Water Leak??
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 4,660
Likes: 3
From: South Central Louisiana
St. Jude Contributor
Water Leak??
What causes water to get from the windshield to the area behind the kick panel where the bottom door hinges are bolted to the frame (post)???
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 249
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From: Neustadt/Weinstr, Germany
Re: Water Leak?? (71,454,4spd)
Sounds not good to me. The door hinges are attached to the bird cage. The windshield frame is part of the bird cage.
I suspect the following happens:
If water gets from the windshield to the area behind the kick panels this means it enters the windshield frame and is running down inside until it gets where you find it. This means your windshield frame is rusted out somewhere. I guess you need to remove the windshield to check this. Guess this is not easy to repair...
Maybe wait for some more opinions on that subject.
I suspect the following happens:
If water gets from the windshield to the area behind the kick panels this means it enters the windshield frame and is running down inside until it gets where you find it. This means your windshield frame is rusted out somewhere. I guess you need to remove the windshield to check this. Guess this is not easy to repair...
Maybe wait for some more opinions on that subject.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,310
Likes: 1
Re: Water Leak?? (71,454,4spd)
For peace of mind, you should probably pull the winshield pillar trim off and check out the pillars. But, water in the kick panel could be coming from the cowl area. I had quite a bit of water coming in through the kick panel and it turned out to be cracked caulking (and a couple of other problems) in the cowl area. I hope it's a simple fix for you.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 4,660
Likes: 3
From: South Central Louisiana
St. Jude Contributor
Re: Water Leak?? (jerryp58)
That sounds like what it is. I have had my windshield trim off for 6 months now. I treated the wind shield frame fixed two holes at the top and installed a new windshield. The glass guy and I just finished putting the chrome t-top trim back on this morning. Now I will put the interior pieces back in and be done. ???? Where exactly do I look for broken caulking in the cowl area???? Its nothing I have seen so far.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,310
Likes: 1
Re: Water Leak?? (71,454,4spd)
<Where exactly do I look for broken caulking in the cowl area???? >
With my cowl, I recaulked anywhere there was an existing bead, seam, or windshield wiper component. Then (I know it's not NCRS) I covered the entire cowl area with undercoating.
I also cleaned out the two side plenums (? I think that's what the holes on either end of the cowl, covered by the plastic net, are called) with a vacuum and made sure there were no leaves or other debris down there to plug up the drain holes.
Finally, there should be a rubber strip between the fender and the windshield at each corner. Mine looked pretty rough, so I put a bead of caulk on those too (I know, I should have replaced them with new :rolleyes: ).
When I was finished with all of the above, my leak was gone. It may not have been the best/proper way to do everything, but hey, it worked :D
Jerry
With my cowl, I recaulked anywhere there was an existing bead, seam, or windshield wiper component. Then (I know it's not NCRS) I covered the entire cowl area with undercoating.
I also cleaned out the two side plenums (? I think that's what the holes on either end of the cowl, covered by the plastic net, are called) with a vacuum and made sure there were no leaves or other debris down there to plug up the drain holes.
Finally, there should be a rubber strip between the fender and the windshield at each corner. Mine looked pretty rough, so I put a bead of caulk on those too (I know, I should have replaced them with new :rolleyes: ).
When I was finished with all of the above, my leak was gone. It may not have been the best/proper way to do everything, but hey, it worked :D
Jerry
