Cowl Drains Again

[Deanj]

We know one thing: Those large holes left by the disintegrated boot should be plugged and drilled leaving a smaller "vent" hole. If you wash your car with a hose and bucket, you'll take water into the cowl. Same for driving in the rain if you must.

Dean

[Eric S]

I removed the splash guards and found the cowl drains. Hard, brittle but almost complete.
However, Dean, I see no point to plug the cowl drain hole as it is hidden behind the splash guard.
It looks like part of USA soil came with the car !
Also a lot of "sand" from when the car has been sand blasted. They obviously did not made it to the end when they prepared the body. At least I did not find any rotten pieces in there either.
But I will have to spend a day cleaning, preparing, coating with underbody wax and sealing everything back.

As for the cowl drains themselves, I still don't see the point as the big holes where they are plugged in is about 4" above the floor. Is it some kinf of balast function there where you need to get 1 gallon of water to stabilise the car before it drains out through the drains
I guess I will end up with a cut on the floor so water can drain out right away.
When I removed the bolts that goes in caged nuts, the cages popped out as the bolts were locked in. Can we get them or shall I replace them with regular nuts?

Ho, I found a black box on the LH fender, behind the splash guard. Linked to the brakes. What is it and does it need to be cleaned or anything while it's there?

[Dakota Boy]

cowl drain holes can be left open; mine are open, and I don't have any water problems. the hidden black box you found is a vacuum reservoir for power brakes. Its just an empty box.

[Deanj]

cowl drain holes can be left open; mine are open, and I don't have any water problems. the hidden black box you found is a vacuum reservoir for power brakes. Its just an empty box.

So this means the holes in the splash guard where the boot was attached is a vent? Air forces the cowl drains to act more efficiently? If water is draining into side cowl area from the top cowl or wherever and exiting the drain holes in the side cowl, what else for these booted holes in the splash guards?

Dean

[Eric S]

So if only air exits through the rubber cowl drain, where does the water goes?
Dakota Boy, you don't have any water problem but do you know if water exits the whole thing or if it is rusting inside? You can't see inside so maybe you have a problem you don't see...

[Dakota Boy]

scroll up. I posted some pics in this thread. I cut a hole in my cowl to inspect inside; then I sealed it back up. Both sides.

[Eric S]

I Still have to find the slots...

[Eric S]

I found the slots from where the water is exiting (used a glass of acetone to show me the way). Did not realised it was exiting inside the body and then flowing along the fender down the bottom.
I used rust converter in the whole area (after cleaning and brushing) and will use underbody wax to cover this remote area and inside of the cowl. Will use first a camera to check inside the cowl and see if there is not too much mud in there; Hopefully this has been addressed before.

When I removed the splash guards, the caged nuts in the engine bay broke. Can we find them anywhere (how do you call them exactly) or shall I replace with regular nuts?

[toddgilroy]

Eric - You may be able to find them locally, but if not AMK Products has a good selection of Ford hardware, including cage nuts.

http://amkproducts.com/default.htm

[Eric S]

Thank you for the link. But I have not been able to identify the threads;
They seems to be 1/4" but not UNC and not UNF. I may be better changing the bolt too. But I see AMK may have the right ones.

But which one?? : http://amkproducts.com/bulk2.asp?cod...iners+%2D+Cage
But then I was expecting 1 L shape rubber for each side. There is 6 in the kit, 3 per side ??

[toddgilroy]

Here is that section from the parts catalog...looks like factory used different sizes depending on location (fender, body, etc.). If you aren’t concerned with being factory correct, just mate up new screws, washers and nuts. Be aware I think there are nuts welded onto the flanges of both splash shields so you will need to match threads there, but the cage nuts can be replaced easily and matched up with new screws.

[Eric S]

Thank you Todd
1/4-20 is what I determined in the meantime. I need to download their whole catalog. Seems to have a lot on information.

[toddgilroy]

They also sell a "Guide to Ford Fasteners 1955-1973" that seems pretty comprehensive. They don't necessarily carry everything in their catalog, but it sure helps me match up hardware from the parts manual diagrams to the right item if I am trying to match factory hardware.

[Eric S]

On the splash guard I have, driver side only, nothing on passenger's, a flat rubber to prevent water and splashes to enter behind the splash guard. Currently on the car, the rubber is a mere flat rubber about 2mm thick that goes around side and top of splash guard probably from an old tire tube.
Is that the correct shape or shall I look for something different?

Replying to myself : https://www.parts123.com/parts123/dy...30b&uKeY=AAAHZ

[Eric S]

I plan to get the "Guide to Ford Fasteners 1955-1973" but to save time I would like to order the parts with it but to do so I need the parts numbers to find the right parts on their web site without too much guess.
So any one can get the parts numbers for the bolts and nuts that fix the splash guard?
Also the 2 copper gaskets that goes on the brake's master cylinder Banjo.