chevyrider838
OBS Enthusiast
Just replaced my third brake light with another factory and need this gasket...any updates on a factory replacement? Thanks
Leaking 3rd Brake Light/Cargo Light 1995 K1500
- Thread starter Bodageta1995
- Start date
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When I bought my truck, it had leaked so bad that moss had formed inside the roof.
Dug it out with an old hay hook and sprayed the moss with vinegar to kill it.
The gasket was wasted and the plastic housing had bowed into a U shape from the moss pushing on it.
I pulled the light housing and put it front of a quartz radiant heater and slowly slowly bent it back into shape and used an airless plastic welder to seal the cracks.
Sealed it up by cleaning the paint and the back of the lense with isopropyl alchohol and bedded the thing back in with 1/2 diameter Butyl rope caulking.
Put it in with just a little screw tension and gave it a little more over a day or so just to let the butyl sqeeze out.
Took a plastic putty knife and cut of the excess just so it didnt look like crap.
Its not an ideal fix because It only seems to last 3 or 4 years before I have do the whole mess again but it does keep it sealed.
Im pretty sure I bought the butyl from Westmarine or some other marine parts place because unlike seam sealer, this particular marine butyl is a non hardening caulk.
Next time around I think I might try somethink like a sikaflex 5200 or some othdr type of marine caulking.
Normal RTV just doesnt seem to do the job
Dug it out with an old hay hook and sprayed the moss with vinegar to kill it.
The gasket was wasted and the plastic housing had bowed into a U shape from the moss pushing on it.
I pulled the light housing and put it front of a quartz radiant heater and slowly slowly bent it back into shape and used an airless plastic welder to seal the cracks.
Sealed it up by cleaning the paint and the back of the lense with isopropyl alchohol and bedded the thing back in with 1/2 diameter Butyl rope caulking.
Put it in with just a little screw tension and gave it a little more over a day or so just to let the butyl sqeeze out.
Took a plastic putty knife and cut of the excess just so it didnt look like crap.
Its not an ideal fix because It only seems to last 3 or 4 years before I have do the whole mess again but it does keep it sealed.
Im pretty sure I bought the butyl from Westmarine or some other marine parts place because unlike seam sealer, this particular marine butyl is a non hardening caulk.
Next time around I think I might try somethink like a sikaflex 5200 or some othdr type of marine caulking.
Normal RTV just doesnt seem to do the job
Last edited:
1ton-o-fun
Automotive Durability Tester
Thank you to all the members, past and present, for talking me out of EVER considering adding a 3rd brake light/cargo light to my truck! Your troubles have not been a waste, lol!
The brake light is such a big problem and have been working on it myself still! But I had to take the problem into my own hands and I think I have finally found a solution. I have been testing it for about 7 months now and its still holding up great. I designed and developed my own third brake light using KC Cyclone lights and still using the factory mount locations and plug. Now still working on a foam gasket solution but right now I used clear silicon and ran a bead under the light and stuck it down. This is only the firs functional prototype that worked, the person I hired to print this did a crap job and thought they could spray paint it black instead of using black filament. But whatever it's a prototype.I do want to try and make them and sell them but I am trying to get my self a 3D printer or looking at other means of making it. 
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1ton-o-fun
Automotive Durability Tester
I like the thought put into this! The aiming of the center cargo light...
...Come on now! I said I wasn't gonna add one to my truck, dang it!
...Come on now! I said I wasn't gonna add one to my truck, dang it!
I like the thought put into this! The aiming of the center cargo light...
...Come on now! I said I wasn't gonna add one to my truck, dang it!
I figured if I was doing this I said "dammit I am gonna make sure this cargo light works!" I have never used the gem cargo lights because the lens was so yellowed it never put out enough light haha. I also ground the cargo light circuit that way I can flip the cargo lights on at any given time!
