"Rocky" - 1981 F250 Restoration

[taskswap]

absolutely right! of course this is so much easier to see and do without the fenders on, however, it is still very accessible by pulling away the back of the inner fender liner. the "duck bills" are not really needed except to keep debris and leaves etc. from being drawn in. the thing they do best is clog. pay attention to the cowl especially. it is not level! it is high on the passenger side and the gutter feature of it runs downhill to the driver side and many times the driver side will seem to be full of mulch/composting leaves.

the cowl itself is an issue. its two parts welded together and caulked from side to side. poorly at best. Hard to reach all but necessary to strip out all caulk and rust treat before re caulking and proper sealing and paint. look inside where the floor pans come up and roll forward to meet the firewall, rusting here says the cowl leaks and often the firewall insulator soaks it up until it has gotten really bad. by this time the dash and everything else needs to be pulled to fix it thoroughly. because fixing one side of a rusted through panel doesn't fix anything. best example... rear fender wheel arches.

Oh they did mention it. :) If you go back a page or two, this is what led to my discovery of an entire bath towel stuffed into the bottom of the duck bll!

I still do get water after removing it though, it's just a very slight seep. It's coming from the bottom of where what I'm calling the "horn" of the air vent (the upside-down-U shaped piece) sticks into the vent duct itself. The area behind it is clean now. I have a new reason to suspect the gasket. In fact I'm sure of it now despite others getting lucky with not having to replace it. Because I just pulled off my vent panel and the bottom of that gasket is damp from last night's snow melting (where I'm pointing) and there are visible tracks where the water was seeping under it:

I suspect most folks are either having their gasket completely disintegrate (in which case I suspect the "horn" that sticks into the air duct would just pass water AROUND it where it would drip off the bottom) or remains just serviceable enough to do its job. But I was wrong earlier when I said mine was completely dust. Only my passenger side is. My driver's side is still there, just super flat and stiff. I suspect it's now doing more harm than good and is actively "wicking" water into the cabin, like a sponge, or candle wick. I'll replace it tomorrow to verify.

I spent most of the day organizing the garage but did get two other things done. I mentioned earlier that my windshield wiper tank had cracked too badly to repair so I bought a replacement. But it wasn't the one in the pictures in Documentation on this site. It was some other thing, and it didn't line up very well at all. Jerry rig time! I had a deck tie plate left over from another project. I cut that so the right side had a bit of a notch to fit into the right side slot on the body, then drilled for two screws on the left side. I put standoffs behind the left side screws to avoid interfering with the hood release cable, then attached the tank to the rail. It seems to work fine. It looks like the new tank is leaking but it's not, that's just spillage from sloppy handling!

I also got my voltmeter installed. It seems to work fine so hopefully I can start finalizing the dash/panel reinstallation tomorrow!

[FuzzFace2]

Oh they did mention it. :) If you go back a page or two, this is what led to my discovery of an entire bath towel stuffed into the bottom of the duck bll!

I still do get water after removing it though, it's just a very slight seep. It's coming from the bottom of where what I'm calling the "horn" of the air vent (the upside-down-U shaped piece) sticks into the vent duct itself. The area behind it is clean now. I have a new reason to suspect the gasket. In fact I'm sure of it now despite others getting lucky with not having to replace it. Because I just pulled off my vent panel and the bottom of that gasket is damp from last night's snow melting (where I'm pointing) and there are visible tracks where the water was seeping under it:

I suspect most folks are either having their gasket completely disintegrate (in which case I suspect the "horn" that sticks into the air duct would just pass water AROUND it where it would drip off the bottom) or remains just serviceable enough to do its job. But I was wrong earlier when I said mine was completely dust. Only my passenger side is. My driver's side is still there, just super flat and stiff. I suspect it's now doing more harm than good and is actively "wicking" water into the cabin, like a sponge, or candle wick. I'll replace it tomorrow to verify.

I spent most of the day organizing the garage but did get two other things done. I mentioned earlier that my windshield wiper tank had cracked too badly to repair so I bought a replacement. But it wasn't the one in the pictures in Documentation on this site. It was some other thing, and it didn't line up very well at all. Jerry rig time! I had a deck tie plate left over from another project. I cut that so the right side had a bit of a notch to fit into the right side slot on the body, then drilled for two screws on the left side. I put standoffs behind the left side screws to avoid interfering with the hood release cable, then attached the tank to the rail. It seems to work fine. It looks like the new tank is leaking but it's not, that's just spillage from sloppy handling!

I also got my voltmeter installed. It seems to work fine so hopefully I can start finalizing the dash/panel reinstallation tomorrow!

