Water getting in

[85_Ranger4x4]

I found this when I washing it two days ago:

I have a water leak somewhere, it has killed my ds floor pan. Before I fix that (and my new rust hole) I want to find out where it is coming in at. I think the rear window gasket leaks a little but I think there is more going on than that.

I washed it a few days ago with a pressure washer and it was leaking more from the front. I was poking around in the area of the parking brake mechanism because that is where it was coming from and found a rust hole in the side of the cab between the parking brake and the doorway. Is that a single wall (aka if there is a rust hole there could water come in by spraying water at the fender seam?) I never saw it drip so I wonder if I got it to blow in with the pressure washer instead of its normal route.

Any theories on what would cause it? Drip rails?

I know my drip rails need done but I have kept it inside since I noticed the epoxy was cracking with the intention of doing it when I paint the truck. It might have been caught in maybe one or two showers at most in the past 3 years.

I clean the cowl out every year and it looks perfect inside.

 

[4x4junkie]

I had a leak that I noticed was wetting the headliner near the visors on my BII... It was definitely the drip rails above the doors near the windshield. The factory caulk (acrylic type I think) had dried up and cracked (there's a pretty sizeable gap in spots between where the sheetmetal panels are spot-welded under the caulk, maybe a millimeter or so). Chipped/scraped out all the old caulk and put new silicone RTV caulk (GE it think it was) and been fine since (this was about 9 years ago, truck stays outside in the sun/rain). I would think with enough leakage water could eventually make it's way down to the floor along the A-piller, so if there's any question about your rails, I would say redo the caulk, and then go from there.
Since you got a pretty good rust spot going now, there certainly could be another point of water entry.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Truck is a Custom with a steel inner roof, so it has nowhere to go but down. No cloth headliner for a warning that way.

 

[Mark_88]

I had something similar on two 88 cabs...first one was coming in from a visor mount that wasn't sealed properly...took out the whole ds sidewall and floor...also compromised the firewall and had my clutch go through one day...

It was my first Ranger and by the time I figured out what it was it was too far gone...ended up swapping that out.

Second one was coming in from the drip tray/windshield and it was fixable when I found it...but yours is probably much more serious and may take quite a bit of work to restore. If you remove the knee panel below the steering column and shine a light up into the corner you might see some rust tracks...or pop the speaker vents on the dash...or even pull the top of the dash off and you might be able to see it...problem is the vents and wires are all in the way...

I think it was Lima Bean that posted welded sections from his with similar damage...as long as the side panel is not too far gone up behind the parking brake assembly...that was the clincher for my truck because I didn't know better....but all can be fixed...if you can weld and are patient.

Either that or start hunting for a better cab and swap it all over...might actually be easier that way.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I just had the parking brake mechanism out last February to fix the door switch wiring and didn't notice anything amiss because the floor mat covers up the rust hole. I was tracing mouse chewed wiring not water leaks then.

I have thought about it but I don't think I could recab it. It is my first truck, I have had it half my life (16 years in a couple weeks) If I recab it the only thing left will be the frame and if I just get a different truck there will be less than that... and I will always have this thing that I will still want to fix up.

I haven't welded since high school but I can't think of a better reason to relearn how.

 

[Mark_88]

I had my regular cab for a few years before getting the extended cab. That one I drove and repaired since 2002 or so...

It was still in fairly decent shape when I sold it but needed work too...I know what it's like to have something for so long that I couldn't see not having it around...but I was forced into selling mine...

I haven't welded anything since 1992 and even that was just tab on plate welding so I'd imagine it would take a bit of practice to get to the point were the beads are less work to smooth out...never did any spot welding but I've watched a few times...not much to that...just a matter of having everything cleaned and cleared for access...

Post pics if/when you do this...I'm sure there will be many many more people that need some sort of guidance on that as these trucks age...too bad we can't make a tough plastic or fiberglass version of the body that would last forever...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

My build thread has been a blow-by-blow so far.

I might try to make a write up for floor pans, I see nothing in the tech library on it.

We used a stick welder in high school and I have dabbled with dad's wire welder some.

And I would be happy if they would make fiberglass replacement fenders/box sides that are OEM style in addition to the bulged for prerunner style trucks.