Finaly found the worst named part on my Defender

[raywin]

Bloody sun roof, my arse
Has let in 100 times more rain than sun !!
The frame sealant had dried up and turned hard so I re installed with silicon, but I think the rubber seal which the glass sits on is not so great. It seems that the part is RTC5492 but hard to find, one on T bay at £48 posted.
Does anyone know if the rubber seal should be fixed into the frame with silicon?

 

[Colthebrummie]

Don't know if it was from the factory but it couldn't hurt to put a smidgion in. The reason the sun roof is crap is because it never rains in Birmingham so they don't need to seal that well, it is very much like India, Pakistan and Jamaica. Apparently.

Col

 

[Shifty1962]

I simply silconed mine shut as I never used the poxy thing anyhow.

 

[Glasgie]

As with Coltherbrummie
Also sealed up with silicone as never used (clashed with roof rack members in any case)

 

[raywin]

I simply silconed mine shut as I never used the poxy thing anyhow.

Yes one thing I have decided is that I don't care if it never opens again, its a pain, even in winter the dam thing gets covered in condensation which freezes up and then melts as you drive and drips all over you.
I plan to take the rubber out again then drill and tap the plastic "hinge" brackets at the front and hellicoil them, I will then put some stainless countersunk screws in with a bit of silicon on them. Then de-grease the frame and seal and stick it in with a bit of silicon, then smear the seal lip with silicon grease and shut the thing up.
If that doesn't work I will take out the glass and put a bit of wire netting in there should keep out as much rain as the glass does at present.

 

[JimS]

There's a market for aluminium / insulated 'sunroof replacement' panels....

 

[Shifty1962]

Yes one thing I have decided is that I don't care if it never opens again, its a pain, even in winter the dam thing gets covered in condensation which freezes up and then melts as you drive and drips all over you.
I plan to take the rubber out again then drill and tap the plastic "hinge" brackets at the front and hellicoil them, I will then put some stainless countersunk screws in with a bit of silicon on them. Then de-grease the frame and seal and stick it in with a bit of silicon, then smear the seal lip with silicon grease and shut the thing up.
If that doesn't work I will take out the glass and put a bit of wire netting in there should keep out as much rain as the glass does at present.

I have some chicken wire you can have if you get desperate mate

 

[Brown]

The problem really needs tackling at source. Try not to buy a Land Rover with a sunroof. I deliberately selected one without. If I had one, I'd be looking for a complete non-sunroof replacement roof panel.

Alpine windows on the other hand seem to be more or less OK.

 

[Colthebrummie]

One good thing about living in the South is that the water is so hard, the lime scale seals everything up if you wash it often enough and let it dry naturally. The downside is that you can't drink the stuff.

Col

 

[raywin]

One good thing about living in the South is that the water is so hard, the lime scale seals everything up if you wash it often enough and let it dry naturally. The downside is that you can't drink the stuff.

Col

Would probably need a whole stalactite to seal mine up. I suspect that this is the real source of the water I kept finding under the drivers seat box where the ECU sits.
And I have Alpine windows

 

[JimS]

Sunroof leaks were minimal last winter by virtue of the marine ply deck I put on the rack last year
Condensation still a bugger...

 

[Colthebrummie]

There's an idea, can you put an umbrella up over the sunroof.
Col

 

[raywin]

There's an idea, can you put an umbrella up over the sunroof.
Col

Getting desperate now, I am worried that some rare species of newt will start breeding in my foot-wells and DEFRA will block me from repairing it.

 

[Colthebrummie]

Anything is possible. I think I had a colony of African killer bees nesting under my rear wheel arch and a family of bird eating spiders living behind my dash. The headlining was also covered with a rare fungal spore that the wife found unappealing. There are still cobwebs in all the corners but I think it gives the old bus character.

Col

 

[raywin]

Anything is possible. I think I had a colony of African killer bees nesting under my rear wheel arch and a family of bird eating spiders living behind my dash. The headlining was also covered with a rare fungal spore that the wife found unappealing. There are still cobwebs in all the corners but I think it gives the old bus character.

Col

And the buggers want to ban our old diesel Landies for being ecologically unsound.

 

[Colthebrummie]

I know, mine practically a wildlife reserve, it's definitely a site of outstanding natural beauty.

Col