I have an '83 van (not many people on van forum, the problem should be the same anyhow) with a leaking drip rail.

Many years ago, before I got it, someone applied a putty to fill the drip rail in. I don't know what it is, but it shrunk a LOT and pulled away from the steel on both sides and actually makes it collect MORE water.

It's heavily cracking, still somewhat rubbery, and about 1/5th of its surface actually is still stuck to the metal. I tried prying with flatblade screwdrivers and only got a few inches to break off. Tried grabbing an end and pulling while prying a screwdriver back and forth to try to get it off but it just tore off from the attached portion.

I've got a lot to remove. Any ideas? I did have some ideas about just pouring in more sealant around it, which is surely a bad idea, but I don't know if there's any practical way to ever remove this crap.

 

Maybe something like this?
Avanti Pro 4 in. Drill Mount Quick-Strip Wire Brush-PWW040WIRD01G - The Home Depot

As far as sealing it back, here's what I did:
Did not try to remove the old cracked seam sealer, and it didn't have any "previous owner mods".
Wiped it down with 99% isopropyl alcohol.
Rolled up a piece of sandpaper to run in it and scuff lightly.
Wiped down again.
Used E6000 automotive sealant without a nozzle (available at the parts store) and filled in the length of the drip rail. E6000 is a self-leveling non-hardening non-shrinking sealant. Thought about using seam sealer but the truck was white, I only had a day to do it, and the stores only had gray in stock.

 

I have the wire wheel, planned to use it for rust removal. I don't expect it to be effective at taking off this thick, hard rubber. It's like 20 ft+ total, too.

If I can't take the old sealer off, I don't know where that leaves me. I can't remove the rust in the gaps around the old sealer and I don't expect even E6000 to get a good bond there. Even if the E6000 sticks to the rust, the rust will flake off the steel and make a new gap.

E6000 has UV-grades and not. Unless it SAYS "UV", it's not! It'll rot in the sun in a few months outside.

Also "Amazing Goop" is the same company as E6000. Same polymer, too, just a different solvent. They divided out into many products under many names for marketing purposes. But they're not very different.

The "RV Goop", "Outdoor Goop", "Shoe Goo" are all the same polymer with UV inhibitors.

 

Can you get under the end and use a chisel to pry it out? Once it is out, assuming it is out, use the wire brush to clean it up. But, you won't get all of the rust, so then use something like POR-15 that will adhere to and kill the rust. Then cover that with a seam sealer that is UV stable.

 

I'll have a chisel to try soon. But I don't think it'll work. The steel isn't super-thick and I don't want to drive it through the steel.

I imagined prying it up, but the drip rail isn't that sturdy. And I had another look- most of the separation is on the roof side, not the drip rail's lip side. Nothing to take leverage against for prying.

I was hoping to use a truck bedliner spray. That's sturdy stuff, adheres very well to metal, and very weatherproof. I'll tape it against overspray but this is hardly a "nice" vehicle to begin with.

 

If you have rust and don't get it neutralized it'll just keep eating the metal.

 

A lot of people say that, but it's not quite the case. Rust isn't contagious, except obviously a piece shedding scales of rust has no paint or even oil underneath it. And it traps moisture for longer than if the rusted metal were brushed off.

But additionally if you don't clean the loose rust and just paint over it, the rust scale will shed and take the paint layer with it, defeating the paint and exposing it to water all over again.

The bedliner spray is supposed to be unusually tolerant for applying over light rust without a primer. But not loose rust scale, of course. Regardless, I plan to wire brush it. If there's any notable holes I think I'll try to bridge them with fiberglass cloth first, then apply the bedliner spray.

A lot of people believe "rust converter"/neutralizer (naval jelly, phosphoric acid) seals off rust. These products do convert the rust, except: one, any loose scale must still be removed first, and two, the surface must be painted or at least primed. It doesn't create an effective barrier to new rust. So it essentially means you don't have to brush it as thoroughly and yields a better surface to paint on, but it must still be painted.

 

Hmm getting pretty good resulting using a wood chisel to pry it off from the gap where it pulled away from the roof.

 

I used a 90 degree seal pick to remove the seam sealer from the drip rails on my pickup. Although mine was so hard it all came out and shattered. That made it easy.

 

I would try a heat gun. The type that you get at Lowe's to remove paint. It may soften it enough so it gives up easier.

 

this is how the cab corners rust out, Crack in the gutter, water rolls down the inside where you cant see it and rust starts on the floor and corner

 

Rust is Contagious. That is why they call it cancer.

There is one ONE way to kill rust. And that is remove it

A. sandblast the metal clean(until no rust is left)

or

B. Cut all the rust out

 

Rust IS contagious ! When left to it's devices, oxidation "separates" the metals and minerals used in the manufacturing of steel. Not to mention the use of salt as a melting agent for ice covered roads.