Need advice on waterproofing cab

[BobB]

I'm really ready to make my B3B a comfortable daily driver. for me, that includes putting a modern radio into the glove box, but I can't bring myself to make that investment until I find dry carpet after a rain.

Can we have a discussion about the different leak paths encountered and recommendations for what to do about them? what should I tackle first? or am I dreaming to think that a dry cab is achievable and I should just waterproof the glove box and be satisfied?

What say ye?

[55 Fargo]

Hi Bob, you must have hit the post button 3 times, were you having trouble? I have some problems with this site, loading up etc. At work, most of the time cannot reply to threads, maybe not a bad thing...LOL

Bob, front windshield rubber, including center divider, cowl vent seal, rear window seal, door seals.

Now if your dash and glovebox are getting water, then you need to check cowl and front window rubber.

After all of these items don't leak, your glovebox are should be dry. Do you have clearance cab lights or anything mounted on the roof letting in water?....good luck PS your floor panel seal good?

[BobB]

yeah, it didn't appear to have posted, guess I was too quick to try again. I've contacted support. I couldn't find a way to remove the extras, so I modified their titles to mark them as accidents.

thanks for the input

. Nope, no clearance lights or other roof holes.

My front windshield rubber is pretty cracked. It's a bit scary to think of actually removing it when the old glass is in good shape.

I've replaced the cowl seal myself, but don't think I did a good job - maybe a do over is in order...

Can't be the door seals 'cause I don't have any LOL Could water be entering the cab floor through the doors? the "seal" at the bottom of the door windows is pretty much gone.

Floor panel seal?? should there be a gasket or something between the different panels that make up the floor?

Sounds like I have a lot more work ahead, but I want to do it right.

the good news is that maybe there is hope that this can be conquered. thx. Bob

[55 Fargo]

Any glass shop can install new seals on your windshield, and even if that glass broke, its flat, nothing to replace, curved 1 piece like on my 55 is a whole other story.

Get the front window rubber, make sure the cowl seal is not leaking, put on some door rubber, and the removable floor panel, you can use truck cap foam weatherstrip, can be bought anywhere. The front window rubber and door rubber, can be bought at Steele, Roberts and Bernbaums....good luck

[B1B Keven]

The two main culprets for leaks are the window gaskets and the cowl/vent seal.

 

 

(I took care of the other posts )

[BobB]

Kevin, THANKS for helping get rid of the extras.

Anybody got a recommendation on which supplier to use for windshield and door rubber?

Guess I'll pursue the cowl and floor panel seals after those. thanks.

[B1B Keven]

You're welcome.

 

Most folks seem to like Steele Rubber.

 

I used Clesters, however the corner windows were a PITA (I gave up and took the truck in to a glass shop).

[BobB]

Sounds like the best approach is to get the seals and hand the job off to a glass shop.

So should a good glass shop have the skills to install the corner windows as well? I'll take your word about the pain level and find a good glass shop from the get go.

[B1B Keven]

My wife and I did the windshield and rear window. Not a bad job.

[MBF]

You may also want to check the drip rails above both doors on the A pillar.  I ended up putting seam sealer in both of mine as a preventative against future leaks when I was installing my headliner.  As far as the floor- Idid put rubber strips between the seams on all the various panels as a rattle preventative.  You may also want to check and make sure that there are no open holes in the firewall and plug them if needed.  Mike

Edited January 10, 2014 by MBFowler

[BobB]

Keven -

I looked up both Steele and Clesters. Guess you know Clesters is WAY cheaper. Have you been pleased with their products thus far? I'd love to save the over $250 difference just for the fixed window seals.

Are any instructions included to help with installation? Or does anybody have a source for original directions? I don't remember seeing glass installation addressed in the service manuals.

Thx - Bob

[ggdad1951]

I only paid about $80 to have all my glass set. the pro took 20 minutes for the windshield, and three rear windows....IMO, worth it to have a pro do it..they make it look SOO easy. 

