Got a small leak problem on inside

[blackbeaSSt]

well with all the rain we got the past couple days i seem to have a leak on the passenger side. not really sure where its coming from. at first i was thinking its cause the wiper cowl was missing (and it might be), but it isn't happening on the drivers side. don't think it could be from the door jam as not much rain would have gone sideways.

heres a couple pics to maybe help out:



close up


looking upwards from floorboard

[tucsonjwt]

I have had 3 squares leak in the same place. The 73 I ignored because it was a rusty wreck I seldom drove. The 76 was a bad crimp from the factory at the upper right edge of the sheet metal around the windshield opening, causing the seal not to seat properly. The 83 I now have appears to have been a worn out windshield seal - replaced with new windshield and seal and seems to be OK now.
I know I am stating the obvious, but I found my leaks by running water via a garden hose at the suspect spots, then checking inside to see if the water was flowing on the kick panel area. Start with a low flow of water and increase the flow if you don't see water inside.
If the leak is not in the cowl area it could be the windshield seal. The seal might not make good contact along the windshield edge and you would not notice it if the seal is worn out. Or, like my 76, a small bump in the metal around the opening can cause a leak.
Good luck.

[old Rusty C10]

i second the windshield seal

[blackbeaSSt]

thanks guys. looks like i'll have to try the hose idea this weekend.

any other thoughts or first hand knowledge?

[nikwho]

I have been fighting the same thing on my 83 except on the drivers side. I have new carpet that i want to install but i can't pin it down. I thought that it was the windshield seal. My windshield was cracked so when I had it replaced i thought that would fix it. they even said that the origional seal was ripped, so they replaced it. I thought that I would be golden and its still leaking. I think that its coming in through the vent on the kick panel. I will pull it tomorrow and figure it out for sure! Im interested to find out what you come up with.

[blackbeaSSt]

Originally Posted by nikwho

I have been fighting the same thing on my 83 except on the drivers side. I have new carpet that i want to install but i can't pin it down. I thought that it was the windshield seal. My windshield was cracked so when I had it replaced i thought that would fix it. they even said that the origional seal was ripped, so they replaced it. I thought that I would be golden and its still leaking. I think that its coming in through the vent on the kick panel. I will pull it tomorrow and figure it out for sure! Im interested to find out what you come up with.

well brother let me know what you come up with!

[nikwho]

I would be willing to put money down that we have the same issue, whatever it be. The water is coming in in the exact same area on my drivers side. Its pissing me off. I stuck a hose in the cowl area today and climbed under. I loosened up the kick panel and so far I can feel the water around the front leading edge of the hole for the vent in the kick panel. i can not, however, feel any water up higher at the top of the opening. Due to the limited amount of tools here at work there was one screw on the kick panel that I was not able to remove so i could not pull it all the way out. I should know more tomorrow. I wont be back to work where the computer is for four days but ill post up then with what I find.

[DBLSPRT68]

Check the cowl area first with water. Since the cowl cover isn't there, it'll be easy. Put the water hose down into the cowl and turn it on low. Do this before putting any water on the windsheild. Move the hose all around in there, it's a big area. If no leaks, then move to the windsheild/ door area. I found a leak at the bottom of my cowl. I had to pull the heater box out to fix it.... Either before you start or after everything dries, take a vacuum and a long extension and suck out and crap that's building up down there. You need to get at least the plastic grill over that big hole! Good luck. David

[nikwho]

yeah, mine leaks with the hose spraying down into the cowl. I'm not sure if the little vents at your ankles pull air from the cowl area but it seems like thats where its coming from on mine. the picture of your leak looked like a mirror image of whats happening on my drivers side.

[78 Chevyrado]

Another place to check is around the heater or AC box on the firewall under the hood. sometimes the seal goes bad and it will let lots of water in.

