rain water leak

[xanax4]

any one with a c-3 have floor boords getting wet after rain?our local corvette guy says it comes in around the windshield pillars but would not give me any clues on how to fix it , just that if it continues it will rust the door jam where the higes bolt up that all seems to be soild right now so hopefully i can stop the leak treat the rust and get new carpet any ideas thanks rick

 

[78SilvAnniv]

I think...

...that to properly fix the problem, the upper fender needs to be cut away to repair whatever is going on underneath.
I've heard of a fix where you dribble a goopy sealant down the cowl...but I don't think that actually fixes the problem, just provides a bandaid.
Hopefully Chris (69MyWay) will chime in, as he has done this type of repair.
Heidi

 

[Bob Chadwick]

Here is some info on repairing water leaks that I have put together from various posts here and elsewhere.

Bob

 

[fasterthanu]

here is my two cents for what it's worth. I believe if you look in by the wipers when the hood is open, on the passenger side you will see the ventalation door. Either your door is not closing, or not closing all the way. If that doesn't close all the way, there is nothing to stop the rain from coming in, right? The only thing that I can think of that would stop it from coming in, and maybe it is there, but on the passenger side kick panel, if that vent is closed, are there drainage holes in the bottom of this vent panel? I mean there would have to be, where would the water go if this filled up. What if something is in there plugging the holes? Just thinking out loud here.

 

[xanax4]

wow !

please dont say cut the fenders off ,that sounds like work. thanks for the input ,the link that bob gave me has pointed me in the right direction ,when they talk about the bird cage do they mean the wire mesh that is in gap in front of the windshield and next to the fender?

 

[JohnZ]

The "birdcage" is the welded steel structure underneath the fiberglass that supports the body, which includes the entire windshield frame and cowl; if it rusts and becomes perforated in the area under the lower corners of the windshield, water runs inside, down the steel hinge pillars, and rusts them out at the base where they join the sills.

You might remove the kickpads and look inside the bottom of the cavity behind them; there are water drain holes at the bottom of that cavity, but they get plugged up with leaves and crud that gets in there over the years, and when it rains (or when you wash the car), they fill up with water and it overflows and soaks the floor carpet from the bottom of the opening behind the kickpads.

 

[madvetwebguy]

I've spent the last 4 weekends working on just what you describe. There'll be a tech article on my findings on madvet.com when the task is complete. In a nutshell, here are some things to look for........

On 78-82 cars, there is a steel cable behind the windshield trough leaf screens......a leak under these cables will penetrate into the hinge piller channel and run out in any number of places.

Cleanout your body side drains........leaves etc. will cause water to build up in these channels and back up into the body seams.

Firewall seam.........Remove glove box, up under dash pad is the firewall seam. If sealant is hard and cracked, scrape off and smear on silicone sealer to help stop seapage (or at leaset drive it down to a more managable area).....same thing on drivers side but it's a pain to get to.......

Seams in windshield trough.......3m body seal or silicone smeared over these seams can only help.

Chrome trim around windshield.......A fine bead of black silicone helps to seal.

Chrome windshield trim to chrome t-top head jamb......again, black silicone in the joint will help to seal.

Passenger side damper door.......remove pass. kick panel and use silicone grease on seal on fresh air inlet door.

Check vaccum on all hvac lines.......poor or in operating vacuum doors can allow leaks.

Door sill over wrap.......there is a steel channel laid over the door sill. Water from side cowls can seap in under this.....silicone along this seam to stop seapage.

Every hole in the firewall........a little black silicone helps to seal these areas, however, with a proper hood seal, little rain water gets to these areas.

Hope these ideas will get you started on your search. It helps immensly to have your carpet removed and a fresh coat of POR 15 on your floorboards. Makes finding the leaks much easier as they show up very well.
There will be plenty of pictures showing these area when the tech article is done.......

Cheers!
Ed

 

[xanax4]

ah ha the vent !

yes when i removed the pass side kick plate the vent door was open about an inch so i closed it maybe the diaphram is bad in it , i was in there looking for the drain holes that i have been reading about even after removing a little bit of loose rust and using a small screwdriver still did not find them how big should they be thanks rick:eek

 

[madvetwebguy]

I believe the drain holes that where mentioned are the drains for the side coves. They are not on the interior of the car. They are up under the frame rails below the side scoop on the fender. Drop a water hose inside the cove (behind the leaf screens in the wiper trough) to see where the water comes out below.
A lots of garden hose water, a stiff piece of wire, a butter knife and a lot of patience are your best tools when cleaning out..........