Cowl Leaks

[Elvis]

Is there a way of fixing cowl leaks without doing any major body work? I just painted my '67 Coupe and it looks great so I don't want to undo anything. I am getting ready to do the interior. Can I get at the cowling from the inside if I take out the dash pad? Help! E.

[Gearhead999]

They make some plastic top hat looking patch kits that work pretty good on many mustangs.

[Kisner]

When I restored my 68 coupe, the cowl wasn't leaking. However, just to make sure I didn't miss any pin holes or have any minor leaks down the road, I did purchase and install those top hats. Can't remember if they came with the sealant or if I had to purchase separately, but you put a pretty good bead around the base where the bottom of the hat meets the cowl - seals the seam around the vent and should stop any minor leak. You'll have to remove the driver's side vent (not real easy to get to those bolts but you shouldn't have to remove the dash pad), and the heater box on the other side. I would also recommend spraying a few coats of Rust-Fix there and let it set up a couple of days before installing the hats. In the 3 years since my car was finished, I also make sure to never let any water in the cowl. I keep my cowl cover handy in case I get caught in the rain, and always put it on when I wash the car.

[Elvis]

Thanks for the response. I found those top hat things in my Texas Mustang Parts catalog so I'll have to order the kit. From your comments it sounds like the repair is something that does not require a great deal of mechanical skill or knowledge but it is a bit awkward to get at. Am I correct? Thanks again. E.

[Gearhead999]

The installation isn't that bad. It's getting to the vents to install them. That can be tight.

[Elvis]

OK, now I'm really confused. During a recent rain shower I had a leak just inside the right hand windshield pillar pad and another under the dash on the driver's side. I assumed it was a cowl problem. However, I put a garden hose on the cowl and turned it on and the water drained properly without any entering the car. I think it may be coming in under the windshield seal. Does this sound reasonable? I don't want to waste my time trying to fix a cowl that isn't leaking. Thanks, E.

[Kisner]

I had the same identical problem with my 68. The first time I washed it after I restored it, water came pouring in from the right-hand pillar and also under the dash on the right-hand side. I also used the garden hose in the cowl and not a drop leaked. Turned out to be leaking from the top right-hand corner of the windshield and was running down the pillar to behind the dash. After I removed the windshield moulding, I could see a very small opening at the top right-hand corner of the windshield gasket. Figured out the brand new gasket wasn't made perfectly flush at that corner and had a slight bulge in it creating an opening. I taped off the windshield area with blue masking tape so I wouldn't have a massive cleanup, and "gobbed" as much of the black gooey windshield sealant in that area, and the entire windshield area again, as I could, waited a few days for it to set up, tested it with a continuous flow of water from the hose for a good 15 minutes (before I put the moulding back on), and all my problems were solved. After later talking with several people with windshield experience, I found out you can't go by the shop manual which says to use a 1/4" inch bead of sealant - you have to gob it on as much as you can without extruding beyond the moulding to stop those pesky leaks. So, I would bet money it's your windshield and another "real good" bead of sealant will stop it. Also, put a bead between the glass and gasket to ensure you don't have leaks from that direction either.

[Devine65GT]

Im sure its the windsheild, i had the same problem. thought it was the cowl as you did. just fixed it a few days ago. i didnt replace the molding, i just took the crome off cleaned all the silicon and replaced it. saposedly with the molding its saposed to not leak. but i have replaced the molding bout a yr ago when i replaced all the weather stripping. but thats all i did, just becarefull when pulling the crome from the clips as it is hard to find good crome for it.