Dreaded passengers side water leak.

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kennythewelder

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I have been putting this off for a long time. Well today was the day. I looked at a bunch of youtube vids. Several years ago, my windshield was leaking and it was on the passengers floor, but some flowable silicone, and that issue was solved. So in time, the leak returned, but I could tell it wasnt coming from the windshield. So like a dumb ass, I figured it was coming from the cawl. Well it was, but not from where I thought. I removed the metal cover plate, and looked at the AC- heater blower motor vent. It all looked good. Still sealed with the OE sealer. Checked things with a water hose, and after looking over everything, I figured out that all it was, was a missing screw that holds down the plastic cawl cover. The screw is rite over the AC-heater blower. Without a screw there, water was able to poor rite into the blower motor box, and drain down on the passengers floorboard. So a new screw, some silicone on that screw to make sure it cant leak, and the other screw that also lines up with the blower motor vent box, and thia should solve the issue. My first mistake, was to not check everything with a water hose first. I could have just gotten a new screw, put some silicone on it, and install it. Hope this saves someone else a wasted afternoon.
 

kennythewelder

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I was worried when I read the title that you meant the rear passenger side “freeze plug leak” that is usually actually a cracked block

I’m glad this wasn’t “that” post lol
A cracked block, would mean its crate engine time, but I really want to keep my truck numbers matching. Everyone does a LS swap, IMO in time, a numbers matching truck will be worth more.
 

frito-bandito

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A cracked block, would mean its crate engine time, but I really want to keep my truck numbers matching. Everyone does a LS swap, IMO in time, a numbers matching truck will be worth more.
Agreed, I’m glad this isn’t the case, I’ve seen a lot of this out in the wild when I was hunting for GMT400s last time lol
 

someotherguy

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I have been putting this off for a long time. Well today was the day. I looked at a bunch of youtube vids. Several years ago, my windshield was leaking and it was on the passengers floor, but some flowable silicone, and that issue was solved. So in time, the leak returned, but I could tell it wasnt coming from the windshield. So like a dumb ass, I figured it was coming from the cawl. Well it was, but not from where I thought. I removed the metal cover plate, and looked at the AC- heater blower motor vent. It all looked good. Still sealed with the OE sealer. Checked things with a water hose, and after looking over everything, I figured out that all it was, was a missing screw that holds down the plastic cawl cover. The screw is rite over the AC-heater blower. Without a screw there, water was able to poor rite into the blower motor box, and drain down on the passengers floorboard. So a new screw, some silicone on that screw to make sure it cant leak, and the other screw that also lines up with the blower motor vent box, and thia should solve the issue. My first mistake, was to not check everything with a water hose first. I could have just gotten a new screw, put some silicone on it, and install it. Hope this saves someone else a wasted afternoon.
What.. you mean this screw we've talked about a gazillion times on this forum and others? :D

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Glad you got it handled.

Richard
 

kennythewelder

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What.. you mean this screw we've talked about a gazillion times on this forum and others? :D

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Glad you got it handled.

Richard
LOL, yea, thats the one. Guess I watched to many youtube videos.
 
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johnckhall

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Resurrecting a much talked about topic. I noticed a leak this AM on the passenger side after a monsoon storm in South GA yesterday. Thankfully it was a minor leak. It's not the AC because there was no leak this afternoon with the AC running full blast and the drain was pouring plenty of water from underneath. I hope it's just the old famous cowl screw. Looks like I'll have a project for Saturday anyway. Oh well, I needed to sand and repaint my wiper arms anyway. :D
 
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Keeper

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Another source is the gap in the "fin" for the upper door weatherstrip, or wind/rain seal, or whatever name people use. The metal windshield fin and the metal roof fin, that the seal mounts on, do not connect, and they leave a 1/4" gap. When that upper weatherstrip gets old, and/or doors sag, water can leak down to the inside door seal pretty high up and manage to get across to the interior as it runs down. It shows up right at the pillar/sill corner. It wicks from there. Just replaced a shifter cable today due to a rusted out sheath letting the cable bulge and thus not pushing shifter into park. Thankfully floorpan is solid. New rubber all around plus I'm hitting the gap with some windshield sealant.
 

johnckhall

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Another source is the gap in the "fin" for the upper door weatherstrip, or wind/rain seal, or whatever name people use. The metal windshield fin and the metal roof fin, that the seal mounts on, do not connect, and they leave a 1/4" gap. When that upper weatherstrip gets old, and/or doors sag, water can leak down to the inside door seal pretty high up and manage to get across to the interior as it runs down. It shows up right at the pillar/sill corner. It wicks from there. Just replaced a shifter cable today due to a rusted out sheath letting the cable bulge and thus not pushing shifter into park. Thankfully floorpan is solid. New rubber all around plus I'm hitting the gap with some windshield sealant.
This leak is more coming from under the dash. It looked to be dripping from the blower motor area. After my reading here it sounds like it's more from the cowl area, but I'll check the door weather-stripping as well. Thanks for the help!
 
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