I hate to say this but I bet you are getting water from above at the firewall / cowl / side panel and it is landing on that "horn" and following it down to the bottom and making it look like its coming from inside where the air would be.

Being you have that vent off I would try and run water down into the cowl and see if the water is coming in at that opening or some where else.

When you cleaned out the vent area down to the duck bill did you run water in the cowl and that opening to flush out anything you could not get out?

I did not have water in my garage but I do have 190 PSI air and used that to blow it clean, and me dirty LOL

I hope I am wrong and a new soft gasket fixes the issue.

Dave ----

[taskswap]

I hate to say this but I bet you are getting water from above at the firewall / cowl / side panel and it is landing on that "horn" and following it down to the bottom and making it look like its coming from inside where the air would be.

Being you have that vent off I would try and run water down into the cowl and see if the water is coming in at that opening or some where else.

When you cleaned out the vent area down to the duck bill did you run water in the cowl and that opening to flush out anything you could not get out?

I did not have water in my garage but I do have 190 PSI air and used that to blow it clean, and me dirty LOL

I hope I am wrong and a new soft gasket fixes the issue.

Dave ----

Maybe I'm confused about what you guys are referring to as the "duck bill" and where this dirt would be? That air duct behind the vent is completely clean and the bottom is unobstructed. I can see all the way down it with an inspection mirror. Is there something else above this area you're talking about instead?

[mat in tn]

Maybe I'm confused about what you guys are referring to as the "duck bill" and where this dirt would be? That air duct behind the vent is completely clean and the bottom is unobstructed. I can see all the way down it with an inspection mirror. Is there something else above this area you're talking about instead?

i remember the explanation of finding the towel. the only way that i know of for it to get there would be from removing the vent and stuffing it in. "why" is the mystery. maybe to stop a draft. maybe to control water. " If walls could talk." right?

the problem that I keep thinking of is how to best control water that drains through this channel by design. I have these vents on a truck project that I started last month. they all have the openings but only some have the vents. usually non a/c tucks of early years. mine is an 83 f100 non a/c but I discovered to have the exact same dealer air as yours. it seems to me that the vent could benefit from some type of rain guard not unlike the stick-on ones for the side windows. but that would need to go inside the a pillar duct.

[taskswap]

i remember the explanation of finding the towel. the only way that i know of for it to get there would be from removing the vent and stuffing it in. "why" is the mystery. maybe to stop a draft. maybe to control water. " If walls could talk." right?

Yeah, we'll probably never know. But I do have a working theory. This leak at the bottom of the air vent caused water to drip down the side wall, under the kick trim, under the dimmer switch, then under and into the carpet. There is some rust damage to the floor pan on the left side in that area. It's minor, but a few holes were starting to form. I suspect a previous owner saw these holes and mis-diagnosed the problem, assuming that's how water was getting in directly. This area is just to the rear and right of the "duck bill" and the towel had been stuffed in there from the back/bottom. I wonder if they were trying to catch what they assumed was spray/splashing from the left front wheel working its way up there.

Anyway, it's Colorado. It doesn't rain that much and I can cover the entire cowl in the winter to keep snow out. I rigged up a new gasket out of some (waterproof/closed cell) shipping foam I had from a recent package and threw the air vent back in. I adhered it to the trim panel with Lexel, my favorite silicone-based sealant. Here are the rough measurements if anybody cares. Sorry for my bad handwriting:

it seems to me that the vent could benefit from some type of rain guard not unlike the stick-on ones for the side windows. but that would need to go inside the a pillar duct.

You know I was thinking the same thing. It's crazy to me that there isn't some kind of water diverter inside the duct above where this panel installs. But speaking of which I noticed today I have another possible water ingress point. The grommet around my speedometer cable is deteriorating. Replacing it would be challenging though I can probably cut a piece of neoprene and/or put some sealant around the hole. But while studying the area I noticed there's some residue from what clearly must have been some kind of rain diverter. It looks like the hood-to-cowl seal but shorter. It hangs over the two firewall penetrations shown here:

I'm sure I can jerry rig something, but was wondering if anybody had input on what this part originally was. I've been all up and down the Illustrated Parts Diagram but I'm either missing it or it's not specifically called out...

[mat in tn]

i remember the explanation of finding the towel. the only way that i know of for it to get there would be from removing the vent and stuffing it in. "why" is the mystery. maybe to stop a draft. maybe to control water. " If walls could talk." right?

