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Best way to find tub leaks?

Bitch'nBronco

Contributor
Loose Cannon
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
3,426
Loc.
Ringwood, NJ
After putting the hard top back on I noticed exhaust fumes in the cab. Whats the best way to find leaks? Maybe a steam gun around the seams/doors?

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ransil

Bronco Guru
Joined
Sep 6, 2003
Messages
8,124
Route exhaust out the side behind the rear tire

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Bitch'nBronco

Bitch'nBronco

Contributor
Loose Cannon
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
3,426
Loc.
Ringwood, NJ
Mine dumps behind the axle, I didn't have this problem last year which is why I think its a rubber sealing issue.

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englewoodcowboy

Lick Creek Restorations
Joined
Jul 25, 2010
Messages
4,200
You need to route it outside of the cab. Even dumping underneath it will come back in. Search the tech forums as someone did an excellent animated wind design on the EB and showed exhaust fumes and how they travel. They are terrible if you dump them underneath or out the back, you need to get the exhaust stream into the clean flow otherwise you will be smelling it no matter what.
 

DirtDonk

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 3, 2003
Messages
48,370
Just assume that it's coming in through 43 and 3/4 gaps that you didn't know you had. Then fix all 54 of them and then 79% of your exhaust fumes will be history.

On a more serious note though, verify that the rear corners of the hard top are full sealed, including the stake pockets. Do you have the stake pocket braces on the top, or did you leave them off? If off, did you fill the bolt holes? Remember that the lower part of the stake pocket is open to the ground all the way past the tail lights.

Also, if this is an original and unmolested body, your rear corner vertical seams might be leaky. Mine actually leaked water every time it rained so I had puddles in both corners and I could watch it bubbling through the inside. And this is when the truck was only five years old, so the factory seam sealer left something to be desired. I filled it with RTV and never looked back.
Basically, if it can leak water, it can leak fumes. Even in a non-critical spot like the side of the body.

The lift-gate as it seals along the top of the tail-gate is a culprit. So are the side and bottom seals of the tail-gate.

As are the seat and seat belt holes under carpet, as are any and every small drilled hole that was not sealed up previously and no longer has anything screwed into it.

Add two or three "all-of-the-aboves" to the mix, and you have your list of potential leaks.

paul
 

Nothing Special

Sr. Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2016
Messages
823
I'll second (or third? or fourth?) the recommendation to fix the source of the problem (where the exhaust is coming from) rather than trying to keep it from going where it wants to go. After all, it's not the leaks that made you realize you have a problem. It's the lack of leaks. You said you only noticed it after putting the hard top on. It leaked a lot more without the hard top.
 

luke

Sr. Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2010
Messages
370
Fill the whole inside up with water and stand outside and watch for leaks!
 

Rustytruck

Bronco Guru
Joined
Feb 24, 2002
Messages
10,875
leave the drivers side floor vent open and the fresh air vent to the heater open so the truck has no built up low pressure in the cab to suck the fumes in.
 

Bradsp8

Sr. Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2005
Messages
599
Find some smoke bombs like we used to play with as kids. May have to find someone in South Carolina to send them to you as fireworks, even smoke bombs, can be hard to find. The sulfer in the smoke will stink up your rig for a day or three but you'll quickly find the areas where you have leaks.
 
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Bitch'nBronco

Bitch'nBronco

Contributor
Loose Cannon
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
3,426
Loc.
Ringwood, NJ
Thanks everyone, I'll give it a shot. I just don't want to risk driving my kids around in the Bronco if there's even the slightest hint of exhaust fumes back there

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Bitch'nBronco

Bitch'nBronco

Contributor
Loose Cannon
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
3,426
Loc.
Ringwood, NJ
Am I missing a part of a seal here? Yellow is the top edge of my tailgate and the black parts are my hard top. Thanks
c7ecaeabdf0efb022edb452d9b2ee6da.jpg


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Bitch'nBronco

Bitch'nBronco

Contributor
Loose Cannon
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
3,426
Loc.
Ringwood, NJ
You're a good father. Your liftgate seal looks too short, and in the corner should be tailgate drains.

https://www.tomsbroncoparts.com/pro...weatherstrip-69-77-early-ford-bronco-new-pair
Thanks! I think I remember cutting the excess off, now I know what it was there for.

Drove around with a carbon monoxide detector for a few hours today after working on sealing up the Bronco. Didn't chirp even once, thanks for the help!

-John
0f6ba1585ca4ce51b8aad8309d56357f.jpg


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