job. I am now onto my 4th attempt. One hell of a job as cleaning the stuff off is as messy as getting it on there in the first place. Another option is the yellow 3M weatherproofing glue which I have not tried. It also may require you to remove the trunk lid to get decent access around the hinges. Best of luck.

    Bilo








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    Water in the trunk 120-130

    Man-o-man, what youse guys have to go through in those parts of the country where wet stuff falls out of the sky! All I have to deal with is sun, sand, dust scrubbing everything to powder, and killing a paint job every couple of years. Six of one, or a half dozen of the other,...








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    Water in the trunk 120-130

    Seal not sealing.
    Grommet around fuel filler neck not sealing.
    Body putty around seams in fenders or under fuel tank flange dry and not sealing.
    Hole to trunk in wheel well.
    Rear window leaking and water working down into trunk (much less likely without visible indication on package shelf).

    --
    Mike!








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      rusty consequences 120-130 1966

      Check all the other possible culprits first, because they're much easier to fix. I had a lot of water pooling in my 122 sedan's trunk also, which I unfortunately ignored and the result was a rusted-completely through seam along the inside of the truck, beside the fender. MY culprit was a leaky windshield seal, although there WAS NO water or moisture present along the package shelf. There was a tiny rust stain on the car's body, peeking from underneath the rear window aluminum trim. That should have been a clue, but I was too ignorant to pay attention to it at first. When I removed the rear trim to prepare for some bodywork--shazam! There it was: a quarter-sized rust hole, conveniently hidden underneath the bottom trim, inconveniently dumping water into my trunk on any rainy day. I think leaky window seals are fairly common culprits for interior water, particularly if the window rubber is old (a few cracks in the rubber, even "hairline" ones, are a good sign you probably need a new seal). But I let my car sit idle and forlorn for a long time, hence the rusty consequences....My car now has new seals on almost all windows, and is nice and dry :)

      cheers,

      Holly








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      Good list! And... 120-130

      Putty on side trim clips not sealing.
      Rubber trim around trunk handle cracked, pieced, or missing.








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    Water in the trunk 120-130

    3M heavy duty weatherstripping cement has been recommended. It's messy and it's really important to clean all of the old adhesive off (laquer thinner & a scotchbrite worked for me... more mess!), but works well. Important to get the adhesive evenly spread on both the seal and the car.








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      Water in the trunk 120-130

      Be sure to read the directions for the 3M adhesive. If you do it the way they say, it makes a very nice bond. If you do it the way you'd do it without reading the directions, it doesn't bond well at all (BTDT).







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