Re: How to seal holes between trunk and pass. compartment on Spider

[Caxambu@xxxxxxx]

Hi,

I did have to do some resealing a while back when I had some 
bodywork/repainting done. Don't forget the interior side panels in the "rear 
seat" area. I had removed all this to facilitate the bodywork, and on the 
trip over to the body shop the exhaust fumes were just about killing me at 
around 40-45 MPH. I am talking about the inner body structure on the sides 
just behind the front seatbacks, just behind the doors, there are openings in 
the inner bulkheads for access to the outer body shell. I sealed mine with 
plastic sheeting (like paint dropcloth, a little thicker then standard trash 
bags) and Goop Household Project glue in a tube. Other adhesives did not 
stick well to the plastic, and duct tape deteriorated rapidly. This area was 
responsible for most of the fumes.

For the little removable windows for shock absorber accessibility in the 
trunk "firewall" I stuck pieces of self-stick weatherproofing foam tape to 
the sealing edges of the plates, then screwed them back in.

Now as long as I keep the windows rolled up (when the top is up) and the 
vents on, the cabin remains relatively fume-free. 

For smaller gaps around wires, etc. you could use Permagum caulking putty 
(non-hardening sealing putty) or caulking ropes (same idea, in rope form 
roughly the diameter of a cigarette) available from HW stores. Usually a 
light blue color, the consistency of modeling clay. Does not create a mess, 
and is easily removable later.

--Caxambu
1959 Spider 1750
Seattle WA

Halfway thru my head gasket R/R. Got the studs cleaned up, now concentrating 
on cleaning up the gasket surfaces, being careful to keep dirt out of the cam 
journal oil passageways. Will check for head warp after purchasing a long 
enough straightedge.
> 
> 
> One more question today... I'm getting close to
> eliminating the fumes from the trunk of my spider,
> once I located the source (dented filler pipe on the
> tank that doesn't seal well with filler hose).  I also
> want to seal the rear bulkhead better, especially the
> hole where the drain tubes run through the shock
> access holes.  I'll be installing a CD changer in the
> trunk soon, so this it the perfect time.
> 
> Any suggestion?  So far the thoughts I've had include
> some sort of putty to seal the gap around the tubes
> and wires, or a rubber barrier/sheet with holes for
> the tubes and wires.  Anybody else already done this?
> 
> Ian "trying to preserve my few remaining brain cells"
> Lomax
> 71 Spider
> Norcal
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