Hood-to-Cowl Gasket

[Joe Flanagan]

I have yet to install the hood-to-cowl gasket on my car. The fasteners that were used originally are twist shank nails, very small, and I no longer have them all. Anyway, I have a couple of questions: First, has anyone used something other than the original nails? Second, it seems to me that getting new nails into the original holes in the sheet metal would be very difficult. So I was thinking of filling those and putting the fasteners through at different locations. :Has anyone done that with success?

Also, I know you are supposed to use a sealant beneath the new gasket.

Finally, what I thought was a leaking cowl vent gasket looks like it's actually the nail holes for the original hood-to-cowl gasket, so that's good news. 

Edited September 15, 2014 by Joe Flanagan

[Plymouthy Adams]

Joe..I have seen folks use a pop rivet to attach said seal...

[Young Ed]

Joe..I have seen folks use a pop rivet to attach said seal...

Yes and you should be able to use an awl to locate and reuse the holes.

[desoto1939]

On my 39 Desoto they has a similar rivet that had a slot onthe top and this will fool tou into thinking that this is a screw. But as you stated they are acutually a push in nail rivert that have serrations            on the part that goes into the cowel.

 

I have search at Hershey for several years and have never found any replacement rivets of this style.  So i just took a flat head screw and then just matched up the foles in the cowl with the cloth webbing onthe cowel.

 

Since our hoods tend to move they do make a rubber gasket instead of the hard cloth gasket webbing material. With the rubber you will get less of a chance of the paint rubbing off on the under side of the hood.  More of a preference thing or f you are going for originality thing.

 

I would use a stainless steel screw this way you can always take them out again if needed and since mine had the oirginal slot no one can tell the difference.

 

Rich HArtung

Desoto1939@aol.com

[Plymouthy Adams]

it has been my finding that any screw that you would use that is not nutted from beneath has to much metal making up the head (strength for screw slot),and therefore sits too proud and will aid in scratching the hood paint, so if nutting this you could flatten the head with a file on installation..the rivet however is ideal substitute as it is low profile from the get go.  I have seen these OEM spiral nails offered at Resto Specialities..you will need to mike your cross section for proper sizing.  Am not a strong supported of rubber for this application myself..have used it when I could not get the original fabric..

[Joe Flanagan]

So this could be done with common pop rivets and the common gun that is used to install them? Would I be going into the original holes or making new ones if I did it this way?

[desoto1939]

On the original styled cowl cloth seal the screw fits into the space between the two ridges or bumps on the cloth so the gasket looks like a double humped camel and inthe sapce betweenthe two humps is where the original rivet and in my case the new srew was installed. I did this on my car over 18 years ago and the srews are NOT touching the bottom of the hood.  Now the hood lace as it is offically called might be of a different style that what was used on my 39 Desoto.  So if you do not hve the  indent than yes the heads of the screw might touch the  bottom of the hood.

 

So it also matters what type of hood lace you are using on your car.  Would you want me to take a picture of the style on my car as an example?

 

rich HArtung

Desoto1939@aol.com

[Plymouthy Adams]

Joe Flanagan, on 15 Sept 2014 - 11:21 AM, said:

So this could be done with common pop rivets and the common gun that is used to install them? Would I be going into the original holes or making new ones if I did it this way?

Joe..as stated..use rivet..use the existing holes..Ed pointed out that locating the hole with an awl is the ideal metod for placing rivets in existing holes..there is no need to drill new holes..

[Plymouthy Adams]

Rich, on the later style lacing the humps on each side is smaller and there is no hidden seam between the humps..actual height of the hump is 3/16 inch with the connecting webbing 1/16 thick..so you have but 1/16 inch to hide the head...now granted when installed that does pull the fabric onto the cowl and gives you 1/8 inch now to play with..barely sufficient for a rivet....the lacing is but 1 inch wide and the inner flat web is 7/16 between the humps..

[desoto1939]

Ply Adams:  Ok I was basing my input on what I have on my 39 Desoto so that is why I used the flat head slotted screws on mine. As I stated in my last post everything is deteremined by what style of hood lacing is being used on each car.  Thanks for the input on the size of hood lacing.

 

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

[Young Ed]

Joe/Rich

Where did you guys buy the lacing?

[desoto1939]

I know I got mine while at Hershey one year, but anyone the suppliers should be able to send you the cloth style hood lacing.

 Bernbaums lists the cloth and rubber for your car inhis current catalog for $12.

 

Rich Hartung

Edited September 15, 2014 by desoto1939

[Joe Flanagan]

I can't recall where I got mine. Most likely it was Roberts. 

[Jerry Roberts]

And if you don't like those shinny pop rivets , you can touch them up with a little paint . You could even fill the center hole of the rivet first . I think I left my pop rivets just plain . 

[deathbound]

I used stainless steel sheet metal screws in the original holes & they sit well below the raised sides of the cloth type lacing/gasket (whatever you want to call it), so no scratched paint on the underside of the hood. Rivets will work, but need to be drilled out to replace.....screws, unscrew & move on. Like was mentioned, use an awl to locate the original holes & size screws accordingly, if used.

[Robert Horne]

On my 38, I used the brass coated twist nails that are used with brass strips for carpet edges.

 

These twist nails are very similar to the originals on my 38, except a little longer...