Heater box - how does water get in it ?

[AUSMHLY]

Here's today's challenge.
Hello Guys.

After washing the Handsome Beast, water drips from the heat box, at the corner of the heater box air flaps. How or where is the water getting into the box?

I've let the garden hose run a steady stream of water half way between the windscreen and the bonnet. I've made sure the water does not get to the bonnet rain channel. It streams around the windscreen rubber seal and both of the wiper boxes and jet outlets.

While the water is running, I'm looking under the dash, at the wiper boxes and the jet outlets. No water drips from any of those 4 points.

Is there a drawing out there or does anyone have some photos showing how the heater box is connected to the frame.

I don't have any type of seal along the stainless steel bead. FWIW.

Any ideas of where I can look to see where the water is getting into the box?

Anyone? Also know as the regulars, who love a challenge. Please tell me I'm not the only person who has water dripping from this place.

Drive it like you stole it.
Roger

Editing my post here.
When I use the term heater box, I am referring to the long rectangular tube that the heat goes into and escapes via the two black hinged flaps.
Not the black box that the heater radiator is in.

What is the correct name for that tube that goes from one side of the car to the other, and carries the hot air, heat directed at our feet?

 

[Sparkie93]

Roger,

I sent you a PM. I can take a photo of the box out of the car if it helps.

Robert

 

[AUSMHLY]

Hello Robert,

No PM on this end. Will you please resend.
Thank you,
Roger

 

[Keoke]

Hi Roger, What type fastener is holding the center bracket of your windscreen in place.? Keoke

Well are you sure the rubber { "Well Nut" } has not perished ?

 

[AUSMHLY]

Hi Keoke,

It's the orginal stock metal bracket, L-shaped. Attaches to the scuttle top by the rubber plug and metal screw.

Roger

Keoke, the rubber is new.

 

[Ed_K]

Roger,
When you say " heater box by the air flaps " , do you mean the
long air plenum that the heater fits behind and then routes the heated air to the feet of both the driver and passenger ?
Did you also wash the inside of the engine bay when you washed your car ?
If yes, check the rubber grommets for any gaps. If I remember right, the steering rod goes through that heater air plenum so check the seal around the steering rod.
Ed

 

[AUSMHLY]

Roger,
When you say " heater box by the air flaps " , do you mean the
long air plenum that the heater fits behind and then routes the heated air to the feet of both the driver and passenger ?
Did you also wash the inside of the engine bay when you washed your car ?
If yes, check the rubber grommets for any gaps. If I remember right, the steering rod goes through that heater air plenum so check the seal around the steering rod.
Ed

Hello Ed,
Yes I mean the air plenum (is that the correct name?).

No, I did not wash the engine bay. No water got in there at all. Thank you for asking that question.

As I mentioned, in my attempts to find the leak, I ran a garden hose and did not let any of the water get close to the bonnet.

Roger

 

[Keoke]

Roger,
When you say " heater box by the air flaps " , do you mean the
long air plenum that the heater fits behind and then routes the heated air to the feet of both the driver and passenger ?
Did you also wash the inside of the engine bay when you washed your car ?
If yes, check the rubber grommets for any gaps. If I remember right, the steering rod goes through that heater air plenum so check the seal around the steering rod.
Ed

Hello Ed,
Yes I mean the air plenum (is that the correct name?).---

No, I did not wash the engine bay. No water got in there at all. Thank you for asking that question.

As I mentioned, in my attempts to find the leak, I ran a garden hose and did not let any of the water get close to the bonnet.
Roger, the test to find the keak you just defined' seems' to exonerate all sections on the car except those associated with the bonnet?? ----------------Keoke

Roger

 

[AUSMHLY]

Keoke,

Here's the story. After washing the car and drying it, I open the bonnet. The engine compartment is dry, no water SEEMS to have gotten in there. So I figure it's got to be coming from the top, near the windscreen? That's why I run the hose in the area around the windscreen. If the water gets to the bonnet, it will flow over the edges and into the water channel and drain through the two small holes in the left and right side, near the radiator. So I'm directing the water around to windscreen in order to rule out the engine compartment.

Were does the water go, when it's flowing around the windscreen, then to the stainless steel bead and the wings is my question. I don't have any sealant next to the stainless bead.

So my question is how is the air plenum installed or how is it a part of the car? I know of only 3 openings. One is on the front side of the air plenum for the heater box (which I have placed a seal around the opening) and the other openings are for the 2 air vents. There is another opening, for the fresh air tube, but that appears to be blocked off in the air plenum.

All the rubber plugs and rubber hoses are dry on the fire wall.
Yet water drips from both of the air vent tubes in the air plenum.

Roger.

 

[Ed_K]

Keoke,

.......

Were does the water go, when it's flowing around the windscreen, then to the stainless steel bead and the wings is my question. I don't have any sealant next to the stainless bead.
////
Yet water drips from both of the air vent tubes in the air plenum.
.........

Roger.

