How to Fix Passenger Cowl Vent Seal Gap

-
FJRdoc

FJRdoc

FABO Gold Member
FABO Gold Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
1,267
Reaction score
730
Location
Brownstown, PA
I currently installing my restored non-AC heater box in my 1970 Duster.The box and blower motor installation went in without any problems. I installed the J bolt on the cowl and through the back of the heater box. After looking closely at the foam cowl seal, I noticed that it is gapping at the front. There isn't any way to clamp the seal and box to the front of the cowl. What's the easiest fix for this? Should I remove the box and add some additional sealing material on top of the cowl seal to help fill the void?
 
If you have proper j hook and nut be careful you dont tighten it too much. Vents are known to break/crack due to age and too much stress. If you can put a washer on it as well to distribute pressure a bit more.
 
Thankfully my camera fits in there, top & bottom shown;

1970 valiant heater box j-hook top.JPG


1970 valiant heater box j-hook top bottom.JPG
 
Alaskan_TA said:
Thankfully my camera fits in there, top & bottom shown;

View attachment 1715260864

View attachment 1715260865
Click to expand...
FJRdoc said:
I currently installing my restored non-AC heater box in my 1970 Duster.The box and blower motor installation went in without any problems. I installed the J bolt on the cowl and through the back of the heater box. After looking closely at the foam cowl seal, I noticed that it is gapping at the front. There isn't any way to clamp the seal and box to the front of the cowl. What's the easiest fix for this? Should I remove the box and add some additional sealing material on top of the cowl seal to help fill the void?
Click to expand...

To me, it doesn't look like the heater is centred properly into the aperture in the cowl/plenum. Also, if the j-bolt isn't hooked into the correct position in the cowl/plenum it can tension up at a funny angle. That said, if the j-bolt is in the wrong position, I don't think it is long enough to correctly register into the slot moulded into the inside of the heater casing, (I might be wrong on this point).
 
I have the correct J hook installed. I will check to make sure that it isn't in a strange angle. The pictures above are not from my car. It seems to me that the heater box "sags" in the front which creates the gasket gap. A J hook in the front of the cowl would fix the problem but the shape of the box allow the use of one.
 
There isn't a notch in the rim of the cowl collar where the J hook is supposed to sit. The hook should find plumb stance though. Assuming you have the correct new seal ( about 3/4 inch square profile foam ) it should conform and fill the gap. By the way... the peal paper to expose adhesive on that new seal is a joke. Glue it to the heater case with a bead of weather strip adhesive. Otherwise it wont stay in place and its glued ends will separate, you'll have C instead of O.
 
Last edited:
I'll be working on this this weekend. Your right RedFish, the peel and stick adhesive didn't work. I used 3M black weather stripping adhesive. That stuff sticks!
 
FJRdoc said:
I currently installing my restored non-AC heater box in my 1970 Duster.The box and blower motor installation went in without any problems. I installed the J bolt on the cowl and through the back of the heater box. After looking closely at the foam cowl seal, I noticed that it is gapping at the front. There isn't any way to clamp the seal and box to the front of the cowl. What's the easiest fix for this? Should I remove the box and add some additional sealing material on top of the cowl seal to help fill the void?
Click to expand...

That's what I did (made a seal) out of black pipe insulation foam and attached it with 3M black and it worked great.
I also reinforced the J hook bracket to box on the inside with fiberglass so I could put a bit more pressure on it without tearing it out of the box wall.
 
I think the 'notch' is this bit (circled) looks like its bent in the photo, but it's actually a curved 'indent' which I reckon is what the hook should register into...
D_0206A.JPG


Agree with RedFish, the peel-and-stick foam is a waste of time, I cut these out of some foam packaging material, they work perfectly...

D_0224.JPG


And a few reinforcements along the way as well...

D_0219.JPG


Fits perfect... Dont forget the four bolts on the blower/fan motor do most of the holding, the j-bolt is to be tightened just enough to make the seal against the plenum 'breeze-tight'...
D_0226.JPG
 
Nigel Hely said:
I think the 'notch' is this bit (circled) looks like its bent in the photo, but it's actually a curved 'indent' which I reckon is what the hook should register into...
View attachment 1715262925

Agree with RedFish, the peel-and-stick foam is a waste of time, I cut these out of some foam packaging material, they work perfectly...

View attachment 1715262926

And a few reinforcements along the way as well...

View attachment 1715262930

Fits perfect... Dont forget the four bolts on the blower/fan motor do most of the holding, the j-bolt is to be tightened just enough to make the seal against the plenum 'breeze-tight'...
View attachment 1715262931
Click to expand...

I used the same 1/8" stuff for mine, the washer on the bottom is a good idea that will help. I don`t remember having the rod hung like ur pic shows tho----I have an extra rod if some one needs it >
 
famous bob said:
I used the same 1/8" stuff for mine, the washer on the bottom is a good idea that will help. I don`t remember having the rod hung like ur pic shows tho----I have an extra rod if some one needs it >
Click to expand...

Yea, I believe the J rod goes all the way up over the top of the inlet.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top