Cowl vent seal

[David Mac]

Have a quick question regarding the cowl vent seal. Does this seal attach to the vent itself or the cowl?

Your help is always appreciated

David Mac

[BobT-47P15]

I think it goes onto the body, not the vent lid.

It is larger than the lid, and would be hanging out past it.

[123.gramps]

In the process of replacing mine. It goes on the body.

[Bingster]

I've heard these can be tricky to apply and fit. Who makes the best ones? Steele?

[Uncle-Pekka]

The seal rubber is a bit smaller than the groove on the cowl.

I stretched it in my hands quite a bit before installing.

Then you're supposed to use extra strong adhesive and secure the rubber in place by clamps to allow the glue to set properly. The vent has to be dismounted to allow space to work.

I bought the rubber from Bernbaum. Do not know the manufacturer, but logically would assume there cannot be many makers for a piece of this limited demand... Thus suspect all dealers are distributing the same product (?).

Then again I may be wrong. In case somebody has got a rubber which is just the right size just to drop in place and leave - please share the source with us.

Yet the final thought: Is the vent exactly the same size on all models: Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto & Chrys? Or is it that the repro rubber is made for the smallest and the rest are supposed to stretch...? (not likely)

[RobertKB]

Steele makes the best. I usually warm up any rubber with a heat gun before gluing it in place. Makes it more pliable and therefore easier to fix in place.

[steveplym]

I bought one from Roberts. Steele probably would have been the best one, but I had ran out of money at the time and was looking for a cheap alternative. I took the vent out and let the seal sit out in the sun a while.

Then I used vice grips and paint sticks cut into fours to get the corners to stick down. I used 3M weatherstrip adhesive. I ended up getting a little bit of adhesive on the cowl where I didn't want it, but it came off with some surface cleaner. It's not perfect, but it seals and looks good.

[grey beard]

If you have as much trouble getting these too-small gaskets to fit into place till the glue dries, you may want to try Vintage Power Wagon in Iowa. They sell this same seal as yard goods - just one long length of rubber that you glue into place and cut to fit. I'd suggest the seam joint go to the rear center. JMHO

[austinsailor]

For what it's worth, there are two sizes. I ordered one for my '40 Dodge from Andy, it was too small. Called him, he said it must tank the bigger one. He was out of the bigger one, suggested I stretch it. That didn't look like a good option to me, I searched around and found the correct one from one of the others, don't recall which. It fit just right, no stretching, no splicing. Just had to loosen the vent from the mounting, sticking a screw driver through the holes in the screen.

I don't recall what years were supposed to be small and and which were big.

[radioguy7]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but when I replaced the vent seal on my power wagon i just put glue on the one side and put it in place then I just closed the vent. There wasn't any glue present to make it stick to the vent so after a day I just opened the vent and it was firmly glued in place. Maybe it was the wrong technique? seemed obvious to me at the time.

[55 Fargo]

Shel I have 1 of these universal seals, so just cut to size, and use the 3 m weatherstrip glue into place, does it need clamps.

How did you intall yours beside what you wrote here?

I was thinking of cutting to size, then run bead of adhesive, then close cowl evnt to hold the rubber in place, is this gonna work?

Does the rounded edge go upwards?.............Fred ps find any temp gauges lately

[55 Fargo]

used the universal seal from Robert's. cut it to length and glue it in. OK for $5. Dry so far

Shel I have 1 of these universal seals, so just cut to size, and use the 3 m weatherstrip glue into place, does it need clamps.

How did you intall yours beside what you wrote here?

I was thinking of cutting to size, then run bead of adhesive, then close cowl evnt to hold the rubber in place, is this gonna work?

Does the rounded edge go upwards?.............Fred ps find any temp gauges lately