[BobB]

Wow, hope I can find a deal like that to have somebody do the install for me. I'm going to start checking for an auto glass place locally.

[gramps1951]

just this week I put a very strong light in my engine compartment and then climbed under my dash looking for pin holes of light not because of water leaks but to help stop engine fumes from oil leaks entering the cab I know fix the oil leaks which I have tried and will continue to do but this seemed like a good idear . I was surprised just how many drilled holes there were and now I have none I used butyl tape just a little piece will fill a little hole very easy. autozone has it they call it ribbon sealer. finding a water leak is easy spray down your truck with hose and follow the trail start from the puddle and work your way up. you can put soap and water on the outside of your windshield say and a air gun along the inside of the windshield and look for air bubbles. to check how the door gasket fit is you can use the dollar bill trick put a dollar bill slam it between the door and gasket and leave a bit sticking out so you can try to pull it out it should be hard to pull out showing proper fit. I own a ultra sonic leak detector it has a transmitter that you place inside your truck close all doors and windows then with the microphone in the receiver listen to the in creased beeping and that is where you air leak is.  I know I have said this here before but who may not have read some of my posts do not use silicone to fix water leaks on your trucks. neil

[Scruffy49]

Mine leaks, um, everywhere... Needs all new cab seals, and I mean all of them, steering column, pedal openings, wire and cable pass through locations, every floor seam, every piece of glass, cowl vent...

 

I may just bite the bullet and weld the cowl vent shut. My grandpa caulked it shut with white kitchen/bath caulk in the late 60s or early 70s, and it was fine, until stupid me came along and pulled the caulk out in the 90s... and there isn't a cowl seal made that is worth 10 cents, let alone the outrageous prices charged for them.

 

I do plan to order good pedal and column seals, and then use Julianos machined aluminum trim pieces over the seals to protect them. Correct look? Not even remotely. Do I care? Not in the slightest, I want a dry, clean, kind of quiet cab.

[TodFitch]

. . . I may just bite the bullet and weld the cowl vent shut. My grandpa caulked it shut with white kitchen/bath caulk in the late 60s or early 70s, and it was fine, until stupid me came along and pulled the caulk out in the 90s... and there isn't a cowl seal made that is worth 10 cents, . . 

Isn't there a drain trough around the inside of the cowl vent and a drain tube? There is on my '33 Plymouth and it seems like something they would have kept. Even if the gasket isn't perfect the trough should catch the leakage and the drain tube get it out of the vehicle without too much fuss.

[MBF]

Yes there is a drain trough with a hose that dumps the water out in front of the firewall.  The gasket I bought from Roberts works and seals fine.  The key is to having the seal groove clean, and the seal glued down all the way around.  After installation, it is important to inspect the vent cowl for straightness on the edges around the circumfrance. When installing it make sure to use the concentric shoulder bolts and adjust it so that when closed, the vent cowl touches the seal all the way around.  If you install it w a regular bolt w/o the concentrics you'll never get it adjusted properly. 

[BobB]

I've started to implement the great advice you folks have provided.

my cowl gasket should arrive today

Rubber for all the fixed windows and door weatherstrip shipped yesterday from Clesters - the hundreds that saved will hopefully cover having a pro do the hard parts, though that's not as cheap here as reported from other places...

I've got a cover over it. Nice lake in the bed with ice suitable for skating.

I plan to cover the small holes as recommended after I'm sure of the routing needed for the heater install.

MORE HELP NEEDED, though. I had to remove the cowl cover when I first tried to replace the seal. I wasn't able to tell which bolts were the "concentric" ones that are used to adjust the fit. Does anybody have pictures or diagrams that would help with understanding the needed adjustments?

As always, thanks in advance for all the help. Bob

[Desotodav]

There's not much to the cowl vent Bob. You should find some photos if you do a forum search as we have discussed them before. Here's a diagram from the manual for you...