water getting into cab

[RainjerBill]

My '98 Ranger only ever gets wet in the driver's floor area, and only when the truck has been driven. I've noted the plastic stepover trim screws are rusted and the trim pulls right up. I've peeled back the floor carpeting to not see any trace of where the water may be coming from. Parked for months in the Pacific North Wet it doesn't get wet, whilst parked. I have taken to placing a coupla large dessicated packs beneath the seats to at least try to reduce the unpleasant odour of dampness. In summer, it's driz-a-bone in there. The rubber door seals all look plump and functional. The headliner is dry. There are no water tracks - where I can actually see - evident from the base of the windscreen.
Is there something common I'm missing, like a steering column rubber gasket, or at the shifter base...? I am new-ish to this vehicle, and it doesn't get a lot of use.

 

[sgtsandman]

My '98 Ranger only ever gets wet in the driver's floor area, and only when the truck has been driven. I've noted the plastic stepover trim screws are rusted and the trim pulls right up. I've peeled back the floor carpeting to not see any trace of where the water may be coming from. Parked for months in the Pacific North Wet it doesn't get wet, whilst parked. I have taken to placing a coupla large dessicated packs beneath the seats to at least try to reduce the unpleasant odour of dampness. In summer, it's driz-a-bone in there. The rubber door seals all look plump and functional. The headliner is dry. There are no water tracks - where I can actually see - evident from the base of the windscreen.
Is there something common I'm missing, like a steering column rubber gasket, or at the shifter base...? I am new-ish to this vehicle, and it doesn't get a lot of use.

Without looking at it, my guess is water is getting forced under the trim seal of the windshield. There are only two ways to confirm. Pull the dash or pull the rubber trim around the windshield. I've never pulled the trim around the windshield of a Ranger. So I don't know if it clips in or if it needs silicone RTV to glue it back down.

 

[franklin2]

My '98 Ranger only ever gets wet in the driver's floor area, and only when the truck has been driven. I've noted the plastic stepover trim screws are rusted and the trim pulls right up. I've peeled back the floor carpeting to not see any trace of where the water may be coming from. Parked for months in the Pacific North Wet it doesn't get wet, whilst parked. I have taken to placing a coupla large dessicated packs beneath the seats to at least try to reduce the unpleasant odour of dampness. In summer, it's driz-a-bone in there. The rubber door seals all look plump and functional. The headliner is dry. There are no water tracks - where I can actually see - evident from the base of the windscreen.
Is there something common I'm missing, like a steering column rubber gasket, or at the shifter base...? I am new-ish to this vehicle, and it doesn't get a lot of use.

Best way to really find out, is to pull the seats, pull the carpet and sound deadner out, and then put the seats back in without the carpet and drive it. First off that will be a chance for it really to dry out, both the floor and the carpet. Second, when it leaks you will see the water trail usually without the carpet in place.

I had a leak like that in my Bronco. The only way I found it was to pull the carpet out and drive it. Mine was a little screw up high in the firewall area on the driver's side was leaking. A little sealer around the screw stopped it. It's amazing how a small drip leak can make such a big mess.

And you want to nip this in the bud, you do not want your floorboard to start rusting. If you get the leak fixed, and you see a little bit of rust here and there, clean it up and put some rustoleum rusty metal primer on it to stop it. Then you can put the sound deadner and carpet back.

 

[dashhho]

Well i managed to fix the leaky third brake light. I hope that is the culprit and there is not another leak somewhere else.

Good news going forward is I can now pull the interior out very fast....if I need too again.

 

[black_demon69]

I cant find any butyl rope in canadiana. Does it go by other names? Any thoughts on alternative options?

EDIT: I can find it online but not in local stores it seems. PITA. I may have found some sold in a kit 'Universal RV Vent Installation Kit, with Butyl Tape'.

Amazon.com

the above is what you need

 

[Stankard757]

My '98 Ranger only ever gets wet in the driver's floor area, and only when the truck has been driven. I've noted the plastic stepover trim screws are rusted and the trim pulls right up. I've peeled back the floor carpeting to not see any trace of where the water may be coming from. Parked for months in the Pacific North Wet it doesn't get wet, whilst parked. I have taken to placing a coupla large dessicated packs beneath the seats to at least try to reduce the unpleasant odour of dampness. In summer, it's driz-a-bone in there. The rubber door seals all look plump and functional. The headliner is dry. There are no water tracks - where I can actually see - evident from the base of the windscreen.
Is there something common I'm missing, like a steering column rubber gasket, or at the shifter base...? I am new-ish to this vehicle, and it doesn't get a lot of use.

