Cowl Cleaning

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mopowers

mopowers

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I'm redoing some stuff under the dash including the heater box, wiper pivots, and vent boxes. While reaching through the cowl vent opening in my 68 Dart, I noticed about 1/2" of dirt, dust and debris. This obviously needs to be cleaned before I bolt everything back together.

Do you guys have any good ideas for cleaning out the cowl area. The car is already painted, so cutting the top off is out oft he question. Any ideas???

Thanks!
 
Compressed air, and a leaf blower. Just blow the crap out of it. From the cowl, side cowl drains, inside the air ducts. It can be a messy job, but nothing a dryvac wont clean up. You can also use a hose to get some of the dirt out. Spray water into the cowl, and watch it drain out the side drains.
 
I had the driver side fender off so it was easier. But yeah, basically what was said above. I used something to clean out the drain, then used compressed air. Water also. Not a quick job, about 30 or more minutes.
 
I laid a hose on the vent and kept the drains clear with a clothes hangar wire and it seemed to rinse it out pretty well.
Of course moving the hose to different places on the vent.

You could also open the vents in the car and do 100mph with the windows down.
Might want to wear a mask and goggles. :D
 
I made a J shaped attachment for my shop vac out of dry fitted 1" PVC and two 90 degree elbows. Taped the long end onto the shop vac hose and inserted from under the dash into the vents. I kept turning and readjusting the PVC pipe until I got as much as I could out. Then after doing both sides, I water flushed it from the hood side and kept the drain holes from pluging up.
 
Thanks for the ideas guys. Can you get to the drain hole with the fenders installed? I'm not sure if mine are plugged or not.
 
mopowers said:
Thanks for the ideas guys. Can you get to the drain hole with the fenders installed? I'm not sure if mine are plugged or not.
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Right by the hinge area below the cowl top surface where the cowl metal and firewall metal meet there should either be an open slot between the metals or a hole (maybe both)
The fender is off this car, but you can get to them with the fender on enough to even stick your finger in the hole.
So I just rinsed heavily with water down the vent and made sure those holes stayed clear of crap until nothing but clean water came out. (both sides)

DSCF0481.jpg
 
Boy, it's too bad there aren't those oval access holes right above the pinch weld on the firewall like on an early A. That sure would make things easier. I'll have to see if I can squeeze my fat hand is there to clear out the drain holes.
 
On my son's Roadrunner we put magnetic printer sheets over the cowl vents for when the car sits. It prevents dirt and leaves from getting inside and they don't blow off if you drive around with them on. They sell 8 X 11 sheets at places like Walmart (for making fridge magnets) and you can cut them with scissors and piece them together. You can even color them with your printer first.
 
mopowers said:
Boy, it's too bad there aren't those oval access holes right above the pinch weld on the firewall like on an early A. That sure would make things easier. I'll have to see if I can squeeze my fat hand is there to clear out the drain holes.
Click to expand...

Water and a section of clothes hangar wire bent in a curve.
 
1967 'cuda said:
On my son's Roadrunner we put magnetic printer sheets over the cowl vents for when the car sits. It prevents dirt and leaves from getting inside and they don't blow off if you drive around with them on. They sell 8 X 11 sheets at places like Walmart (for making fridge magnets) and you can cut them with scissors and piece them together.
Click to expand...

That's a good idea. :D
I was thinking a nice chrome screen that clips onto the vent strips.
 
1967 'cuda said:
They don't scratch the paint but after a few years the sun bakes them and they need to be replaced.
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The Wife ordered magnetic signs for the cars and it put a permanent square in the paint, but I think it was because they were new and when the AZ sun baked them for awhile they off gassed or something.
 
TrailBeast said:
The Wife ordered magnetic signs for the cars and it put a permanent square in the paint, but I think it was because they were new and when the AZ sun baked them for awhile they off gassed or something.
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Maybe the paint faded around the outside of the sign where it wasn't covered? I haven't noticed any color difference around the Roadrunner's cowl vents but it may be because we've got them cut to the same size & shape of the openings.
 
1967 'cuda said:
Maybe the paint faded around the outside of the sign where it wasn't covered? I haven't noticed any color difference around the Roadrunner's cowl vents but it may be because we've got them cut to the same size & shape of the openings.
Click to expand...

It actually ate into the finish of the paint to where polish won't clean it up, no fading.
 
TrailBeast said:
It actually ate into the finish of the paint to where polish won't clean it up, no fading.
Click to expand...

Dang! That would definitely give me reason to be concerned. I haven't seen anything at all happening like that on the Roadrunner. Maybe you were right about some kind of 'chemical' reaction with those signs you used. I don't think it's an issue with the stuff we used. The car spent 2 years sitting outside in heat, rain, snow, etc... I never did get around to putting any on our other vehicles but have always meant to. - Even stored inside it might help keep mice out. I guess I'll have to be watchful to make sure nothing weird goes on.
 
Well, I started on cleaning out the cowl today. What a freakin mess! I vacuumed as much as I could from the vent box holes inside. I duct taped a smaller clear plastic hose to my shop vac hose to reach as far as I could. Then I taped all the openings up and blew through one of the drain holes on each side with compressed air. Then I finished it off with water through the slotted cowl openings in the front of the windshield. I think I was able to get most of the garbage out. Unfortunately I found a couple more issues.

First, my windshield gasket leaks. That shouldn't be too big of an issue I guess. Just something else to put on the list.

Second, the raised "rings" around where the vent boxes attach behind the dash leak on both the driver's side and the passenger side. Is this a common spot to leak? I figure I can just scrape off as much of the old sealer I can, then just smear some new sealer over the joint. My question is, what type of sealer would be best for this application? I was thinking rtv would work. What do you guys think? Silicon, rtv, seam sealer?

Thanks!
 
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