Water behind foot well panel

[stalderp]

When I run water into the cowl I've got water running out of the drainage hole which empties into the engine compartment (normal) AND water which runs out of the end and down behind the foot well inner panel (passenger side where the round air vent is). Is this normal?
Thanks for feeback.

[namba209]

There are two cowl drain vents, one is below the wiper motor and drains on the shelf above the clutch and brake pedals. The other is on the passenger side and drains right below the hood latch mounting point. Both of the drains have a low point in the cowl floor, but it's only about 1/4'" deep. You may be running too much water in the cowl for the drains to handle, they are only about quarter sized, probably an inch in diameter. HTH.

[stalderp]

Namba209 - So all the water in the cowl is supposed to drain into the engine compartment through the drain holes and nowhere else?

[soybean]

Yep. If you're still getting water in the passenger compartment. Get someone to pour water in the cowl, and contort youself under the heater box with a flashlight and see if you can see the source of the leak. If you need a picture of the heater box, I can get one for you tomorrow as I have a gutted Gt. Hth, Jarrell

[Tru-Craft]

Mine has the same passenger side leak.
Seems to be coming in around the heater core which is disconnected.
Still haven't found it.....yet!
Jarrell, I will try the water test.
namba209 the drains are open, I think the water is flowing over the edge of the cowl floor on mine.
I tried building a dam with silicone to try and stop it, didn't work.
?
Lyle

[GTJIM]

The ventilation ducts connect up through into the area under the front screen around the wiper motor area - at each end of it.
If too much water for the drains to handle gets into their it over-flows into the ventilation ducts. Happens when the drains get blocked too - then the pools of water rust their way through the ends of the under cowl area. If you pull the mesh in front of the screen (under the hood) and use an Endoscope (borrowed from the Proctology Dept at the local Hospital!) You can check this out.

[Tru-Craft]

Originally Posted by GTJIM The ventilation ducts connect up through into the area under the front screen around the wiper motor area - at each end of it. If too much water for the drains to handle gets into their it over-flows into the ventilation ducts. Happens when the drains get blocked too - then the pools of water rust their way through the ends of the under cowl area. If you pull the mesh in front of the screen (under the hood) and use an Endoscope (borrowed from the Proctology Dept at the local Hospital!) You can check this out.

That's what is happening. If I look (No scope) at the end of my passenger side cowl floor, all the way back by the fender, there is a slight raised ridge before it drops off to the vent area. Part of that ridge seems to be missing, rusted away probably.
My next plan was to try and put some bondo in there to make a dam.
?
Lyle

[namba209]

On each end of the cowl chamber there is a ridge with a triangular piece going up from that. It's tall and wide enuff to slow down excess water but still allow air flow around it to the kick panel vents. HTH.

[soybean]

Here are some pictures of the heater box. The Drain lip on sides is apx 1/4 in''.
The Drain lip in center is 3/16 in''. That may be where your water is coming from. Sorry the interior pictures are dark, but the inside of the box has been painted with 2 coats of POR-15. The other pictures are from under the hood. I believe the one is a cowl drain hole. I may be wrong, if so correct me please. HTH, Jarrell

[stalderp]

Thanks for all the comments, pictures and advice. Here's a picture from inside the cowl looking towards the passenger side. It's easy to see the channel on the left side that should take the water to the drain hole. It's also easy to see that there is some metal missing at the end to keep water from running over the end and into the vent area. Was anything there to start with? If so wouldn't it rust all of the metal barrier?
Tru-craft is this what yours looks like and where you tried to build a barrier?
How is this fixed if at all?

[namba209]

Jarrell, in you first pic, the "cowl drain hole?" is the heater box cavity drain. The actual cowl drain on the passenger side is just below the hood latch attaching point. I have some pics, I think, I took of Willit? that show the ends of the cowl, when Dave (nodoby) was contemplating his cowl induction for Thumper. I'll see if I can find them in my other computer. HTH.

[Tru-Craft]

Originally Posted by stalderp Thanks for all the comments, pictures and advice. Here's a picture from inside the cowl looking towards the passenger side. It's easy to see the channel on the left side that should take the water to the drain hole. It's also easy to see that there is some metal missing at the end to keep water from running over the end and into the vent area. Was anything there to start with? If so wouldn't it rust all of the metal barrier? Tru-craft is this what yours looks like and where you tried to build a barrier? How is this fixed if at all?

Yes, thats what mine looks like.
Taking a picture of it was a good idea, the camera will fit inside the cowl.
I was going to try re-building the barrier with some bondo.
Any thoughts?
Lyle

[blancojp]

on both sides of the car right by the car jacking points, you will see three rectangular holes which are about 4mm wide byt 25mm long. These are the lower vent drains which are always clogged on most cars I have seen. The air/water that goes in through the cowl which does not scape through the engine area vents fall into a sealed section between the fender and the foot vent panel. This is why most opels have rust on that area. You will see the slots clearly near the weld union of the rockers.

[stalderp]

Sorry to keep this going but I just want to make sure that I understand clearly because these are tough areas to work on and if it's not totally necessary I'm going to pass. PLease tell me which option is most correct.

1. If some water runs through the end of the cowl and drains out through the drain holes at the bottom of the rockers (as bancojp says) then this it's normal and shouldn't be a problem if there's no rusting.

2. try and repair the end of the cowl tray or put up a barrier (as true-craft says) to keep maximum water in the cowl to drain normally in the engine bay.

All advice welcome.

Thanks