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Leak
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Author:  Jeb [ Mon May 23, 2005 3:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Leak
How do I tell if the wiper pivots or the windshield is leaking. My Duster has a very bad leak that drips all over the passenger side floorboard. I think it may be the wiper seals but I'm not sure. It is collecting in the lip under the dash and running off at the end. Just had a new windshield and gasket put in so I don't know if that is the cause or not. It only leaks when it rains really hard, it never leaks when I wash it.
Author:  Dennis Weaver [ Mon May 23, 2005 5:03 pm ]
Post subject: 
Two words:

Garden hose.

D/W
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Mon May 23, 2005 5:37 pm ]
Post subject: 
Oog. Front-end water leaks are very difficult to trace, 'cause the water can follow really complicated paths and wind up dripping down at a point very distant from where it entered the passenger compartment.

Wiper seals are a very high probability. Get the wiper seal kit from Schumacher.

Another likely point of water entry is the big round seal at the top of the underdash ventillation door housing. These seals just rot away over the years. You can get new ones from Gary Goers or make your own using hardware store weatherstripping foam. This is an especially likely water ingress point if you haven't cleaned the leaves out of the cowl in a long time (say, in the last "forever" or so). Remove the vent door housing by loosening the two bolt heads at the bottom and unhooking the upside-down J-bolts that hold the housing to the cowl. Reach up in there and grab out the handfuls of leaves and pine needles! You'll also want to get under the car, find the drain holes and clear them with bent coathanger wire.

The new windshield gasket could be a possibility, too, if it wasn't properly installed or if there was/is rust in the windshield fence area. Sometimes it helps to get under the gasket and seal it with windshield urethane, but you have to make sure it's totally dry under there, or else you'll seal-in water that will rust the metal fast.
Author:  Jeb [ Mon May 23, 2005 5:47 pm ]
Post subject: 
Where is the vent door located at? Just had some A/C work done so I don't know if that has anything to do with it.
Author:  Dennis Weaver [ Mon May 23, 2005 8:37 pm ]
Post subject: 
What Dan said, now take your garden hose (with no nozzle, high volume/low pressure) and try to run water copiously over suspect areas and watch for drips on the carpet/floormat. Cover the cowl louvers (tape works good) while checking wiper pivots and windshield gasket. Chances are its the cowl. A lot of times, just giving it a thorough cleaning stops future leaks, if there aren't pinholes present.

D/W
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Mon May 23, 2005 8:52 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
Where is the vent door located at?
Below and behind the parking brake handle. It's literally a door, with a quarter-turn latch handle on the right and hinges on the left.
Author:  Avenger2040 [ Mon May 23, 2005 9:39 pm ]
Post subject: 
Sometimes that formula don´t work, I had changed windshield gasket, get clean and clear and seal off top grille (below wipers) and changed wiper gaskets and when really rains hard, still some water gets in from center dash and passenger side, now very few drips, but still some enter
Author:  Pierre [ Mon May 23, 2005 11:37 pm ]
Post subject: 
I think my wiper pivot seals are leaking - but I believe this only happens when I'm actually using the wipers. If your using the garden hose test, do it with the wipers running to see if that makes a difference.

Thought I heard someone mention you can use valve stem seals on the wiper shaft to act as a seal if you don't want to pull it apart to replace the seal - I'd imagne you need some kind of water proof lube (now now folks, don't let your imagination run wild lets keep your mind on cars) or else they would wear quickly.
Author:  Jeb [ Tue May 24, 2005 6:41 pm ]
Post subject: 
How difficult is the cowl seal to replace.

Dan, my car has no vent door. Came with factory A/C.
Author:  '74 Sport [ Thu May 26, 2005 7:14 pm ]
Post subject: 
I posted this pic some time ago to show where the cowl drains are located on my '76 Duster and '74 Dart Sport. It took a long time to dig out all the leaves and twigs through these small holes. A compressed air line with a long-tipped nozzle blasting through the cowl grill helps. To access them properly, you'll have to remove the splash shields at the rear of the fender.

Image

If these holes get clogged (and they will), the water level can build up above the lip of the fresh air inlet, just behind these holes in the pic.

Jerry
Author:  Jeb [ Thu May 26, 2005 7:22 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks, I have a feeling mine are full of leaves and pine needles. Do you by any chance remember what was holing those splash shields on?
Author:  GTS225 [ Thu May 26, 2005 7:47 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
Thanks, I have a feeling mine are full of leaves and pine needles. Do you by any chance remember what was holing those splash shields on?
*************************************************************
On my '68, there was about a half dozen bent-wire push-in clips around the perimeter. They kinda looked like staples from one side, but the back side will show you what's there.

Roger
Author:  '74 Sport [ Thu May 26, 2005 8:04 pm ]
Post subject: 
This pic will give you an idea of how dried out pivot seals can leak.

Image

If the pivot shaft seal (on the top) shrinks away from the cowl's underside, water will run down the shaft and past a faulty pivot mount seal (where it bolts underneath the dash).

If you have any doubts about the integrity of your pivot seals, take a look at http://www.engine-swaps.com (Shumacher Creative Services) for new ones.

Jerry
Author:  '74 Sport [ Thu May 26, 2005 8:12 pm ]
Post subject: 
Another pic to show how the debris builds up inside the cowl.

Image

Enough of this mess, and you can have water fill up the cowl and slosh over the lip of the fresh air inlet.

On my two 70's A-bodies, the splash shields were held in with sheet metal bolts along the inner fender and a flange on the inside of the fender. Sorry, I don't have pics of them, yet. :wink: In the top pic of the cowl drains, you can just see the edge of a vertical flange along the firewall (to the right of my right finger). The splash shield bolts to it on one side.

Jerry
Author:  Jeb [ Fri May 27, 2005 4:37 pm ]
Post subject: 
Hey man, how did you get the cowl off? Mine appears to be attached to the roof of the car.
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