[jdurant]

I chased and chased one just like that on my blazer. It ended up being real simple. The water was draining out of the cowl area the way it should, but was leaking in from the gasket that is stuck to the kick panel. The one that surrounds the flapper thing for recirculating a/c.
I tried to fix it with the campertop gasket stuff, but it just didn't work. I ended up getting a replacement gasket from lmc and it did end up working, but it wasn't the best. It just doesn't have the contour of the original. You could probably find something that works better at your local parts house.
My leak looked just like that.
I know there are a lot of possiblities, but take a look at that gasket. I hope this helps.

[blackbeaSSt]

thanks durant. i'll have a look see. i'll try to put the wiper cowl on this weekend and go from there

[nbpro]

Our 81 GMC lwb had a leak in the same area. We found that the wheel well had one of the bolts loose and water was coming in that way when we drove the vehicle. We undid a couple of the bolts, sprayed with undercoating, and tightened back up. No problem since.

[blackbeaSSt]

well it seems like i have a veritable cornucopia of options to check out!

nb i did notice however that one day this week (when i didn't take my truck to work) when i went home at lunch my truck had be sitting in the rain and it was already leaking. so no driving had taken place. not sure if that rules that out or not

[tucsonjwt]

Remove the glove box, and possibly the A/C ductwork in that area, before you run the hose. Also, get a flexible extension mirror and flexible magnetic light from Harbor Freight (like $3 each) before your begin. This will help you see the lower edge of the windshield and also inside the vent opening to zero in on the exact location of the leak. Obviously, it is best to have another person running and moving around the hose while you stick your head under the dash and investigate. If you do end up replacing the windshield seal, make sure you are present when the seal is removed so you can personally check to see if the opening has any bad crimps/cracks. The windshield guys just slap in the seals and windshields as fast as they can and don't care to look for extra problems. If you have ever seen that windshield opening you know that it is far from a precision fit, so a small imperfection can cause a lot of problems.

[hobsiscool]

I second the heater box...I had a leak in that same area, and mine was leaking there.

[nbpro]

Leaks are hard to determine. When I worked at the dealership, we charged by the hour to find and stop leaks. I have seen some cases, cars still under warranty, that the customer is given a new vehicle, because we never could stop the leak. The water hose method, slow trickle, is probably the best way to find it.

[motornut]

On my 87 it was a hole under the flat rubber on the outside the hood hinges that was leaking.not sure if your rusty

[nikwho]

Originally Posted by jdurant

I chased and chased one just like that on my blazer. It ended up being real simple. The water was draining out of the cowl area the way it should, but was leaking in from the gasket that is stuck to the kick panel. The one that surrounds the flapper thing for recirculating a/c.
I tried to fix it with the campertop gasket stuff, but it just didn't work. I ended up getting a replacement gasket from lmc and it did end up working, but it wasn't the best. It just doesn't have the contour of the original. You could probably find something that works better at your local parts house.
My leak looked just like that.
I know there are a lot of possiblities, but take a look at that gasket. I hope this helps.

Do you think that a bead of silicone or gasket maker would be better than trying to replace this gasket with an aftermarket variety? I am fairly certain that this is the origin of my leak.

[TheWhiteElephant]

I'd guess the heater box, too. These trucks are notorious for these leaks.

[1LowToy]

I had one on my Mercedes windshield and the back window. Dish soap and glicerin (Same as soap bubble soap) and soap up the suspected areas. Then take the shop air hose directed to the areas of the interior and watch for the bubbles. The windshield gaskets are a likely target area.

[jdurant]

Originally Posted by nikwho

Do you think that a bead of silicone or gasket maker would be better than trying to replace this gasket with an aftermarket variety? I am fairly certain that this is the origin of my leak.

I think you'd have to build it up too much. I would be looking for a dense, thick foam tape. Not to mention how messy that would be. Plus I doubt you'd get it the first time. Are you gonna let it dry first, or are you gonna glue the panel to the cab? Personally, I think it's a bad idea.
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