Video - C10 Cowl Cleaning + Old Air Products Cowl Grills

[bry593]

The video below shows how I cleaned out my '71 C20 cowl. There was quite a bit of debris packed right up to the floor vent. It's important to clean this out once in awhile to keep rust from forming. GM failed to put a grill or screen on the outside cowl panel and any leaves, seeds or dirt will end up at the low spot of the cowl air intake.

To prevent recurrence, I installed some Old Air Products cowl grills (p/n 50-7236B). These are decent for the money and I'd recommend using them.

Here's the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFr7TsNVrvc

[RichardJ]

So, did you finish the job?

The rubber on the vent doors need replacing. drill out the tiny rivets on the door(s) and replace the rubber with new rubber material that is about 1/2' wider on all sides, except a little shorter top/bottom.
Hardware stores sell the rubber material in sheets. If you can find some reinforced rubber sheets that is flexible enough, it will last longer.

[franken]

https://www.oldairproducts.com/produ...-cowl-vent-kit

[bry593]

Just realized I forgot to mention, there are HVAC doors at both sides folks. The passenger side is very similar to the driver's. You need to clean both out.

No, didn't bother riveting or stapling any new rubber to the fresh air vents. Not worried about it. Pick your battles as they say.

[jimijam00]

Originally Posted by RichardJ

drill out the tiny rivets on the door(s) and replace the rubber with new rubber material

or just buy repops and spend the extra time doing something else.

[Peanut74]

I feel your pain. My air ducts were full to the bottom of the doors. The passenger duct had rotted out bottom so I had to make a new one. Not had just a bit of a PITA to get the radius right.

I got some black gutter screen from a local home improvement store so I can make my own cowl screen.

[firedemon]

i used the lmc screens seems the holes are too small . theres a huge loss in air flow with them in . i like having them open when its hot out

[Andy4639]

I use screen porch screen it's cheap. I also bought new doors for the kick panels.

[LS short box]

When I brought my 68 home it came out the CA high desert. The cowl and vents were packed to the top with pine needles and mouse and rat nests.
I pulled the vent doors out and cleaned every thing out. The seals on the vent doors were all but gone.
So because I'm cheap I went down to the local tire shop and they gave me an bad truck inner tube. I made the new door seals out of the inner tube. Cost me nothing.

[JMac11]

One thing I did while I had the front clip off was take a hole saw and enlarges the cowl drain enough that acorns wouldn't clog the system, plus I put in a cowl screen too.

[bry593]

With the cowl screens, I don't believe anything will ever block the drain again. Well, maybe if you park under a pine tree or something like that. Funny the way people think they are protecting their vehicle by parking under a tree. You'd be much better off parking out in the rain and sun.

[scottdburnett]

Any advice on how to clean up this mess?

Prior owner had glued a vinyl covered piece of cardboard over the kick panel and vent. I assume to cover up the metal that had been eroded by rust and debris. Not up for a full teardown and metal repair at this time.
I'm thinking about just getting the abs kick panels and reproduction vents from LMC and doing my best to get them to fit and stay in place.