Cowl Leaks

[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.