• Welcome to For Trucks Only !

    We are a community of American Brand Pickup Truck and SUV owners. Join now! Its Free!

Seam sealer

volaredon

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2020
Messages
783
Reaction score
273
Location
Illinois
Does anyone know all the places an 80s Dodge truck cab needs seam sealer? And is the same product us d everywhere or does "this" spot take one product and " this other" spot use something different?
 
I don't remember seeing that listed in the factory manuals (but I haven't looked in one lately and I've never specifically opened a factory manual looking for "that") but a guy on ramcharger central suggested a Mitchell from back then thats geared towards body shops that's supposed to. I have one of those manuals coming.
 
Yeah don't plan on that... It's just been long enough since I got this truck and tore it apart that I'm suffering from CRS as far as where all I found piles of delaminated cracked up sealer that I dug out... I did find out about different substances of possible products, like how they say not to use silicone because it'll just fall out in a couple of years instead of 20 years like the original stuff. I've seen that but because of that CRS thing just forgot about that.
I am gonna hit the local Menards and look in their caulking aisle and see which products they have that are urethane that I could use ... I do know that I have been to other Menards and while not looking for caulking and/or sealers specifically in those visits, it's amazing how much different things you see at your store vs another location of the same brand. Like when I got my house interior doors my Menards wanted me to order them and pay freight, 2 other locations about 30-40 miles away had what I wanted as normal stock... And I walked out with that day.
 
Next question
I have the heater box out of the 85, I'm adding/changing over to "factory" AC on that cab. Behind the old plenum box in the very corner of the cowl to firewall, was one spot I remember the old stuff falling/peeling out. I had what little remained of the original stuff popped off in like 2 minutes, the whole length of the seam
Once the old sealer was out I saw some very minimal surface rust where the sealer once was. I am pretty sure that they used a brush on type there. It was about an inch wide on either side of the corner and brush marks galore. Do I have to treat that (most rubbed off with just a finger, no holes at all) before I seam seal, or run my spot sandblaster in that corner and apply the sealer to what will then be newly bare metal?
Or can I put a little rust encapsulator, or POR or KBS type product down BS then seal, or do I seal and then paint. It looks like the factory put whatever sealer they used in first and then painted the cab. This area will completely be hidden by the plenum box, and at the bottom of that seam by carpet padding and the cowl vent trim.panel. I don't want to ruin the bond of this stuff, whatever I put on there.
Also I don't know if I asked this but between the caulking tube type seam sealer, the brush on type can one be used over the other? Especially if put on "fresh" within a day or so of each other?
 
Back
Top