Thank you!

[boaterboy]

I would like to thank all who have replied to my request for help regarding the fix for my leaking roof, including those who had posted information prior to my request about the removal of the roof lining.

Without the words and pictures that I've picked up from this forum I would not have been able to do the job.

A couple of words about the root cause of the leak in my car and how I aim to prevent it happening again.

First, as many have discovered previously, the pipes on both the front plastic drain boxes, masticed into the sunshine roof body/frame, had broken off meaning no water went down the pipes in the 'A' pillars - only onto the top of the roof lining and into the interior of the car. I have Araldited the pipes back on to the boxes.

Second, two of the plastic drain boxes had been so badly masticed into the sunshine roof body/frame that water was actually able to leak out of the interface between the plastic box and the body/frame - an unacceptably poor build quality in my opinion. I have sealed the plastic boxes in properly with mastic.

I trying to understand why the pipes had broken off, in order to prevent a re-occurance, I wonder if it is a combination of vibration (of the flexible pipe) and upward pressure of roof lining on the plastic pipe - most likely the latter.

The last thought is re-enforced by indentation marks on the upper/inside surface of the roof lining.

It is my intention to fix (with Araldite to the roof) a protective guard plate to lie between each plastic drain box and the roof lining in order that when the roof lining is refitted the load from the roof lining is applied to the protective plate and not the relatively weak drain box pipe.

I just do not want to have to remove the roof lining again to fix another leak - although I'm now fully conversant with the method!

[nige90]

I've also got soggy roof linings, I'll have to see if it;s down to the same cause.

Cheers.