Batboard

anyone have an idea of what the cost or how to fill in 6 antenna holes mounted in the trunk? not sure if its cost wise to repair or just find a salvage lid

Yeah - those do affect resale value, don't they? If you have popular model, and can paint a truck lid from the junk yard to match, that might be the best permanent fix. I'd make some calls.

I just use these with some rtv sealant to keep out the water - very handy

http://www.tessco.com/products/displayP ... ventPage=1

If you don't want to go the hole plug route, it's much easier in the long run to just swap in a new trunk lid. If you take the car to a reputable body shop (i.e. not Maaco) that's what they'll recommend doing. You can even get them from aftermarket body part manufacturers now if you don't feel like scouring junk yards.

Most of the auto dealers that I have dealt with over the years don't even care about antenna mounts or rubber plugs filling old mounting holes. Their comment is
as long as the water stays out it's an I don't care. Most vehicles go into an auction house unless they are real new and low mileage. Why waist your time and
money putting a different trunk lid on the vehicle. It won't give you any more money than one with a rubber plug or two.

Jim

Screwed wrote:anyone have an idea of what the cost or how to fill in 6 antenna holes mounted in the trunk? not sure if its cost wise to repair or just find a salvage lid

I agree, 98% of traded in vehicles go to an auction anyway

I stopped using silicone sealant once I found the chemicals cause corrosion, so I now use a simple hole plug and in the lip of the plug, I fill in a thinly rolled out string of butyl rubber.

It stays soft and molds easily to the location and does a great job keeping moisture out, plus it's inert as well.

AEC wrote:I stopped using silicone sealant once I found the chemicals cause corrosion, so I now use a simple hole plug and in the lip of the plug, I fill in a thinly rolled out string of butyl rubber.

It stays soft and molds easily to the location and does a great job keeping moisture out, plus it's inert as well.

You're using the wrong silicone sealant. Ever notice the strong smell? That's acetic acid... vinegar... and what causes your corrosion.

I buy my silicone sealant at an electronics supply and it specifically claims to have no acid in it... no strong smell... and no corrosion.

There are several different types of the 'same' sealant, and unfortunately, there have been times when some is needed in a pinch, and the good stuff is unobtanium.....So...Hello China-Mart!

Unobtanium - I've run across that rare element, and always at the most inopportune moments. Thankfully I have a vast supply of MacGyver to counteract it's effects. It's not a noble gas like most people think. It can be a solid or a liquid depending on how you apply it. Generally yields better results than cobbletonium, rigrarium, or stupidtonium. There really are no guidelines for proper materials handling of any of these. Certainly won't be discussed in any MSDS I've seen. But, improper use can have life threatening consequences. Or at least feel that way. You know.

i used to have these rubber hole plugs that fit very snug that i never needed sealant.

Frank

I use butyl rubber on the lip only as a 'sure thing' against the pressure washers the mines use to clean their vehicles, and even a tight fitting hole plug will leak under such extrmes.

The water marks on the headliners are not appreciated on their vehicles(caught hell due to this already).

I would rather take the time to roll a little extra protection on the plug, and save the calls as to why there are spots of discoloration near the removed antenna was.
For me, 100% leak free means happy customers, and that's all I am after.

Butyl rubber.. that's the same stuff used in Vapor Wrap connector sealant, right?

I've taken to using Form-A-Gasket sealant on the mounts themselves, but for hole plugs I've always used RTV silicone and have never had a problem with corrosion. Maybe I've just been lucky?

motorola_otaku wrote:Butyl rubber.. that's the same stuff used in Vapor Wrap connector sealant, right?

I've taken to using Form-A-Gasket sealant on the mounts themselves, but for hole plugs I've always used RTV silicone and have never had a problem with corrosion. Maybe I've just been lucky?

I think it is...Names for the same product vary across the country too, depending on local jargon, but you are probably right.

I also called it Butt Rubber...as a joke of sorts.

As for the silicone...that formula seems to change from Mfr. to Mfr. So the vinegar stench may or may not be present.

Up here at 3500 Ft. elevation, we have no stable supply of 'the good stuff' and it's not cost effective to order a year's supply to have several tubes dry out on the shelf, so china mart junk is the lesser of two weevils(master & commander).

So I just gave up on silicone and roll my Butt Rubber around the inside of the plug and it does the job....never a leak!