The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

I am pleased to be able to advise that today when I checked the three dolomites that I have left out in the heavy rain that we have been having there was no rain water in the boots like they used to collect so the sealing of the roof gutters has stopped this problem. My recommendation to other owners is if you are finding rain water in either the boot or the front foot wells you may have the same problem. I is quite difficult to seal the joint that is within the gutter but I used a combination of running paint in to some areas and using silicon sealant where I could get at it.

I still have some minor drips into the front foot wells but there has been a big improvement in respect to the rain water that has come in. I believe that one leak will be stopped if I remove the clutch master cylinder and seal it to the bulkhead when I replace it.

The classic trick is talcum powder around the suspect area, it will leave a track where the water is getting in.

A good place to check, when it comes to the boot is the trim around the rear window. The bottom pieces mount in holes and if it is a poor fit/no sealant, it can leak.

As for the bulkhead, can be minor, with block drains in the engine bay allowing water through the fresh air vents. Can also be rot in the bulkhead itself. I only managed to track down the leaks in mine after taking out the interior. It took extensive welding to put it right and the rust holes weren't that obvious till I looked closely.

I only found it by covering the roof gutters with masking tape and noting that the water did not come in.

I have found a new leak spot. Couldn't work out why water was getting into the drivers footwell. Turns out it was coming from behind the plate the wiper motor is mounted to. It looks like the sealant around the plate has failed.

I fixed a wet floor on the driver's side by sealing the clutch master to the bulkhead, so that's definitely worth looking at. As for the drain slots below the air intake, what twit thought that tiny slots would be adequate? Leaf crap falls into the air intake and the resulting mush blocks the drains really easily. Car body designers really didn't care about the longevity of the product back then.

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Mike
(1969 MGB GTV8, 1977 Dolomite 1850HL, 1971 MGB roadster now all three on the road)

To be fair it isn't a problem that has been fixed. i have a Rover 75 and the drains block on that, drowning the ECU. It isn't the only modernish car with that fault.

Fiat panda is another. No harm done and the sound of a gallon of rainwater sloshing around tells you it's time to clear the drain again.

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1978 Pageant Sprint - the rustomite, 1972 Spitfire IV - sprintfire project, 1968 Valencia GT6 II - little Blue, 1980 Vermillion 1500HL - resting. 1974 Sienna 1500TC, Mrs Weevils big brown.

One for Dave (Toledoman) I spent a day messing with a C4 Grand Picasso that had very audible sloshing noises when cornering and quite a lot of water getting into the drivers footwell. But before I got a chance to get it in and deal with it, it arrived on an AA truck with a failed throttle potentiometer and a duff heater fan motor. The potentiometer dried out and resumed functioning after a day or two but the fan motor was toast and had to be replaced. If anyone needs to know, the drains are accessed by removing the rearmost part of the wheel arch shields, reaching in and forcibly removing the rubber boots on them. this has a tube with a flap which lets water out but clogs with leaves etc. Best removed altogether, water can't get IN that way as the arch shield covers it!

Steve

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'73 2 door Toledo with Vauxhall Carlton 2.0 8v engine (The Carledo)
'78 Sprint Auto with Vauxhall Omega 2.2 16v engine (The Dolomega)
'72 Triumph 1500FWD in Slate Grey, Now with RWD and Carledo powertrain!

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