Soft top Water Ingress at centre

[JON1D]

Ian,

I don't get any water in the middle dripping only some drips at the corners where the catches are in very heavy rain in France. I have also had the foot wells fill with water and came to the same conclusion that venting the water out is best. 

[Paul H]

I stopped mine from leaking in the centre on my AK by cutting out a "T" shape from a  piece  of  3mm thick flexible rubber matting and once I have the roof on , from the inside ,I just force the bottom end of the "T" shaped rubber into the gap until it starts to show on the outside . The top section of the upside down "T" runs along the steel part of the hood bow on the inside which also helps keep water out , and stops it disappearing all the way through the hole and falling out .

This successfully stopped any water getting through during several hours of torrential rain on the way to Charlies  East Midlands Norfolk road trip earlier this year. Just make sure the rubber is a tight fit in the gap and remember to remove it before removing the roof, or you will  lose it .

I have also glued 2 lengths of windscreen washer plastic tube  inside the groove along the top of the windscreen, which the steel hood bow seals against once the hood is secured.

I have recently put several drain holes through the floor in the foot wells and behind the seats ,and then inserted and sealed rubber top hat tubes right through the fibreglass floor and through the steel floor pan, so that the water doesn't fill the void between the two . I used hummerite to stop the metal floor going rusty around the holes and  I put a 45 degree angle on the bottom end of each tube, which stops any water being forced back up the tubes while on the move and it all works a treat.

HTH.
Paul

[gd427man]

Thank you jon.
I can see how that would help, but the foam seems to stop just before the pegs near the middle and my hood lets water in between the pegs.
It only seems to leak when say, on the motorway and it blows water through the gap at 50-60 + mph.
Just annoying at the drips down near the witches, and water and electric bits don't make good bedfellows !
Thanks for the pics.
Ian

[JON1D]

Some pictures of my hood showing the foam in the channel.

[JON1D]

The foam is in two halves with the folding centre. Its a Dax supplied hood I have so maybe a slight different design but I don't think so as the Brasscraft screens are the main attachment points. I will try and get a photo posted.

[gd427man]

Hi Jon.
Yes the pegs are in the slot.
My GD has been in my possetion for the last 26 years but I don't have any rubber in the hood bows.
Onl ever leaks at the centre.
A picture of the profile would be great.
Does it not tear or break when folding the hood in half to put it in the boot?
Cheers.

[JON1D]

Are you pushing in the two small mushroom pegs of the hood into the centre slot channel of windscreen.
Once the pegs are in and pull the catches down the foam in the hood channel is a water tight fit.
The only time I have had water in the centre was when the pegs were not located correctly.

[Don350]

We've had our Cobra for 20 years now and been out in the rain a great deal, the only way we've found is to tape across the full width of the windscreen capturing the edge of the hood and the windscreen frame.
We have yet to find a foolproof tape that sticks really well, but a cloth-based tape lasts longer than a more "plastic" type of tape. We've found it very important to make sure the windscreen is clean for the tape to stick well. I always used to use Autoglym windscreen glass cleaner and the tape always stuck well. Then I changed to a spray on windscreen cleaner and the tape would no longer stick. It must have some ingredient (like silicone - maybe?) that stopped the tape from sticking. I've gone back now to Autoglym. Tape stuck well on this year's SCM when we got caught in a thunderstorm in the Swiss Alps.
Hope this helps.
Regards, Don

[KevinW]

Your only hope is ducktape on the outside. Can leave a mess.

[gd427man]

Hi All.
Has anyone managed to solve the problem of water ingress when travelling at speed, where water blows up the windscreen and goes into the gap in the hood frame at the centre of the windsceen, then over and into the cockpit?
I have tried sponge stuck to the inside of the hood front but it soon peels off when taking the hood on and off due to the folding and unfolding of the hood.
Anyone else have this problem ?
Cheers.