Does the cowl area have drain holes? - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

c10crazy · 08-03-2005, 05:11 PM

I took my cowl off recently to find a leak and there is a huge hole in the corner below the cowl that is hard to see but if you reach your hand back in there can feel. Looking up above the e-brake you can see day light. How the heck do you patch this?

. It seems like there should be drain holes to prevent this.

matthufham · 08-03-2005, 06:06 PM

one on each side. mine was packed full of dirt, leaves... so i drilled a 2 inch hole in the bottom so i could get my hand in there and clean it out. now i have to weld it back up.

Harold Shepard · 08-03-2005, 06:20 PM

YOU CAN CUT A SIX BY SIX HOLE IN THE UPPER PART OF THE PLENUM AND ACCESS THE RUSTED AREAS, BUT SAVE THE PIECES YOU REMOVE FROM THE PLENUM AND SIMPLY REWELD THEM WHEN THE PATCH IS FINISHED. i RECENTLY DID THIS WITH THE TRUCK i AM WORKING ON, AND ONCE THE COWL PANEL IS BACK IN PLACE, YOU CAN NOT TELL THAT THE AREA WAS WORKED- THEREFORE YOU CAN FINISH IT AS YOU CHOOSE, THIS IS NOT A HARD REPAIR BUT TIME CONSUMING BECAUSE OF THE STRANGE ANGLES ETC. bE PREPARED TO HAVE MORE TO REPAIR THAN JUST THE COWL AREA AS THE LOWER AIR BOX (WHERE VENTS ARE) IS LIKELY RUSTED AS WELL AND THEN THERE ARE THE KICK PANELS. GOOD LUCK

Longhorn Man · 08-03-2005, 06:49 PM

Mine drains right onto the cab floor.

c10crazy · 08-03-2005, 07:06 PM

Where exactly is the water supposed to drain?. Behind the fender onto the ground?

. There doesn't look like room to weld unless you stand on your head!

matthufham · 08-03-2005, 07:32 PM

do you have your fenders off, you will see then what we're talking about.

c10crazy · 08-03-2005, 09:03 PM

Wow,thanks for that pic!. That looks like it could easily clog with packed leaves. The fenders are still on. When you take fenders off and reinstall, are they hard to align back up??. Never did it before myself.

matthufham · 08-03-2005, 09:42 PM

i shouldn't think it's too hard, there's nothing bolted to my inner fenders so those are easy to bolt up, and it alligns easy, and my outer fenders had no shims so it must not be too hard to mess up.

sleepyboy · 08-03-2005, 10:16 PM

I bought a "rust free" truck from a PO. Had same issue. Cut open air boxes, did my welding, and closed them back up. Time consuming, but fairy easy once the problem(s) were isolated. I cut the bottom of my air boxes out so the water/debris exits easily. In texas, the kick panel vents are never used, constant a/c so I chose the drain issue as more important.

rmrtndl · 08-04-2005, 08:38 PM

Looking at that pictures made me think "No wonder the rocker panels rust out!" The water runs out the drain hole, and down to the hole at the front of the rocker.

byrd · 08-04-2005, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

Mine drains right onto the cab floor.

Mine too, it helps to get the mud off my boots after work

72str8flush · 08-05-2005, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by byrd

Mine too, it helps to get the mud off my boots after work

Mine leaked into the floor board the day I bought the truck. I saw the big drain holes from the cowl and thought that PO was just an idiot for drilling those, now I guess others have this problem as well. I was thinking about taking some black silicone and clogging them up but I need to get leafs out of the cowl first.

08-03-2005, 05:11 PM	#1
c10crazy Like a Rock! Join Date: May 2002 Location: USA Posts: 1,092	Does the cowl area have drain holes? I took my cowl off recently to find a leak and there is a huge hole in the corner below the cowl that is hard to see but if you reach your hand back in there can feel. Looking up above the e-brake you can see day light. How the heck do you patch this? . It seems like there should be drain holes to prevent this. __________________ 69 LWB Runs great - work in progress Mess with me and you mess with the whole trailer park!