Had the same problem on my 94 and only when driving, luckily I bought it with no carpet all bare metal. My 94 was originally a manual and there is supposed to be a rubber grommet/plug filling the hole where the clutch master cylinder goes through the firewall. Mine was missing. Covered it with some flex tape for now, but no more leaks on THAT side. Now gotta find the one on the passenger side. Never thought of the 3rd brake light gonna check this weekend

 

[ZMan]

Why do you need butyl tape? No one uses it anymore on the windshields, and everyone uses trim adhesive on the various other gaskets. Butyl caulk is used for the windshields and the back windows.

Are you a glass installer? Or deal with bolted in glass on a regular basis?

 

[franklin2]

Are you a glass installer? Or deal with bolted in glass on a regular basis?

Somewhat aggressive from a moderator. No I am not a glass installer. If I do not know what I am talking about, you can educate me please?

I was mainly referring to the older rangers where they did use tape to install the windshields. but no one uses that method anymore. If they do use tape somewhere, I am here to learn about it.

 

[Josh B]

I got some spare 3rd brake light lenses at the pick a part, also some spare gaskets.
I think I may have doubled the gasket on mine

 

[ZMan]

Somewhat aggressive from a moderator. No I am not a glass installer. If I do not know what I am talking about, you can educate me please?

I was mainly referring to the older rangers where they did use tape to install the windshields. but no one uses that method anymore. If they do use tape somewhere, I am here to learn about it.

I was referring to the bolted back glass, butyl rope is very much still used to this day. Many kias and hyundais still have bolted in quarter windows that use it too. You can use butyl caulk, but rope is a much more consistent size. Leaks in these older trucks are very common in the back glass, I've had to fix a few 98/99s recently.

 

[franklin2]

I was referring to the bolted back glass, butyl rope is very much still used to this day. Many kias and hyundais still have bolted in quarter windows that use it too. You can use butyl caulk, but rope is a much more consistent size. Leaks in these older trucks are very common in the back glass, I've had to fix a few 98/99s recently.

I think I know what you are talking about. I had a G body monte carlo and I think the opera windows in it were the same, with a very gooey black substance sealing them up.

 

[RainjerBill]

I did find the P.O. had slipped a heavy gauge wire through the circular grommet (creating a slight potential weep hole) that the clutch arm passes through on the firewall. It had been an aftermarket temperature gauge judging by the slim metal probe sticking forward through the grille - now removed.

After that, peeling up the carpet showed that one of the floor body plugs, directly in front and between the two forward seat frame mounting bolts, had been damaged, allowing water to accumulate there. The carpet is stained only there, as well. I could see no other 'tracks' where water had travelled. The floor was rusty, too. Now scrubbed clean and a light respray, and a new body plug...but, there is a strange weld in the inner floor pan that is just to the right of that 3/4" body plug, that is curved upward about 3" in length. It was quite rusty in that spot. I scrubbed it out, de-rusting it as best as I could, then spooged some opaque 3M weatherstrip cement into it in three layers over a day, each time it had set firmly. The carpet is secured back down, the stepover plastic trim piece has new stainless screws, both sides now, also sealed at their bases with weatherstrip cement as they stick straight through the floor pan behind the rocker panels. The four seat frame bolts now have anti-sieze on their threads.

I also noted the Ford-brand slider window's lower seal was dislodged from the base. I spooged it back into place with weatherstrip cement, too. I'm going for a ten day drive through eastern WA, ID, MT & WY beginning Monday so this'll be a good test as to whether it's a definitive fix.

 

[Josh B]

Awesome man, what;s that ten day drive about?

 

[RainjerBill]

The ten day drive is a rough 'n' ready back of the pickup camping roadtrip. A bare minimum, take what you need sorta trip. My summer was taken up (too quickly) by visitors from OZ so now it's me time.

First day out, in the dark, well before sparrow fart*, light rain fell. That'll be a good test for my waterproofing attempts.

*look it up

 

[Stankard757]

The ten day drive is a rough 'n' ready back of the pickup camping roadtrip. A bare minimum, take what you need sorta trip. My summer was taken up (too quickly) by visitors from OZ so now it's me time.

First day out, in the dark, well before sparrow fart*, light rain fell. That'll be a good test for my waterproofing attempts.

*look it up

Kinda miss those back of the truck days myself. Spent a couple of years working away from home, would just live out of my truck. Had a pretty nice setup