Yeah, we'll probably never know. But I do have a working theory. This leak at the bottom of the air vent caused water to drip down the side wall, under the kick trim, under the dimmer switch, then under and into the carpet. There is some rust damage to the floor pan on the left side in that area. It's minor, but a few holes were starting to form. I suspect a previous owner saw these holes and mis-diagnosed the problem, assuming that's how water was getting in directly. This area is just to the rear and right of the "duck bill" and the towel had been stuffed in there from the back/bottom. I wonder if they were trying to catch what they assumed was spray/splashing from the left front wheel working its way up there.

Anyway, it's Colorado. It doesn't rain that much and I can cover the entire cowl in the winter to keep snow out. I rigged up a new gasket out of some (waterproof/closed cell) shipping foam I had from a recent package and threw the air vent back in. I adhered it to the trim panel with Lexel, my favorite silicone-based sealant. Here are the rough measurements if anybody cares. Sorry for my bad handwriting:

it seems to me that the vent could benefit from some type of rain guard not unlike the stick-on ones for the side windows. but that would need to go inside the a pillar duct.

You know I was thinking the same thing. It's crazy to me that there isn't some kind of water diverter inside the duct above where this panel installs. But speaking of which I noticed today I have another possible water ingress point. The grommet around my speedometer cable is deteriorating. Replacing it would be challenging though I can probably cut a piece of neoprene and/or put some sealant around the hole. But while studying the area I noticed there's some residue from what clearly must have been some kind of rain diverter. It looks like the hood-to-cowl seal but shorter. It hangs over the two firewall penetrations shown here:

I'm sure I can jerry rig something, but was wondering if anybody had input on what this part originally was. I've been all up and down the Illustrated Parts Diagram but I'm either missing it or it's not specifically called out...

yes, the speedo cable grommet is an issue. and the cowl /hood seal does not go far enough. this is by far my favorite truck, but it is nowhere near perfect! very agricultural if I'm honest. but to me it's part of the charm. I have tried a few different ways to replace the speedo grommet but the best I have come up with is a two-piece method where a rubber grommet fits the firewall but leaves a hole large enough to fit a piece of 3/8 fuel hose. take 3" of fuel hose and split it lengthwise and install on the cable and slip into the grommet about halfway. seal the hose to the grommet with the slit at the bottom. Black rtv does well if there is no lexel nearby

[taskswap]

yes, the speedo cable grommet is an issue. and the cowl /hood seal does not go far enough. this is by far my favorite truck, but it is nowhere near perfect! very agricultural if I'm honest. but to me it's part of the charm. I have tried a few different ways to replace the speedo grommet but the best I have come up with is a two-piece method where a rubber grommet fits the firewall but leaves a hole large enough to fit a piece of 3/8 fuel hose. take 3" of fuel hose and split it lengthwise and install on the cable and slip into the grommet about halfway. seal the hose to the grommet with the slit at the bottom. Black rtv does well if there is no lexel nearby

Definitely getting some "project fatigue" here. But here's how the driver's door came out:

For those that are wondering about the slide locks, my passenger door has my original (to the vehicle) lock with the spring plate reattached by zip ties. My driver's side door now has the Dennis Carpenter lock. I'm pleased to report it's a complete assembly, with a spring plate as well. I know that was a concern for some.

As far as "unicorn parts" go, I'm definitely glad there's a supplier for this part now, and kudos for the very reasonable price. I bought this https://www.dennis-carpenter.com/trucks/door/door-lock-amp-latch/e1tz-1022168-b-door-lock-or-latch-control-asy and $13.95 is just a crazy good deal for such an elusive item. I was already prepared to pay north of $80 for various 3D printing and metal-bending services to try to remake one.

That said this part is definitely not perfect, so caveat emptor. The surface texture is "sand-papery", hard to describe but it's much rougher to the touch than the old one. Also, the part is only available for the passenger's side, so you either have to mount it upside down on the driver's side or deal with it. I stupidly tried to sharpie the "LOCK" letters on mine and you can see that didn't work out well.

Also, there must be some variance in how these are made. I bought two assemblies but one of them didn't "slide" very well, it was very stiff. The other was smoother, so that's the one I used. And the black plastic slider has some whitish "blooming" of some kind (you don't see that in the picture but it's not jet black).

Still, for $13.95 I would definitely recommend these to anybody with slide locks. They also sell the lock actuator arm and I'm pleased to report that worked fine to replace my bent one.

[Gary Lewis]

Definitely getting some "project fatigue" here. But here's how the driver's door came out:

For those that are wondering about the slide locks, my passenger door has my original (to the vehicle) lock with the spring plate reattached by zip ties. My driver's side door now has the Dennis Carpenter lock. I'm pleased to report it's a complete assembly, with a spring plate as well. I know that was a concern for some.

