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flomulgator
03-31-2012, 23:36
Fracking POS. The black hole continues to suck. Some days it's hard to love the dark star slurping up my financial universe and this is one of them.

So I'm getting water intrusion into the cab, particularly when parked downhill and much more noticeable when it rains like hell. I could say what it's screwing up, but we all know water inside = bad.

So in a heavy rain I was able to find the path. At least in the driver's side, its dripping off the inside of the dashboard sheet metal underneath the steering wheel. Passenger footwell is also wet. I'm thinking windshield seal is failing. Your thoughts? Other possibilities?

Is the fix just "replace"? The glass is uncracked and in...decent...shape.

Hooptybass
04-01-2012, 05:33
Ive had this happen b4 on a different car ... I have to replace the windshield seal on my 94 burb it has a drip down it once in while so its on the way out ...i think most windshield guys and reseal it and it itsnt too bad on the wallet

JohnC
04-01-2012, 07:46
Probably not your problem, but on my '93 there were two holes in the cowl under the grate where the wipers are, one on each side. They had a raised lip around them. The cowl has a drain in each (left and right ) corner. When the drains plug up the water rises above the lips and flows in under the upholstery behind the dash.

jhornsby3
04-01-2012, 10:44
I had an 82 that leaked real bad in the rain. I cleaned the drains and it still leaked. The seal was good on the windsheild. So while looking around I found that the leak was in the sheet metal around the fire wall. The leak was on both sides of the cab. So with a little hillbilly/redneck thinking, I was able to wrap some cardboard in poly sheeting. Put that under the dash over the tranny hump to a plastic pan on the pass floorboards. Then put some of that same sheeting under the dash on the drivers side so the water would drain down the floor pan and out the rotted seal at the bottom of the door. :D For a few months, it would rain harder under the dash than out side.:p I had no luck doing anything else with goops and the likes. Drove it that way for a few months till I got it out of the drive for scrap.

John

Robyn
04-01-2012, 16:38
I have owned several of the Square body trucks and had leaks at one time or another.

My first inclination would be the rubber winshield strap is leaking at the Pinch weld where the strap sits.

The metal corodes over time in the lower corners and then the water can seep past the strap and drizzle down inside.

Get through the rainy season and into the warm weather.

If the strap is good and still supple you can likely save it, if not get a fresh one.

Remove the lock strip from the center of the strap and then carefull work a narrow tool like and old butter knife between the glass and the strap all the way around, inside and out.

Now with a blanket laid on the hood, work the rubber strap open and work the windshield out.

Once the glass is out and placed out of harms way, remove the strap from the pinch weld area.

You will probably find a rusty spot low in the corners.

Use some rust mort on these areas and then remove all the loose crusty stuff.

Once the area has been treated and dried well, paint the area just to the point that the rubber will cover the paint.

Use a product like rustoleum and brus it on well.
Allow to dry good, and then install the strap.

Use windshield Urethane (normally used for bonded winshields)
Squirt this nasty stuff in the groove of the strap and install it back on the pinch weld.

Mask the areas well so the urethane does not get out on the paint.

Once the strap is securely gooped into the pinch weld, re set the glass and install the lock strip.

This should do the trick.

There are two drain holes in the corners right at the bottom and you really need to try and keep these open.
This drains excess water into the air plenum area, and this drains out and onto the ground at the lower body area right at the base of the "A" Pillar.

Good luck

I nned to do this on my 89 K5 Blazer as it has a drip on the RH side.


Missy

flomulgator
04-01-2012, 23:16
Thanks all. I'll check the drip holes first to see if I have two problems or just one. Robyn is this a problem I can just throw my hard won dollars at and expect it to be fixed by simply taking it to a windshield place or are they liable to miss/overcharge the crap out of the rusty corner problem and I'm better off doing it myself? Because it sounds time consuming and difficult enough for me to want to just leave this one to a "professional", but only for a reasonable fee and with excellent results.

I feel like I already know the answer.....