08-03-2005, 06:06 PM	#2
matthufham Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Carl Junction, Missouri Posts: 2,061	one on each side. mine was packed full of dirt, leaves... so i drilled a 2 inch hole in the bottom so i could get my hand in there and clean it out. now i have to weld it back up. Last edited by matthufham; 08-03-2005 at 06:07 PM.

08-03-2005, 07:06 PM	#5
c10crazy Like a Rock! Join Date: May 2002 Location: USA Posts: 1,092	Where exactly is the water supposed to drain?. Behind the fender onto the ground? . There doesn't look like room to weld unless you stand on your head! __________________ 69 LWB Runs great - work in progress Mess with me and you mess with the whole trailer park! Last edited by c10crazy; 08-03-2005 at 07:07 PM.

08-03-2005, 07:32 PM	#6
matthufham Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Carl Junction, Missouri Posts: 2,061	do you have your fenders off, you will see then what we're talking about. Last edited by matthufham; 08-03-2005 at 07:37 PM.

08-03-2005, 09:03 PM	#7
c10crazy Like a Rock! Join Date: May 2002 Location: USA Posts: 1,092	Wow,thanks for that pic!. That looks like it could easily clog with packed leaves. The fenders are still on. When you take fenders off and reinstall, are they hard to align back up??. Never did it before myself. __________________ 69 LWB Runs great - work in progress Mess with me and you mess with the whole trailer park!

08-03-2005, 06:20 PM	#3
Harold Shepard Registered User Join Date: May 2004 Location: Canton North Carolina Posts: 466	YOU CAN CUT A SIX BY SIX HOLE IN THE UPPER PART OF THE PLENUM AND ACCESS THE RUSTED AREAS, BUT SAVE THE PIECES YOU REMOVE FROM THE PLENUM AND SIMPLY REWELD THEM WHEN THE PATCH IS FINISHED. i RECENTLY DID THIS WITH THE TRUCK i AM WORKING ON, AND ONCE THE COWL PANEL IS BACK IN PLACE, YOU CAN NOT TELL THAT THE AREA WAS WORKED- THEREFORE YOU CAN FINISH IT AS YOU CHOOSE, THIS IS NOT A HARD REPAIR BUT TIME CONSUMING BECAUSE OF THE STRANGE ANGLES ETC. bE PREPARED TO HAVE MORE TO REPAIR THAN JUST THE COWL AREA AS THE LOWER AIR BOX (WHERE VENTS ARE) IS LIKELY RUSTED AS WELL AND THEN THERE ARE THE KICK PANELS. GOOD LUCK

08-03-2005, 06:49 PM	#4
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,690	Mine drains right onto the cab floor.

08-03-2005, 09:42 PM	#8
matthufham Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Carl Junction, Missouri Posts: 2,061	i shouldn't think it's too hard, there's nothing bolted to my inner fenders so those are easy to bolt up, and it alligns easy, and my outer fenders had no shims so it must not be too hard to mess up. Last edited by matthufham; 08-03-2005 at 09:43 PM.

08-03-2005, 10:16 PM	#9
sleepyboy '69 Step Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Marion, Texas Posts: 722	I bought a "rust free" truck from a PO. Had same issue. Cut open air boxes, did my welding, and closed them back up. Time consuming, but fairy easy once the problem(s) were isolated. I cut the bottom of my air boxes out so the water/debris exits easily. In texas, the kick panel vents are never used, constant a/c so I chose the drain issue as more important. Last edited by sleepyboy; 08-03-2005 at 10:18 PM.

08-04-2005, 08:38 PM	#10
rmrtndl Hey ya'll, Watch this! Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 117	Looking at that pictures made me think "No wonder the rocker panels rust out!" The water runs out the drain hole, and down to the hole at the front of the rocker. __________________ Rick M. 72 GMC SWB Fleetside 25 Chevrolet Superior Series Truck 95 Mazda Miata 06 Dodge Charger RT http://ram92.ods.org/blog.html

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