Leak into cabin on drivers side

[Diesel]

So my truck has/had a leak into the cabin on the drivers side. I pulled the mat and threw it away to get ready for a new mat. I painted the rust free floor with POR15 just in case it leaks again and now I am hunting for the source. I think I may have fixed it because when I had the cowl off I saw a place by the windshield seal that the seal sealer was missing. I cleaned it up and injected a bunch of black silicone in there. I hear that it could also be the vent by my feet? Anything else it could be? I plan on tightening everything up then hitting it with a hose for a while to make sure the leak is gone before reinstalling the carpet.

[BobS]

The most common leak sources are the roof lip where the sealing compound reaches the end of its life and cracks or flakes off; the windshield area around the gasket rots through in a corner near the top of the windshield or the gasket seal itself becomes compromised; the seam which I believe you already found in the bottom corner of the windshield in the cowl area; the cowl crack problem; or the useless vent that is in the kick panel side below the dash. This vent acts as an overflow for the debris dam that forms in the bottom of the cowl. Then there are the roof marker light gaskets that leaks in some cases.

[Diesel]

The most common leak sources are the roof lip where the sealing compound reaches the end of its life and cracks or flakes off; the windshield area around the gasket rots through in a corner near the top of the windshield or the gasket seal itself becomes compromised; the seam which I believe you already found in the bottom corner of the windshield in the cowl area; the cowl crack problem; or the useless vent that is in the kick panel side below the dash. This vent acts as an overflow for the debris dam that forms in the bottom of the cowl. Then there are the roof marker light gaskets that leaks in some cases.

Thanks. Let me address them and see of it helps.

Rain gutters have been revealed when painted.

Just noticed today that the top of the windshield gasket at the corner was peeled away a little. So I pulled it back and reseated using silicone.

Bottom corner is sealed up with silicone.

Cowl cracks require removing fender to find right? Could I just seal the fender gap near the cowl so water can't get down there or will water get to where it is potentially cracked from another way?

The vent could be a culprit but I just don't know yet.

I don't have marker lights but sure wish I did.

[BobS]

Yes, you must remove the fenders to get into the cowl cracks. Also due to the age of these trucks you can expect at least two or more of the leak problems in the areas that I mentioned.

[Diesel]

So the window seals are less likely to cause massive leaks right? Like the seal that the window slides against?

[ramtough1993]

Mine would leak in by the spot in the floor where the parking brake cable went out of the cab, so I peeled back the carpet and siliconed all the way around it, hasn't leaked since.

[Diesel]

Wow just now getting back to this project...

So fender removal...do I have to remove the hood first? Any good way to mark the position of the hood so it goes back on correctly?

[CumminsPower59]

I've always used a sharpie to mark body panels so I can get them re aligned easier when it comes to assembly. You'll have to pull the hood before the fenders....

[Diesel]

Darn - that means I need to find a couple people to help me pull that hood. I can see the cowl leak from between the door and fender...I wonder if a piece of the roofing tar paper over it would work. The stuff that is basically dynamat but instead sold at home depot. I feel like I could reach in and put a piece over the crack and then hit it with the heat gun.

[PToombs]

I pull my hood my self, it sucks, but can be done. Put a heavy blanket or something at the base of the window. Unbolt 1 side and slide it down to the blanket, then do the other side. I think I put a block to hold the front up. When I get both unbolted I tip the front down, then grab as far back on the sides as I can and haul it away. Not recommended if your back is bothering you.

[CumminsPower59]

Thats how I did it...and doing it on a lifted truck isn't the easiest either...

[Diesel]

Also - removing the windshield...does that mean its gonna break? I was going to try and cut around the perimeter with wire and then press it out with my feet. Any chance I'll be able to save it? If not are the ones they are repopping now worth a damn?

[dazedandconfused]

I cut around my old gasket with a razor knife to get the windshield out and got another gasket to put the windshield back in with.

[PToombs]

Remove the zip strip and cut with a razor from that groove to the glass. You should be able to just about lift the glass out from there. Buy a new gasket, and not from the dealer. I paid about $120 from the dealer and when I got the glass put in they told me a gasket was about $30. Needless to say I was pissed!

[Diesel]

What is this zip strip? From the outside all I believe I've seen there is a rubber gasket running all the way around. So I cut that rubber down to the point where the windshield can press out. Best to store the glass vertically and not on its face I suspect?