I have a squeak in mine that will sometimes drive me nuts.

Wow you made it look so easy, now I know I can fix mine.

I think the idea behind the cap and adhesive was not to cover the cracks but if bonded correctly it would distribute the stress out over a wider area.

I would like to see someone with the cowl exposed to cast a set of molds using fiberglass or plaster, then make a set of a dies to stamp or hydroform new repair caps cast from mimetic poly-alloy.

T-man, did you use any kind of adhesive or just weld the cracks? also can you reach the inside of the welded area to treat it against rust?

I was wondering if the adhesives you use for seismic retrofitting foundations would work.

Jim

 

Jim,

I drilled a bunch of holes in the patch panel, installed the patch using screws in strategic places so that it would pull the patch panel and the cowl together tightly, then welded each hole and the perimeter, removing the screws when fastened. No epoxy was used..

I have to devise a way of treating the inside of the cowl, as I too am concerned of rust developing inside. I think I can rig up a sprayer, either on my air compressor, or with a spray bomb using a nozzle from another lube can. Let you know what I do...when I do it.

I'd say the removal of bumper, grille, hood and fender should take an hour and a half or so, being careful not to scratch anything, notating where the shims were and such. I'm not the greatest welder, so that took a while, as well as fabricating the patch. I knocked an hour and a half off of the passenger side comparatively to the drivers, so it's easier the second time around..

 

The end result ???


Well, I read a bunch of threads on cowl repair and how it went. I noted in one of the threads, either here or another forum, that the guy who did the repair noticed that his truck rode better ??? Can't remember where I read it, but I do recall the statement that it handled and rode nicer after the repairs were made..

Well, either I'm easy on "subliminal suggestion" or it's indeed true. My truck was put back together today, and for the life of me, it actually feels better when driving it. It sounds strange, but it seems to handle better, and ride nicer.....

So, either I'm losing my mind, or it can make a huge improvement in how the truck rides..... I guess by stopping that dangnabbit squeaking.

 

T
I'd say your losing you mind.

Your fix looks nice.

In the meantime most every fix you do to your truck makes it run or ride better.

BTW Washing truck always adds 22HP

Add cleaning the interior makes truck go from 0 to 60 in 6 seconds and that a fact.

 

That guy who said it sure felt like it firmed up the ride down the rode was me...
The steering input felt better on my old crew, maybe because the cab was not flexing as much in the turns..
My cracks where pretty bad, as the old crew had the rear cab mounts go when the Govt owned it out in OR., and they continued to drive it.
The rear cab mounts where fixed when I got it, but the cowl cracks where bad still.

 

I knew I read what I thought I read..... Thanks for confirming this, as my scatterbrain hasn't been up to par lately...

Well, it's true. I think it has something to do with this special diet I'm on.

One Milkbone dog biscuit every half hour during the day. The idea is that it makes you feel "full", so you don't eat as much during meals...

Other than lifting my right leg to pee, and sniffing more butts that I usually do, I've continued to lose weight on a regular basis. I guess the occasional barking episode that I go through, I would consider normal....