Water Leak in Cowling??

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wishihadahemi

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i don't know where the water is comming from, but when it rains , it drips from under the dash onto the carpet.

if the leak is in the cowling, how do i get to it, to repair it?

it's my 67 Barracuda.....thanks


My Mopar.jpg
 
Check the bushings on your wiper arm pivots, they probably need to be replaced.
 
Agreed. More likely to be the case rather than a hole in your cowl. Stick your head up under the dash with a light while someone runs water over the wipers. Watch the pivots and see what happens.

You can get a wiper pivot seal kit from Schumacher.
 
FWI Mine would only leak while driving with the wipers on. so if it dosent leak try turning the wipers on.
 
Yup probably wiper pivots. If it were a later model I'd suggest replacing those plastic linkage sockets while in there also but... not to worry, yours are bronze bushings. A dab of lube on those couldn't hurt though :)
 
Not meaning to hijack the thread but.. I have the same water issue and have replaced the pivot seals and verified the seal of the windscreen and still getting my feet wet.
Only place I can think of that water can still be coming in from would be due to rot around the "top hat" in the cowel area.
Anyone have any suggestions on the best way to get to that area without complete front end tear down?
I'm not opposed to cutting out the inside wall of the cowel (from the engine bay side) but don't know if I will be able to get to all the areas I need. I guess cutting out the top of the cowel is a possability, replacing rotted sheet metal/top hat, and welding the cowel back in place.
Any other thoughts?

Thanks
 
sl7732 said:
Not meaning to hijack the thread but.. I have the same water issue and have replaced the pivot seals and verified the seal of the windscreen and still getting my feet wet.
Only place I can think of that water can still be coming in from would be due to rot around the "top hat" in the cowel area.
Anyone have any suggestions on the best way to get to that area without complete front end tear down?
I'm not opposed to cutting out the inside wall of the cowel (from the engine bay side) but don't know if I will be able to get to all the areas I need. I guess cutting out the top of the cowel is a possability, replacing rotted sheet metal/top hat, and welding the cowel back in place.
Any other thoughts?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I guess the bottom line is, you gotta determine the point of entry. Since water takes the path of least resistance, it could be coming in at one spot and travelling to another before dripping down. If you don't want to pull the dash frame for the most visibility, at least gut it and remove the insulation. Then run water over the outside to see where it might be coming in at. If you indeed have rot, you'll be cutting and patching from inside the car. And if it's coming from the area of the window frame, you most likely have rot there and the glass and dash frame will have to come out to repair it.
 
The service mechanics most dreaded RO... wind noise and water leaks.
All day to find it and 2 minutes to fix it. Ford dealer had a shower stand made from a wheel ,some pipe and fittings, 6 shower heads. Worked good when hunting still car rain leaks . Aim rainmaker, stand on your head under the dash with a light. Repeat.
Just a thought but what if one of those hose attached bottles (like garden bug/weed killer) was loaded with water based paint pigment? Spray it all over the firewall and door jambs, into the cowling. Maybe work from bottom up ? Save the windshield for last. Use white pigment and go hunting with a black light ? LOL Good luck.
 
Pray it's not your cowl, but it probably is at least a little. My rust free California Barracuda has pinholes on the drivers side that leak.

Here's some photos of what you have to do to fix it....

022car26.jpg


022car28.jpg


022car27.jpg


022car31.jpg
 
wiper pivot seals,,,,rot in cowl,if the car was real rusty,,usuall if rot in cowl area,,you got problems,, also,,the windshiled frame will rot usually on the lower corners under the gasket ,under the glass some times hard to detect,with out removing the windshield,,,
 
leaves and shtuff fall into the cowl and collect water which helps create rust...

I have the same leak in my 68 dart, not the pivot seals, might be around the windshield but I have replaced the window and seal, only thing left is the cowl.

thinking about doing a repair like the above shown, but since I do not weld was thinking fo trying to me a removable panel that I can use if I need to clean out the cowl area again.
 
65s,
Thanks for the pic's, at least I have a much better idea where I need to go with this. Looks like a real PITA but better than wet feet and ruined carpets and floor pans.
 
DragginMAster said:
leaves and shtuff fall into the cowl and collect water which helps create rust...

I have the same leak in my 68 dart, not the pivot seals, might be around the windshield but I have replaced the window and seal, only thing left is the cowl.

thinking about doing a repair like the above shown, but since I do not weld was thinking fo trying to me a removable panel that I can use if I need to clean out the cowl area again.
Click to expand...

I know exactly what you mean, am thinking about cutting out the slotted part of the cowel, welding a frame around the opening and putting in a removable mesh so I can easily clean out any debris.
 
Hey sl7322, I have a 75 duster, and I replaced the windshield wiper seals, the gasket around the windshield, removed the dash to check for rot...my leak has to be around the cowl as well. And yes, it will be a PITA to fix - I keep putting it off hoping to figure out an easier way. Let us know how your repair comes out.
 
Just a crazy idea, what if we took a screen, like from a screen door, and cut it to match the cowel opening, and then held it in place with long strips of magnets? It would keep the big stuff out anyway and allow the rain to pass through. I guess too much air rushing through may be too strong for the magnets maybe?
 
Those replacement cowl pieces would make good under dash speaker boxes. I blocked both my vents off permanently so they would bolt right up.
 
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