Hot Spot For RUST!! - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

gator2511 · 10-10-2008, 07:45 AM

This may be old news but I've never seen anything on it. While working on my windshield washers I decided to vacuum out the area beneath the cowling between the hood and windshield. I'm still removing leaves. I used the vac and thought I had all of them but then I blew air in there on both sides and you should have seen the leaves that came out of there. I mean a LOT of leaves. Its a rust job waiting to happen. I live in an oak forrest and the small leaves just filled the corners of the cowl area. I'm going to make a screen for the cowl area. Just a word to the wise, better check this area out to prevent some rust damage.

lowriden58 · 10-10-2008, 07:58 AM

yeah that area is famous for rot

LMC has the cowl vent screens for under 50bucks in stainless. also check site vendors

68gmsee · 10-10-2008, 09:04 AM

Best way I've found out to clean debris from there is first to vacuum like you did, then remove the kickpanel vents and reach in (if you're brave) and/or shove the vacuum hose inside and remove the remainder.

Make sure it's completely clean and then install a leaf shield of some sort on the cowl area. If you do a search you will find various ideas.

Here's mine. Bought at Lowes and workds great cause it's soft plastic, pliable, easily cut with scissors and cheap.

68gmsee · 10-10-2008, 09:07 AM

Forgot to mention. I also have mostly oaks around here. Some say that they need smaller size screening because they have pine needles.

**special-K** · 10-10-2008, 09:12 AM

This is great advise!!

BarryB · 10-10-2008, 09:46 AM

Good cheap idea. So what did you do/use to adhere it to the cowl panel itself?? screw it, glue it, or tattoo it.

Sinister · 10-10-2008, 09:52 AM

I got the one's from LMC. They work great, one less thing to worry about.

gator2511 · 10-10-2008, 12:08 PM

I bought the stainless steel one from LMC before I saw 68gmsee's post. Good idea. I sealed my kick panels vents up a while back but I'm gonna open them up and clean them out. I think I'm gonna seal off the passageway from the cowl to the kick panels. Its too hot down here to use them anyway. Maybe I can make a dam out of styrofoam and laminate it with wood for strength. Lotsa paint and then wedge it in the cowl ends and caulk it. Have to leave a small drain hole though. That should keep leaves from going down in there and rotting. Think it would work?

68gmsee · 10-10-2008, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarryB

Good cheap idea. So what did you do/use to adhere it to the cowl panel itself?? screw it, glue it, or tattoo it.

Remember this stuff is used on gutters so it's stiff enough that it will just lay on the top and flexible enough to follow the contours. I cut out it so it goes under the cowl and retained by the screws. I used a small pair of diags to clip the opening for the wiper arms etc...

I think I paid less then $10 for it. I had enough for both trucks and had some left over.

Brad · 10-10-2008, 03:25 PM

A good hardware store will also have 72" wide black fiberglass screen door material. The holes are tiny and keep the pine needles out, while only letting water through. You only need about 6" and I just epoxied it on, in several spots around the edge. That's what I'm using in mine and it's uber cheap!

prg machine · 10-10-2008, 05:20 PM

I used some construction clothe ( I think that's what it's called) and it has 3/16 squares or so and is galvanized. I think I like the black plastic better used for the rain gutters but it has bigger holes.

prg machine · 10-10-2008, 05:23 PM

definitely do something for sure...................my K-20 was full in the vent areas and rotted out ..................I patched em up and cut some bigger drain holes in the bottom hoping to be able to wash down some of the small stuff that gets down there. As easy as it is to pull the vents, I think once a year would be a good idea to get in the vent holes and clean out no matter what ya do.

Luvlegs · 10-10-2008, 08:36 PM

I used aluminum screen... as you can see, the leaf headed for the next gap... geesch!

**LostMy65** · 09-14-2011, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 68gmsee

Best way I've found out to clean debris from there is first to vacuum like you did, then remove the kickpanel vents and reach in (if you're brave) and/or shove the vacuum hose inside and remove the remainder.

Make sure it's completely clean and then install a leaf shield of some sort on the cowl area. If you do a search you will find various ideas.

Here's mine. Bought at Lowes and workds great cause it's soft plastic, pliable, easily cut with scissors and cheap.

What a great idea.

