Well for starters - it is time for a little refresh of the paint on the ole Wagon - hahaa, but that is fuel for another thread.....
So while I need to remove the cowl I decide to clean up that passenger side drain again - it's been awhile. What I discovered shocked me!!
Lets get started - remove your wipers and cowl. the drain is located under this cover:
Remove the hood insulation will greatly help you get this cover out of the way:
Under the cover is the fresh air door:
Remove the 3 sheet metal bolts and this will come off easily - remember to remove the vacuum line from underneath the door assembly!
...and this is what that vacuum line hooks to - this is the door assembly upside down:
This is the incredible amount of CRUD I discovered clogging up my cowl drain!!
...and 3 scoops later I had enough out of the way I could use compressed air to blow the rest of the mess all over the place...LoL
NOW this is what a proper passenger side cowl drain is and what it should look like!
Also remember that directly below the fresh air door is your ECM!! A backed up cowl drain will let water rise till it comes in around this door assembly and right down around the ECM - how thoughtful GM!!
So make cleaning the cowl drain part of your spring cleaning projects!!
Thanks for looking!!
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Great pics and explaining of each area orlen.I can sunnys drains have been water proof covered since 2003 and garaged and covered since early 07.Mine are clearly minty clean but well worth checking or refreshing if your ride sits outside uncovered.
If you don't keep it clean you end up with this.
Thanks for the reminder Orlen, still haven't checked the 84 and I'm curious to see what it's going to look like when I'm in there.
nice write up orlen , both of our j-bodys, the vert and hawk will be checked out.
Nice write-up Orlen!! Took me over twenty years to figure out why I got a little drip of water on the drivers side carpet every time I washed it. Luckily caught it about ten years ago and has been dry ever since. I also painted mine when I had it apart.
Here we go!
Might as well bump the thread.
Thanks to Orlen.
can this be done without removing the cowl? some way to shove a shop vac in there?
No easy way to get in there.
Best access is with the hood removed, but you can grab a length of wood and prop the hood up as far as you can - that'll help!
Also the top screws for the cowl can rust solid over time - some come easy & others are a waste of time. There is a small 7mm on each side at the fender and one each down under horizontal near the hinges.
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David Iwanicki wrote:can this be done without removing the cowl? some way to shove a shop vac in there?
12-14 years ago I cleaned out my '83 without pulling the top of the cowl. I was getting water on the pax floor and I noticed some junk hanging out of the bottom of the flapper. I pulled as much of it as I could from the bottom, then ran a hose in from the driver's side and let the water run until it flowed clean and freely. If you've got big chunks it may not work, but if you can at least break it free from the bottom, a good flushing might do the trick.
By the way, am I the only one who has found the cowl to be a handy place to keep a spare bottle of oil?
-Matt
82 Skyhawk Convertible:
https://goo.gl/j7R6Cu
83 P/2K Turbo:
http://goo.gl/EVKPX6
86 Firenza Cruiser: "Jack-Wagon"
https://goo.gl/bWP2uK
87 Skyhawk Custom:
http://goo.gl/krdDeU
90 Sunbird GT: "Turbo-Turd"
93 Sunbird Convertible: "FrankenBird"
(and a pair of Cavaliers I'd rather not talk about)
