CFTP wing mount water leakage

[Tomster]

We all have seen the problem created by the design and installation of the CFTP wing mount to the decklid. The O ring that surrounds the mount is supposed to provide two things..... The first is a water tight seal. The second is a friction area to help keep the mount stable and in place.

Friction is your friend and it is your enemy at the same time. Every time you hit your brakes or take a single step you should thank god for friction. On the other hand, friction is a detriment that causes losses in power and other inefficiencies. The rule of thumb is that we loose about 10% of our brake horsepower due to friction losses in our powertrain.... but I digress.

The problem with the carbon fiber mount that supports our $26,000 wing is it needs friction, but also needs to maintain a watertight seal. Well, it does one of them ok, but as I found out the hard way is that water enters the O ring seal and exposes our steel decklids to a corrosion hazard because Ford decided to drill the necessary holes and not provide any paint or corrosion protection.

Here is my solution..... I fabricated neoprene one sided adhesive gaskets to ensure that water does not enter the wing base. Since the gasket is adhered to the decklid it will maintain a firm position to the lid and also provide a solid watertight seal with the O ring on the wing mount.

I hope my fellow CFTP owners have taken this corrosion issue seriously. I recently washed my car and found that water pools on the inside of the mount at the lowest point of the decklid. If you don't have a good watertight seal, the holes that Ford drilled (or punched) will be exposed to water and will rust.

Anyway, here are the photos.

Sponsored

 

[gfcobra04]

That looks great I like the side view and how you can see the gasket between the deck lid and the wing mount. That’s how it should’ve come from the factory.

 

[Tomster]

That looks great I like the side view and how you can see the gasket between the deck lid and the wing mount. That’s how it should’ve come from the factory.

Again, think of it through an Austrian engineers mind (did I just say that?). On paper, the OEM approach is a perfect solution in terms of required friction and water resistance. Unfortunately, the boys at Ford decided to drill holes and leave steel bare. The O ring isn't that effective against water and furthermore digs into the clearcoat under the significant down forces. So if the O ring doesn't stop the water, the long term exposure of unprepared steel to water will have a corrosive effect.

Some of us paid $10K for painted on stripes. All ford had to do is predrill the holes before prime/paint. But they didn't do it. Mostly because nobody would ever remove the mounts to discover the issue.

 

[Goose17]

Looks clean, but my concern would be the neoprene absorbing water and staying wet, against your trunk lid.

 

[Tomster]

Looks clean, but my concern would be the neoprene absorbing water and staying wet, against your trunk lid.

Its a closed cell foam, why would it absorb water? Anyway, the adhesive side of the foam acts as a secondary water barrier. Kinda like peel and stick...

 

[WildHorse]

our $26,000 wing

Are you kidding ?

 

[Goose17]

Its a closed cell foam, why would it absorb water? Anyway, the adhesive side of the foam acts as a secondary water barrier. Kinda like peel and stick...

I was thinking it was open-cell, like a neoprene wetsuit, which absorbs water.

 

[RichGT350R]

I’m going to take the rear spoiler off of my 350R to see if I have the same problem. I’m thinking more then likely they installed it the same way. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Goose17]

I skinned this cat slightly differently. Whichever way one chooses to solve this problem, painting the raw steel holes and sealing out the water are a good idea to prevent future corrosion issues.

 

[Rapid Red]

Well done, I am surprised at the workmanship of the car. Actually do not understand the lack of quality on some of the assemblies.

It's like the 350 & 500s are stuck in the twilight zone. Not being a street or race car, stuck in the middle.

Sold as a street car, that someone put after market parts on, installed as an after thought.

Not knocking the 350 or 500 just an observation. I will say this you approach to correction the problems found are excellent, well thought out.

 

[Tomster]

Are you kidding ?

No. MSRP is $26k. Street price was $24k. There is another thread about that and how other parts are inflated so badly.

 

[Big John]

Great work Tom. I plan on painting my holes and adding a new seal this fall. We make a lot of different kinds of seals for our equipment in my company. I’m going to call my guys in and see what we can come up with. For now, I have 2 layers of PPF under the wing and my car doesn’t see water.

Great write up!

 

[Tomster]

Great work Tom. I plan on painting my holes and adding a new seal this fall. We make a lot of different kinds of seals for our equipment in my company. I’m going to call my guys in and see what we can come up with. For now, I have 2 layers of PPF under the wing and my car doesn’t see water.

Great write up!

Thanks John. The concern is whether the O ring will keep the water out. PPF probably will compress enough and interface with the O ring to give you that seal. I wanted to be absolutely sure based upon the photos of how the water pools at the base of the mounts.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

 

[2020GT500]

The thought of this being originally signed off by someone with a P.Eng. is a scary thought!!! Just hope that was the only thing they had to approve.

Can you confirm that the lid is in fact steel and not aluminum?

 

[Tomster]

The thought of this being originally signed off by someone with a P.Eng. is a scary thought!!! Just hope that was the only thing they had to approve.

Can you confirm that the lid is in fact steel and not aluminum?

Yes, Tim did a video and stuck a magnet to it. When I had it apart, I did confirm that the lid is steel.

Sponsored