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The vent doors don't need to removed to clean them out? My hands are wayyyy too big to fit in those vents without removing the vent door and such.


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wewillsurvive wrote:The vent doors don't need to removed to clean them out? My hands are wayyyy too big to fit in those vents without removing the vent door and such.


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Unfortunately, you need not only to remove the vent, but the flapper mechanism as well, which is a flapper inside a cone shape pipe which is stuck some some goop... then you can shove a shop vac, or ask your kid, your wife... a friend, a cousin an uncle... to dig in... I am not in your state, so I can't volunteer to give you a hand...

Otherwise get some 1/16 or 3/32 plastic sheet (ABS) and cut out a piece with tin snips for each side to cover the cowl vent during rainy days....

For me no more leaks... even those 3/4" pours that we had lately... and I am using the vent covers. I am using the center washer nozzle from the 75 or older rigs... hence the cut out in the center. For newer FSj with the metal tube... you will cover the individual jets...

Instead of silicone or strip caulk for filling cracks and small holes, use 3M Window-Weld Ribbon Sealer (3M# 051135-08612). It's butyl, and won't dry up or peel away.

ProTouring442 wrote:Instead of silicone or strip caulk for filling cracks and small holes, use 3M Window-Weld Ribbon Sealer (3M# 051135-08612). It's butyl, and won't dry up or peel away.

Very good point as the silicon will corrode the metal.
From the usual home improvement center, I found: Henry flashing and construction sealant between the vent cone and the body and the vent and the cone.
Another non cracking compound I use is : 3M strip caulk in black, 08578 comes in pre cut strips of 1'

So I should be able to just pry that cone and flapper out?


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Very good idea with the vent cover. That would be usefull for storage too and the snowy months when the cowl fill up. That with a couple holes would solve all my troubles.

letank wrote:Another non cracking compound I use is : 3M strip caulk in black, 08578 comes in pre cut strips of 1'

My experience with 3M strip caulk is that it will dry out in time and crack and/or peel. For all my "strip caulk" needs I now use the butyl.

wewillsurvive wrote:So I should be able to just pry that cone and flapper out?


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yes, after you unscrew the grille the cone and flapper assembly are fitted loosely in the kick panel and held by the grille screws. You may have to remove some of the flapper cable holding bracket(s) on the firewall to ease extraction, and make sure that you keep track of the way the flapper position, open or closed in relation to the position of the control knob on the dash.

Butyl tape or Permatex ultra grey. Unlike other formulations grey is not corrosive.

POR 15, Patch and Putty....
http://www.por15.com/POR-PATCH_p_53.html
http://www.por15.com/EPOXY-PUTTY_p_54.html

Nikkormat wrote:Very good idea with the vent cover. That would be usefull for storage too and the snowy months when the cowl fill up. That with a couple holes would solve all my troubles.

Years ago for the snow issue, I used magnetic register cover or forced air vent covers... it cuts nicely with scissors... but they do not last too long...

Has anyone welded a cover (bodywork) over the fresh-air intake (grill at back of hood) and closed off the cabin fresh-air vents completely?

I'm considering this on my resto-mod and am curious if anyone can suggest a good reason not to solve the leaf *and* water problem by completely removing the intake? Fresh air can come in the windows for all I care...doesn't seem to make sense to have them.

Thoughts?

I don't recall anyone welding a block off cover but one of us employed flat sheets of abs plastic and it sounds like that works good.
I used screen door screen under the cowl cover which stops the leaves and pine needles from getting in and then blocked off the foot vents with plastic covers and sealant. Had I thought about the plastic cover trick before-hand, I would have gone that route.

In my experience, those foot vents really don't help much when it's 115 degrees outside so I blocked them off to prevent water from ever getting in and thrashing my carpet. If it's too hot to drive with the windows down I park the old girl until the temps drop to something reasonable.

