Cab leaks like the titanic

[Phils67]

So for years my cab has leaked like the titanic. I recently bought the weatherstrip kit from BJs, resealed the entire cab, went through the carwash and it poured down the front inside corners still. Narrowed it down to the cowl. Decided to cut lexan, caulk it and close off the cowl, assuming the heater will still be able to draw air from all of the other various firewall/floor drafts this thing has, so my question is has anyone ever closed off their cowl completely and what were the pros/cons to doing it. I just did this a few hours ago and the caulk is curing but now it has my gears turning as to whether i should have done this or not. Also, I'm new to the site but old to the vehicle breed so feel free to ask me questions as much as i'll be asking you folks as well. Thanks.

[Phils67]

Apparently i posted this 3 times, sorry. Im still trying to figure this all out. Ive read fsj network for years and never actually joined and posted before. So bear with me. And also, i generally don't do hack stuff like this on my rig and thats whats got me feeling guilty about it, but i was desperate and can't get my mig down where the rot is causing the leak to patch it corectly

[weeegoneeer]

If it's coming from the fresh air vents - you might have debris clogging up a drain hole behind the vent, making them fill with water.

[Phils67]

I checked that area, vents are clean. Looking up through the kick panel i can see the upper area is all rotted and thats where it was coming in. My question is this, i blocked off the cowl and im thinking that will cure the leaking but will it affect anything else?

[letank]

check this

http://fsjnetwork.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7426

but even if the vents are clean, the drain can be plugged

if real body damage, time for tarp. the windshield area is prone to severe rust...

[Phils67]

Mine are completely clean. I have cleaned them multiple times. Windshield area was fine when i replaced the glass and gasket. Its definitely just pouring down from the cowl. No question about that.

[HeavyMetalThunder_81]

I suppose if you leave your fresh air vents open the heater blower could pull from them. Sort of like the recirculation function on newer vehicles.

[Phils67]

Yeah i drove it 30 miles today and my heat is actually better than its ever been, assuming from less draft. I have to hit the carwash later to check the water situation

[letank]

There are some issues with the cowl, I need to find the pict associated with the construction of the cowl assembly/duct system.

If you seal the cowl air intake, would it prevent the titanic effect. I cut some abs plastic sheets to prevent water and dust from entering the fresh air system, it also act as a snow dam, so you do not need to fresh all that snow off the heater intake





as you can see I replace the windshield washer nozzles to an earlier central nozzle from the earlier years that act as a holder, magnets were added later to prevent loss due to strong wind or the driver having forgotten to remove the dams and see them flying off while driving

[Phils67]

I cut lexan plexiglass i bought at home depot, sprayed it with some rustoleum rubberizing stuff and fit it underneath the cowl, caulked it all together and reinserted the cowl. Looks stock from the outside until you get up close and see the stuff below the grate. Id attach a pic but ive yet to master that since the ones on my phone are all too large of a file. Any advise on shrinking photos on a samsung phone? Id like to be able to post pics

[Phils67]

And that is the style nozzle mine had since new. I still have to drill it in eventually, its not hooked up at the moment anyways so im in no rush

[Phils67]

20180325_205337.jpg

[tgreese]

Look for gaps in the caulking under the dash. My J20 was an Arizona truck with rusty floors. Here's why -



This is after I dropped the AC and looked up at the passenger side under the dash. That gap goes directly to the vent passage. The black blobs in the foreground are the black sticky caulk on the AC.

[SJTD]

Problem is, you caulk the underside and water sits in that seam on top. Really need to do it from above but even then getting it clean enough for the stuff to stick is a problem.

[Phils67]

There isnt much of an underside left in there on mine. If the truck didnt have sentimental value from 25 years of my 38 year long life, or the fact my father taught me to drive on it when i was 13 years old back when it was just an old farm truck, i would try to source another cab. I think emotional attachment has me trying to retain the original cab as long as mother nature will let me. Its amazing how a 51 year old sheet metal enclosure can tske you back to better days and my youth. No matter how bad things in life get, i can always climb into this Jeep and find peace.