Water Leak

mat in tn wrote

absolutely! the real issue here is access. you should not seal it from the inside for sure and the only true access will be with the cowl removed along with the driver side fender. it is not really a big deal but there are a lot of fasteners and keeping track of "what went where". phone camera is your friend! you were in this for the adventure, right?

It's an adventure, you can say that again.  So if I take the fender off, that opens up the vertical drain for access from the outside?  I was thinking it would still be closed off by an intervening panel.  I'll look into that.  Thanks.

take a look at another thread here. " my babys got the blues".
not only is it a great color but its an exposed cab. you can look closely and see how the air box duct is made

You'll only have access through the cowl drain, but that allows you to poke around and seal almost everything that you can't from the access panel.

I have pictures here on the forum somewhere....

But here is the drain on Gary's dad's truck.

Thanks.  It seems like, whatever access I'd have through the drain flap port, I'd have that same level of access or better through the interior with the kick panel removed, no?  I'm happy to take the fender off to get access to the flap port, but just want to make sure there's going to be a benefit.

I have some ACDelco medium body seem sealer left over from when I did the seem in the cowl.  I also have a couple cans of rubberized undercoating spray.  Can I just use that seam sealer for this job too?  Maybe spray the undercoating on top of the seem sealer once cured for good measure?

And do y'all recommend I hit the entire expanse of these seems all the way up/down/across the vertical vent/drain?  Or just the the area of the seems approaching the triple joint.

Finally, how is it that these seems were never sealed originally?  Just seems strange to me they weren't factory sealed if they are leaking.

The drain is at the front of the 'down' duct from the cowl.
It offers better access to the foot well side, and some access to the vertical.
I didn't have to stand on my head and twist my hand around backwards to get in there with the fender removed.
My fender was coming off anyhow so I can't say what you should do.

I'm not a fan of rubberized undercoat, but I live in Connecticut where salt and slush eat these trucks up.
Once water gets behind it the cancer just travels.
If you have seam sealer by all means use it.

I definitely sealed all seams in that pocket.
Some places I needed to improvise tools to force the bead in  and smooth it.

You seem to have found the leak before I did.
I had to replace the floor and some of the metal that came down to meet it.

Thanks, Jim. I'm going to try to do it this weekend and will report back. I'm so ready to tackle these leaks once and for all. Optimistic this is the last of it.

Jim, wanted to let you know I nipped that last remaining leak in the bud. Seam sealer did the trick. I was able to get it in there without taking off the fender, but it wasn't easy like you said. Nor is it pretty, but only I'll know, ha!

I'm glad you were able to get it done from inside the cab!
It must be a real relief not to have it wet when it rains.

Also anything that stops the cancer is a GREAT day.  

I have a leak into the passenger door channel that is underneath the threshold plate. Is there a second drain channel for the cowl on that side?

I wonder if I could spray water into the cowl to see if it drains and maybe free up the flow by doing that. Or to snake the drain exit with a bass guitar string. From what I read there is only one drain canal and it's into the drivers side wheel well. Is that correct?

There's one on either side.
Pull the rubber boot off and the hole is 1-3/8 x 2(?)

Blow some water in from the bottom to loosen the sludge up and then hose it all out from the top.

So I'll have to remove the plastic cover in the front wheel wells Correct? That seems easy enough. I'll do it.
Can I remove those without having to take the front wheels off?

You don't need a whole lot of access.
Just take them loose at the bottom in the back.
Then it's easy enough to reach the rubber drains and pop them off.

I think I got it. I'ts been raining and i sealed the corner where the firewall the sidewall, and the floor meet, right behind where the sound insulation is A tiny rusty area. I spread Goop marine sealant over it. Seems to have worked. I don't want to turn this truck into a show truck. I just want it to last as long as I do. And i'm 67 so I should be fine with that LOL

There should be a vent panel or a cover plate in behind the kick panel.
Behind this is the pocket where the rubber cowl drain attaches from the bottom.

If you have water coming from the firewall/side panel/floor, that pocket is already rotted out and the water is not only getting into the cab, but into the cab support where the bushings bolt it down to the frame crossmember.

I realize you don't think it needs to hold up for too much longer.
I'm just saying that water in the cab is only a symptom of a deeper problem.

I wish I could find the pictures from when I cut this out to replace it.
It's pretty eye opening when you realize all the structure that passes through there.

That is the same place Darth was leaking, I found no sealer inside that vent area in the corner where the side, floor and firewall all join.

Did you remove the rubber drains to get all the muck out?
Do you feel good about how you sealed the area from inside?

I did the best I could from the access panel and the cowl drain openings, but I still wish I had a better solution.