1998 Sportster question - leaking through weedless system in hull

[trdehmer]

So on both sides I'm getting a little water coming through the black "Right Stuff" sealant and clear silicone sealant - I can see water coming out from underneath the black Right Stuff and clear silicone sealant. What is the best way to fix the leaking? Do I need to remove all the old Right Stuff and Silicone sealant - knowing the hull is now a bit dirt and oil saturated, will the new stuff even adhere well enough to fix the leaking?

 

[illru]

You look pretty clean. But a power washer and Purple Power works great cleaning things up. You might get away with laying a little and it holds till fall. The best way to fix is to remove/reinstall with new sealant and make sure the glass is in good shape.

 

[trdehmer]

Yeah, I think I'm going to remove the old sealant and clean up as good as possible and reinstall new Right Stuff sealant - and hope that it works and holds!

Any tricks to removing the old sealant and cleaning the area up well so the sealing sticks to the fiberglass good?

 

[illru]

Razor blades, scrub brush, soft wire brush. Remove the housings and scrub all the old stuff off and any oil out of there. Should hold fine with a clean surface. Also removing the motor hatch makes any job working in that bay a lot less painful.

I would think only age got your seals. But make sure the fiberglass is in good shape when everything is apart.

 

[trdehmer]

Found the sealant wasn't leaking, but almost like there was a pinhole of sorts in the fiberglass right below the housing on the drivers side. I used some two part epoxy, let it cure, then also put the RIGHTSTUFF over that. No more leak!

 

[RogerS]

I use white marine silicone... on cable hole and around gaps... works , no more leak
But did take 2 days to silicone set dry...