I read thru this thread with great interest, and a fair amount of concern! I'm now certain I need to see just what's lurking in the A pillar vents on my '83 Cherokee. For those who have done this I have a few questions:

1. Can the drain holes at the bottom of the A pillars be probed from the bottom?
2. Can the passenger side fresh air vent be removed with the A/C in place?
3. If the A/C must be removed, can it be moved out of the way without disconnecting the refrigerant hoses?
4. Is it possible to vacuum out the A pillar plenums from the cowl area? Like with a long hose on a shop vac?

I'm sure there are other questions I should be asking, but this is enough to get me going. Thanks in advance for your replies.

Road Hammer wrote:I read thru this thread with great interest, and a fair amount of concern! I'm now certain I need to see just what's lurking in the A pillar vents on my '83 Cherokee. For those who have done this I have a few questions:

1. Can the drain holes at the bottom of the A pillars be probed from the bottom?
2. Can the passenger side fresh air vent be removed with the A/C in place?
3. If the A/C must be removed, can it be moved out of the way without disconnecting the refrigerant hoses?
4. Is it possible to vacuum out the A pillar plenums from the cowl area? Like with a long hose on a shop vac?

I'm sure there are other questions I should be asking, but this is enough to get me going. Thanks in advance for your replies.

1) Yes, there is a 1/2" x 1" drain hole at the very bottom of the well which you can get to from under the vehicle.
2) Yes, there is enough room but it will be tight. The driver's side is fun too because the parking brake pedal is in the way.
4) If you remove the cowl cover and snake a long hose over the edge and down inside it is possible...but not very productive. I found a 5/8" rubber hose worked okay, but would plug up with debris quickly. The surest way to clean out all the muck is to pull the vents and vacuum from there.

Report after all those big storms that we had in January CARPET is DRY, and no signs of seapage, I have new window wipes, and of course used the abs cover that snaps on the fresh air vent, the abs snaps with the help of a older (probably until 78) center washer nozzle that is in the middle of the cowl vent, yes the 85 has the same body work, so there is an opening to attach the washer nozzle.

As for the A pillar, the main issue is the lack of metal treatment, so it can rust from the inside, the 74 A pillar for the passenger is severely damaged, and the driver's side is on its way to allow me to have a convertible...

Removing the parking brake assembly is no biggie, of course the first time I went for a practice run a the local recycling yard... because I needed a spare and the first section of the emergency brake cable to the equalizer. You reach from the engine bay.

The access from the cab allows you to remove any rust (not too much in fact) and treat the metal.

Bump

Tatsadasayago wrote:Bump

Still water tight, especially after the severe storm 3 weeks ago.

The carpetting and tunnel cover are off until I drive a bit more, waiting to install the better mopar TF727 reusable pan gasket. So I can spot any water. Of course the vents are covered with hatch like devices that are secured with HD magnets, so there are no chances of the hatches flying off like it has happened before.

The epoxy on the rear quarter stationary windows seems to be holding up... no water in the rear quarter section, except the day that the tailgate gasket slipped out of its track/position at the interface tailgate/glass/ rear quarter section.

L96CHIEF wrote:Has anyone welded a cover (bodywork) over the fresh-air intake (grill at back of hood) and closed off the cabin fresh-air vents completely?

I'm considering this on my resto-mod and am curious if anyone can suggest a good reason not to solve the leaf *and* water problem by completely removing the intake? Fresh air can come in the windows for all I care...doesn't seem to make sense to have them.

Thoughts?

That is where the air for your heat and defroster comes from.

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Jonnyworld wrote:

L96CHIEF wrote:Has anyone welded a cover (bodywork) over the fresh-air intake (grill at back of hood) and closed off the cabin fresh-air vents completely?

I'm considering this on my resto-mod and am curious if anyone can suggest a good reason not to solve the leaf *and* water problem by completely removing the intake? Fresh air can come in the windows for all I care...doesn't seem to make sense to have them.

Thoughts?

That is where the air for your heat and defroster comes from.

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Yup! There is an oval shaped opening on the passenger side upper firewall that allows fresh air to enter the heater box. Blocking off the cowl grille won't prevent fresh air flow, but it will force air to be sucked upward from the lower cowl drain holes and foot vents if they are opened.