MikeyMan · 09-14-2011, 04:25 PM

I will add to this three year old thread.
With fall right around the corner, I'd like to share my plan.
Here is what I did to keep the pesky leaves and helicopters out of the cowel vent:
Got those magnetic sheets used to block off vent grilles/registers from the home improvement store. Cut them into strips, notch around w.wiper stubs, and lay them across the cowel vent openings. Being magnetic, they will stay in place when my truck is parked. This works fine in my case.
However, I would NOT recommend this if you have nice paint.
Magnetic sheets may trap moisture, and could lead to other issues if left in place and outdoors for a long period of time.

mpotts64 · 09-14-2011, 04:35 PM

same issue with leaves, etc. instead of putting a screen on mine, I opened the doors and took a 12" metal blade on a sawzall and cut the whole bottom out of the box so now it is wide open, leaves, water, whatever, it falls right on through, I have the vent doors still in place to keep the critters out, I am starting on a cab where I am totally cutting those out, side vents and all, and welding a flat piece in ints place so there will be no side vents, boxes, or anything, just smooth

10-10-2008, 07:45 AM	#1
gator2511 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: tampa florida Posts: 776	Hot Spot For RUST!! This may be old news but I've never seen anything on it. While working on my windshield washers I decided to vacuum out the area beneath the cowling between the hood and windshield. I'm still removing leaves. I used the vac and thought I had all of them but then I blew air in there on both sides and you should have seen the leaves that came out of there. I mean a LOT of leaves. Its a rust job waiting to happen. I live in an oak forrest and the small leaves just filled the corners of the cowl area. I'm going to make a screen for the cowl area. Just a word to the wise, better check this area out to prevent some rust damage.

10-10-2008, 07:58 AM	#2
lowriden58 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Chesapeake Beach, MD Posts: 812	Re: Hot Spot For RUST!! yeah that area is famous for rot LMC has the cowl vent screens for under 50bucks in stainless. also check site vendors __________________ 71 cheyenne lwb 300rwhp best 1/4 time so far 12.8 @103 http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z...en58/001-2.jpg

10-10-2008, 09:04 AM	#3
68gmsee Active Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Centrally located between Houston, Austin and Waco. BCS area. Posts: 7,947	Re: Hot Spot For RUST!! Best way I've found out to clean debris from there is first to vacuum like you did, then remove the kickpanel vents and reach in (if you're brave) and/or shove the vacuum hose inside and remove the remainder. Make sure it's completely clean and then install a leaf shield of some sort on the cowl area. If you do a search you will find various ideas. Here's mine. Bought at Lowes and workds great cause it's soft plastic, pliable, easily cut with scissors and cheap. Attached Images

10-10-2008, 09:07 AM	#4
68gmsee Active Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Centrally located between Houston, Austin and Waco. BCS area. Posts: 7,947	Re: Hot Spot For RUST!! Forgot to mention. I also have mostly oaks around here. Some say that they need smaller size screening because they have pine needles.

10-10-2008, 09:12 AM	#5
special-K Special Order Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mt Airy, MD Posts: 85,862	Re: Hot Spot For RUST!! This is great advise!! __________________ "BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~

10-10-2008, 09:46 AM	#6
BarryB Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Blountville, Tn. Posts: 3,904	Re: Hot Spot For RUST!! Good cheap idea. So what did you do/use to adhere it to the cowl panel itself?? screw it, glue it, or tattoo it. __________________ We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp; some are pretty;and some are dull. Some have weird names; and all are different colours;but they all have to live in the same box. You may be only one person in the world, But you may also be the world to one person. * Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once. Two rules in life. 1. Never sweat the small stuff! 2. Everything is small stuff!

10-10-2008, 09:52 AM	#7
Sinister Between Trucks... Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA. Posts: 3,830	Re: Hot Spot For RUST!! I got the one's from LMC. They work great, one less thing to worry about. __________________ Beat it to fit, Paint it to match...

10-10-2008, 12:08 PM	#8
gator2511 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: tampa florida Posts: 776	Re: Hot Spot For RUST!! I bought the stainless steel one from LMC before I saw 68gmsee's post. Good idea. I sealed my kick panels vents up a while back but I'm gonna open them up and clean them out. I think I'm gonna seal off the passageway from the cowl to the kick panels. Its too hot down here to use them anyway. Maybe I can make a dam out of styrofoam and laminate it with wood for strength. Lotsa paint and then wedge it in the cowl ends and caulk it. Have to leave a small drain hole though. That should keep leaves from going down in there and rotting. Think it would work?

