Anyone sealed a moon roof?

Hey Guys,

I am waving the white flag on repairing the moon/sun room on my fox body.  I just went to seal it with DAP ultra clear.  I am ashamed to admit that I am  a man who reads directions.  It says not to use on polystyrene or plastics.  I am going to seal both the gasket and the trim attached to the roof.

Anyone know if the gaskets would melt using this stuff?  I know there are several engineers on this forum!

Thanks!

Do the instructions say to test it in an inconspicuous spot? The seals could be polyurethane, or they could be rubber.

In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :

I get what you are saying, I could dab a spot.  I just don't want to have a melting plastic mess with the leak worse than when I started.  I'll do a google search.  This was just my first choice, especially with the $2000 challenge going on....

If that doesn't work...cut out the moonroof for weight savings, cut aluminum sheet to size, rivet to roof and seal with window weld?

I am not an expert, and have sealed a windshield with caulk on my crappy truck. It leaked again very quickly. I later learned caulk promotes rust. I believe this is what you are talking about when you say DAP.

Sunroofs suck.

In reply to wheelsmithy :

It's more of a glue that caulk.  Like a silicone glue

I had a moon roof go bad in a car I had once. I ran a thick bead of 100% silicone and topped it off with a line of aluminum tape. Held for at least 5 years. 

RTV that thing into place. I did this on my Hyundai and it stayed sealed for 5+ years until i sold the car.

For like $20 you can get a piece of black (or color of your choice vinyl) from Amazon and just vinyl the whole roof.  

WonkoTheSane said:

For like $20 you can get a piece of black (or color of your choice vinyl) from Amazon and just vinyl the whole roof.  

That's a pretty nifty solution, then if you ever decide to fix the sunroof there isn't a mess of old glue to clean up.

Yeah vinyl = smart. Wonder if plastidip is thick enough to do the same?

Windshield urethane.  Tape it off, primer, caulk closed and you are done.

I have to say the Flex Seal does work. Our toilet bowl randomly cracked a few months ago, in the 2nd bathroom (not the master). Me being exceedingly cheap lately, we drained it and let it sit. We were going to have visitors so we flex sealed the inside and out, it's been holding with no leaks at all the last month.

If there is one thing I hate, its bodges.  Just fix it properly. Factory sunroofs are not complicated technology and work perfectly for years with minimal maintenance.  

First off, OEM or aftermarket sunroof?

Aftermarket?  Well - thats your fault.  Only proper fix is a roof skin.  Aftermarket sunroofs suck.  Patches look like patches.

OEM?  Are the drains cleaned out?  Chase them with some weedwhacker string and hit them with some hose-pressure water to get any junk out of them.  Compressed air or pressure washer is not ideal since it can rupture or blow the drains off the sunroof.

Next, is the rubber in decent shape?  OEM sunroofs actually do not need a perfect seal to the roof to seal, the weatherstrip is mainly noise and to keep out that 99% of water.  A little leaks are OK.  Ever wonder how you can have your sunroof tilted  open in the rain and not come back to a flooded interior?  Sunroofs leak and the drains and catch pan deliver the water to the outside of the vehicle.  Clean the rubber up good and lube it with some silicone.  Sil-Glyde from NAPA is good stuff for this.  Clean the mating surface on the sheetmetal too.

Do all that?  All four drains work?  Sunroof weatherstrip present and in decent shape?  You should be good to go!

Gotta admit the vinyl tip is pretty brilliant.  Way better than caulking it shut.  

This was done sometime before I bought it.  Really bad job.  I can't find proper replacement rubber for it.  This is my winter beater and hopefully rally cross car.  This car is a horror show.  Anything done on this car with love and care will only draw attention to the rest of the debacle.  My wife named it "white trash" (it is white) and had a decal made up for it. You would have to see it.  Someone in my office building thought it was abandoned.  No kidding.

also could just pop rivet and seam seal a piece of aluminum over the hole where the sunroof is.

What you are looking for is called butyl sealing tape.  Its like a plumbers putty in a tape form.  Comes in various widths and thicknesses.  It stays flexible.  I like to use the gray version for sunroofs and to seal the shifter cover plate on the tunnel.  Used between sunroof channels and body, in seams where body panels bolt together, and used extensively on RVs to seal duct, vents, AC units, etc.  Need to pick up a roll myself.  Have one folding moonroof going into a TR8 and another one in a TR7 that PO retrofitted with silicone.  That thing leaks like an open pipe when it rains.