I didn't pick up on the fact that you didn't use that tar like roll of sealant between the shroud and the trim bead between the wings and the shroud.
There are two or three mounting holes for the wings that run along the edge of the cowl and are " open " into the interior of the car under the dash. If I remember , the most forward hole on each side of the car interior goes through several layers of sheet metal. Since you don't have that strip of tar like sealant installed, those holes provide a way for water to drip down into your interior on both sides of your car. You probably won't notice it unless you are washing the car. A small flow of water across the bead would probably find it's way to the ground through the crack without going into your interior. Your car also now has a couple of extra holes for your door switch wires for your courtesy lights !
... My advice... Loosen up the bolts that hold on your wings and then install some of the usual tar like ( or any ) type of sealant between the trim bead and the shroud at least along the area next to the windshield frame. It would be the first few holes from the rear edge of the front wings on each side of your car. Plus seal up around your new wires where they go through the sheet metal.

:hammer:

Ed

 

[bob hughes]

Roger

Remove the top off the dash board and then apply the water, my thoughts are that the windscreen seal may be letting water through, but the puzzle is why is it not dripping from the u/s of the shroud as it should not be able to get into the fresh air vents, unless they are flush with the shround and sealed to it.

Bob

 

[AUSMHLY]

Roger

Remove the top off the dash board and then apply the water, my thoughts are that the windscreen seal may be letting water through, but the puzzle is why is it not dripping from the u/s of the shroud as it should not be able to get into the fresh air vents, unless they are flush with the shround and sealed to it.

Bob

What is u/s?

 

[AUSMHLY]

Keoke,

.......

Were does the water go, when it's flowing around the windscreen, then to the stainless steel bead and the wings is my question. I don't have any sealant next to the stainless bead.
////
Yet water drips from both of the air vent tubes in the air plenum.
.........

Roger.

Your car also now has a couple of extra holes for your door switch wires for your courtesy lights ! Plus seal up around your new wires where they go through the sheet metal.

:hammer:

Ed

All good points Ed,
It's not coming from the push pin wire. The wire has been sealed with a rubber plug. Plus the wire enters the car infront of the air plenum.

 

[shorn]

Roger,
I have found that water gets inside my 64 BJ8 around the rubber washers under the chrome bezels for the wiper arms. IMO the washers are a little undersized and because the bezels are angle cut, the seal is not great. Try running water from a hose directly on those two washers and see if that is a problem. My fix was to make slightly larger washers.

 

[Keoke]

Well Roger, Ed, Bob and Shorn, are getting pretty close to your problem. If you did not seal the shroud to the scuttle correctly you can have water let into the car on both sides and may be a hidden source because it exists behind the foot well panels or is admitted between the shroud and scuttle. For this latter case it will have direct access to the air vents seen on top of the dash. Perhaps sealing along the side of the scuttle where the wings and bead attach may stop the leak???? --Keoke

 

[AUSMHLY]

Roger,
I have found that water gets inside my 64 BJ8 around the rubber washers under the chrome bezels for the wiper arms. IMO the washers are a little undersized and because the bezels are angle cut, the seal is not great. Try running water from a hose directly on those two washers and see if that is a problem. My fix was to make slightly larger washers.

Thank you for that suggestion Shorn,

In my first post, I addressed that:
While the water is running, I'm looking under the dash, at the wiper boxes and the jet outlets. No water drips from any of those 4 points.

Even if water was dripping from there, I believe it would drip straight down or follow the path of a wire or hose. I don't think it would end up in the air plenum.

Roger

 

[AUSMHLY]

Well Roger, Ed, Bob and Shorn, are getting pretty close to your problem. If you did not seal the shroud to the scuttle correctly you can have water let into the car on both sides and may be a hidden source because it exists behind the foot well panels or is admitted between the shroud and scuttle. For this latter case it will have direct access to the air vents seen on top of the dash. Perhaps sealing along the side of the scuttle where the wings and bead attach may stop the leak???? --Keoke

Yes, Keoke, with the help from everyone here, I think "we" may find that leak area.

I'm not sure if there is any seal between the shroud and scuttle. I recently found this out a little while back when trying to figure out why I wasn't getting much air pressure from the demisters. That's another tread a while back.

OK guys, here's what I'm going to do over the next few days. Remove the wood dash top and see if any water is getting past the windscreen rubber seal and making a path somewhere.

I also think it may have something to do with my not having any seal around the stainless bead. Being I've been told I have too much time on my hands, someday I may remove the wings, run some water and watch where it goes. UNLESS, someone out here has a BJ8 with the wings off and would like to do the water test for me.

I've run my fingers across the top of the air plenum box and all I get is dust. Dry to the touch.

Drive it like you stole it.
Roger

 

[Ed_K]

I had the exact same problem as Shorn has described. The new gaskets for the wiper arm bases from our usual suspects were more like thick tar paper than real rubber or neoprene.
I went to the hardware store and bought some plumber's packing which comes in red or black. It is a much better material to use for those gaskets then we seem to be able to get from our usual suspects ! When I cut out the gaskets, I made them a little larger than stock so it would properly seal with the angle of the wiper arm base.
Ed

 

[GregW]

Hi Roger,
Am I crazy, or did you change your post? I most likely won't see my car until late April or May, so no water test from me. I wonder if there was a hole drilled in the side footwell into your airbox. Do you have any old photos of when the car was in the body shop?

 

[Lin]

Roger,
I am afraid that I cannot help much on this one. However, in reviewing the thread I do recall that you did remove some mounting screws for the front wings to install your accessory light switch. If you were not having the water problem before, might it be that the leak is related to something that was disturbed when you had the wings loosened from their mountings? Just a thought?

Lin