10-10-2008, 03:25 PM	#10
Brad Out of the carpool lane. Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Clark Co, WA Posts: 5,673	Re: Hot Spot For RUST!! A good hardware store will also have 72" wide black fiberglass screen door material. The holes are tiny and keep the pine needles out, while only letting water through. You only need about 6" and I just epoxied it on, in several spots around the edge. That's what I'm using in mine and it's uber cheap! __________________ 1968 C-10 SWB, 5.7 Vortec/700R4/3.73 posi, Torch Red 1968 Camaro, 250/Powerglide, all original (No, I'm not gonna drop a 350 in it!...Jeez!) 2000 Honda VFR in the faster yellow! 2008 Husqvarna TE-610 1967 C-10 SWB 'Six Appeal'-Gone but not forgotten...

10-10-2008, 05:20 PM	#11
prg machine Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: oregon Posts: 1,069	Re: Hot Spot For RUST!! I used some construction clothe ( I think that's what it's called) and it has 3/16 squares or so and is galvanized. I think I like the black plastic better used for the rain gutters but it has bigger holes. __________________ 69 K-20 cloned to a 67 with front clip and some other stuff. 383 .040 over Crane roller cam lifters and rockers ,1.6 intake ratio, Open chamber heads, 9.5-1 compression ratio, 2.02 intake valves , Edelbrock performer Air Gap manifold Carter AFB performer 750cfm, MSD ignition, SM465 NP205 4.10 gears:

10-10-2008, 05:23 PM	#12
prg machine Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: oregon Posts: 1,069	Re: Hot Spot For RUST!! definitely do something for sure...................my K-20 was full in the vent areas and rotted out ..................I patched em up and cut some bigger drain holes in the bottom hoping to be able to wash down some of the small stuff that gets down there. As easy as it is to pull the vents, I think once a year would be a good idea to get in the vent holes and clean out no matter what ya do. __________________ 69 K-20 cloned to a 67 with front clip and some other stuff. 383 .040 over Crane roller cam lifters and rockers ,1.6 intake ratio, Open chamber heads, 9.5-1 compression ratio, 2.02 intake valves , Edelbrock performer Air Gap manifold Carter AFB performer 750cfm, MSD ignition, SM465 NP205 4.10 gears:

10-10-2008, 08:36 PM	#13
Luvlegs Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Smith Mountain Lake Virginia Posts: 1,537	Re: Hot Spot For RUST!! I used aluminum screen... as you can see, the leaf headed for the next gap... geesch! Attached Images __________________ "A cat will almost always blink when hit between the eyes with a ball peen hammer" (you don't always have to state the obvious) Wear your PPE! You can eat with false teeth but you can't see with a false eye. 1959 Studebaker Silverhawk 350/400 1972 C10 L6 3OTT 2005 F350 - Built - whew!

09-14-2011, 04:25 PM	#15
MikeyMan Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.W. Chicago, IL. Posts: 317	Re: Hot Spot For RUST!! I will add to this three year old thread. With fall right around the corner, I'd like to share my plan. Here is what I did to keep the pesky leaves and helicopters out of the cowel vent: Got those magnetic sheets used to block off vent grilles/registers from the home improvement store. Cut them into strips, notch around w.wiper stubs, and lay them across the cowel vent openings. Being magnetic, they will stay in place when my truck is parked. This works fine in my case. However, I would NOT recommend this if you have nice paint. Magnetic sheets may trap moisture, and could lead to other issues if left in place and outdoors for a long period of time.

09-14-2011, 04:35 PM	#16
mpotts64 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Texarkana, AR Posts: 123	Re: Hot Spot For RUST!! same issue with leaves, etc. instead of putting a screen on mine, I opened the doors and took a 12" metal blade on a sawzall and cut the whole bottom out of the box so now it is wide open, leaves, water, whatever, it falls right on through, I have the vent doors still in place to keep the critters out, I am starting on a cab where I am totally cutting those out, side vents and all, and welding a flat piece in ints place so there will be no side vents, boxes, or anything, just smooth __________________ No one ever fell to the top of a mountain. When asked why I work on old trucks, I tell them: Been married 27 years, sons are pretty much gone, don't like the wife anymore and don't have a girlfriend, so, gotta do something, the old trucks are cheaper and less drama than a girlfriend -



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