As far as "unicorn parts" go, I'm definitely glad there's a supplier for this part now, and kudos for the very reasonable price. I bought this https://www.dennis-carpenter.com/trucks/door/door-lock-amp-latch/e1tz-1022168-b-door-lock-or-latch-control-asy and $13.95 is just a crazy good deal for such an elusive item. I was already prepared to pay north of $80 for various 3D printing and metal-bending services to try to remake one.

That said this part is definitely not perfect, so caveat emptor. The surface texture is "sand-papery", hard to describe but it's much rougher to the touch than the old one. Also, the part is only available for the passenger's side, so you either have to mount it upside down on the driver's side or deal with it. I stupidly tried to sharpie the "LOCK" letters on mine and you can see that didn't work out well.

Also, there must be some variance in how these are made. I bought two assemblies but one of them didn't "slide" very well, it was very stiff. The other was smoother, so that's the one I used. And the black plastic slider has some whitish "blooming" of some kind (you don't see that in the picture but it's not jet black).

Still, for $13.95 I would definitely recommend these to anybody with slide locks. They also sell the lock actuator arm and I'm pleased to report that worked fine to replace my bent one.

That looks great! Well done!

And that's cheap for those locks. Sure glad we are getting support for things like the slide locks.

[taskswap]

That looks great! Well done!

And that's cheap for those locks. Sure glad we are getting support for things like the slide locks.

Had a "good day". Fighting some project fatigue I set aside a few "final items" like the brake controller (it was obstructing the instrument panel reinstallation, despite my most careful placement), getting all the right screws in the right places, etc. I basically just said "good enough" and threw it back together any which way.

But it runs!

Not very well. This immediately unmasked a bunch of other issues I've known about but haven't dealt with while the truck wasn't running. Up next on priorities:

1. Engine never comes off high idle, even when fully at temp. This is an aftermarket Holley Street Warrior carb with an electric choke. I have the installation manual for it but it doesn't have much in the way of troubleshooting details. Time for some Internet sleuthing.

2. A small amount of smoke comes out of the hood after driving it a bit. I panicked at first but I think it's just some of the dampness of my coolant leak cooking off. There wasn't enough to clearly see the color, but it sure didn't smell like hydrocarbon. Anyway, a new radiator should arrive in the next few days so I can put that one to bed.

3. The alignment is all over the place. But I expected that. I'm still torn on whether to do it myself. I want to - but it's going to be pretty nasty out for awhile. It sure would be easier if I could find a reputable shop to handle it.

4. Parking brake doesn't work. After driving an automatic for awhile I kind of mentally tuned out how important this is (I've had the truck chocked for the past 2 months anyway). Sure you can throw it in gear when you park it. But it means you can't get out of the truck without shutting it off!

5. All the other stuff I already had on the list: fix the rear fuel tank (I'm replacing it) and filler neck (it's missing), install the spare tire carrier, install the front winch, finish the rear light/trailer connector wiring, install the brake controller, etc.

But it's closer!

[Gary Lewis]

Had a "good day". Fighting some project fatigue I set aside a few "final items" like the brake controller (it was obstructing the instrument panel reinstallation, despite my most careful placement), getting all the right screws in the right places, etc. I basically just said "good enough" and threw it back together any which way.

But it runs!

Not very well. This immediately unmasked a bunch of other issues I've known about but haven't dealt with while the truck wasn't running. Up next on priorities:

1. Engine never comes off high idle, even when fully at temp. This is an aftermarket Holley Street Warrior carb with an electric choke. I have the installation manual for it but it doesn't have much in the way of troubleshooting details. Time for some Internet sleuthing.

2. A small amount of smoke comes out of the hood after driving it a bit. I panicked at first but I think it's just some of the dampness of my coolant leak cooking off. There wasn't enough to clearly see the color, but it sure didn't smell like hydrocarbon. Anyway, a new radiator should arrive in the next few days so I can put that one to bed.

3. The alignment is all over the place. But I expected that. I'm still torn on whether to do it myself. I want to - but it's going to be pretty nasty out for awhile. It sure would be easier if I could find a reputable shop to handle it.

4. Parking brake doesn't work. After driving an automatic for awhile I kind of mentally tuned out how important this is (I've had the truck chocked for the past 2 months anyway). Sure you can throw it in gear when you park it. But it means you can't get out of the truck without shutting it off!

5. All the other stuff I already had on the list: fix the rear fuel tank (I'm replacing it) and filler neck (it's missing), install the spare tire carrier, install the front winch, finish the rear light/trailer connector wiring, install the brake controller, etc.

But it's closer!

Light at the end of the tunnel!!!!

Yes, you have several things on the punch list, but you have plans for them already, so they aren't surprises. And while there may be some surprises along the way, I'll bet you sort them out easily.