Technical Front Bumper and Tailgate Window issue.

[marksalmon]

Hi, First time posting on here but I've been a longtime reader and have solved many problems with my car with the advice on these forums. So, Thank you.

I have a 59 Grande Punto 1.4 with a couple of issues that I'm struggling to find solutions for and hoped you guys could shine some light on them.

Firstly, I had a little incident with a rock in a carpark and I bashed up my front bumper. Now, I am fairly confident with the process of removal and replacement of a new bumper HOWEVER the wheel arch liner bolts, the bottom hex bolts and the bolts under the headlights are either rusted in, or the thread retention clips just spin. Could anyone point me in the right direction to find these bolts and clips? So I can drill the old ones out and replace everything with fresh new ones.

Secondly, I have a leak somewhere on the tailgate window and through the process of elimination I've ruled out it coming from rear washer hose, brake light, rear wiper or any welding folds. The water drips in just behind the rear wiper motor and drips into the cavity of the boot lid and then drains out through the left hand side rubber stopper. Any solutions or ideas are greatly welcomed before I send the car in to have the seals replaced.

Thanks again

Cheers

Mark

 

[Pickwick]

Firstly, I had a little incident with a rock in a carpark and I bashed up my front bumper. Now, I am fairly confident with the process of removal and replacement of a new bumper HOWEVER the wheel arch liner bolts, the bottom hex bolts and the bolts under the headlights are either rusted in, or the thread retention clips just spin. Could anyone point me in the right direction to find these bolts and clips? So I can drill the old ones out and replace everything with fresh new ones.

You could source the clips from eBay. Search for "U Nuts" and "Chimney Nuts". Zinc coated or stainless might be preferable to unprotected steel. Not sure of the sizes - sorry.

The bolts with the hex slot could be replaced with an ordinary bold and wide washer.

I took my bumper off last year but fortunately managed to get most of the fastenings undone in one piece (after a good soaking with penetrating fluid). For the ones I couldn't reuse I sourced replacements from a couple of Puntos at my local breaker's yard. On reassembling I coated the threads with copper grease and rubbed the heads with an oily rag.

Secondly, I have a leak somewhere on the tailgate window and through the process of elimination I've ruled out it coming from rear washer hose, brake light, rear wiper or any welding folds. The water drips in just behind the rear wiper motor and drips into the cavity of the boot lid and then drains out through the left hand side rubber stopper. Any solutions or ideas are greatly welcomed before I send the car in to have the seals replaced.

I had the same problem ... eliminated (sealed up) all those places you mention but water was still coming through behind the rear wiper motor ... decided the window seal below the wiper had failed and/or the metal of the frame was perforated in that area. A friend recommended this liquid sealant

http://www.captaintolley.com/

I applied it with a plastic dropper pipette (like this) all around the window seal. Two years on and I've not had a drop of water in my boot since.

 

[marksalmon]

Thanks for the help and suggestions. Very much appreciated.

With the Capt Tolleys did you apply that from the inside or the outside?

 

[marksalmon]

Also, forgive my ignorance, do I need both the u nuts and the chimney nuts or can I use one or the other?

 

[Bernievarian]

Also, forgive my ignorance, do I need both the u nuts and the chimney nuts or can I use one or the other?

None of tem, they're called J clips ;-)

BRs, Bernie

If someone here helped You fix -or better, understand- your issue, hit the thanks icon @ bottom right corner, it's free and makes us feel helpy ;-)

 

[marksalmon]

Cheers, thanks for the heads up. Appreciated.

 

[Pickwick]

Thanks for the help and suggestions. Very much appreciated.

With the Capt Tolleys did you apply that from the inside or the outside?

I tried both but the outside was where most (if not all) was absorbed.

First I cleaned the outside recess around the edge of the glass where it overhangs the seal and let it dry (the surface needs to be clean and completely dry for the product to work properly). Then I used the pipette to feed the fluid into the recess up against the edge of the seal. Useful here to have a second pair of hands to hold the tailgate at various angles to stop the fluid running off in the wrong direction due to gravity. I gave it a couple of treatments (30 min interval) on a hot/dry day. It was a bit messy - clean any spills before they set on the paintwork. Needs 24 hours in the dry to cure fully.

Afterwards, working from inside the boot with the tailgate down, I did run a small amount along the window seal behind the wiper motor but I don't think it was absorbed like on the outside - it (mostly) sat and dried on the surface.

Success with this product will depend on how large the cracks are - apparently it's only good up to 1mm - and how well you can prepare the surface (must be as clean and dry as possible) and keep it dry while it cures. It certainly worked for me but your mileage may vary.

 

[marksalmon]

Just a quick update on this. It turns out that the tailgate needed to be re-encapsulated. I've had this done and so far I've not had anymore water leaking through.

 

[Bernievarian]

Thanks for the update Mark !

Cheers, Bernie