Well i've been doin all sorts of stuff to my truck while its been down and while I've been waiting for fuel system parts to come. I put some smoked cab lights in and was trying to find the factory plug that they plug into (where is this by the way? I haven't spotted it yet?) and my passenger floor has always been wet so I decided to pull the side/vent panel and seal it off like in the sticky, but from the water drip tracks in the dust it looks like most of it is coming from my roof or windshield somewhere I think? I'll probably seal off the vent anyway and I was thinkin about drilling a small hole in the bottom of the floor to let the water drain so it doesn't just soak in my carpet for eternity.

Well while I was doing this I turned with my light and noticed some cracks between the door and cowl that I have never noticed before and they are on both sides but the drivers side is worse. I was wondering if anyone else had these and what did you do about it? or is it not too big of a deal? I've never noticed these at all before and I know I'll have this squeak in the cab sometimes that absolutely drives me nuts so I hit the dash hard and it stops for about 5 seconds and starts back up again. I was wondering if it could be these cracks or some other cracks in the cowl making these annoying noises. Could I take the cowl off and see what else I find or do i dare? can i just weld these up if i can get to them?
Here is the driver's side

and the passenger side (not a very good pic)

The more i work on this truck, i tear one thing apart then I end up tearin 3 more things apart to fix them while I'm at it and am getting myself in trouble and finding things I didn't want to find I guess I better be careful or it might find itself in the garage for the next few years under full restoration...

 

Yep, thats common, Do a search for cowl crack fix. Should be some info in the sticky.

 

Yeah but the parts to repair it are no longer available. So you will have to fab up your own patch panels.

 

your better off taking off your fenders so you can get directly at it man. i did mine over winter break.

 

My buddy was sayin he thought there was a recall on this or somethin? I think ill just get some sheet metal and weld er up one of these days. Should I take the cowl piece off and see what else I find?

 

driver side looks just like the cracks on mine. I didn`t fix it myself, my body guy welded them and then covered everything with spray bedliner!
Not trying to hijack but, what is that red heavy gauge wire in your first picture blacky?

 

Here it is "Blacky".........

http://wiki.dieseltruckresource.com/wiki/Cowl_Fix

 

ha its not heavy gauge red wire, its actually the wire for the cab lights but my camera must of been close up and makes it look big.

Alright it looks like I'll have somethin to fix in the next while, glad I noticed though. Thanks

 

Usually the wire for the cab lights is taped to the driverside door switch wires. If you lay on your back and stick your hand up beside the headlight switch below the A-pillar you will notice a square opening where three wires are going threw. Stick your hand in there and feel for one black rubber plug. That plug is for the cab light harness that would be coming down the A-pillar to plug into it. If I am not mistaken the wire is either brown or yellow.

 

I did a repair in 2008 but I don't know how to post a link to that thread so I'll try copying the page.

Well, that didn't work.

Here's the link, it's about halfway down the first page.

http://www.dieseltruckresource.com/d...t-t206839.html

 

Alright ill see if I can find that cab light plug. I sealed off the kick panel vent today and drilled two small holes inthe floor to help water drain instead of stay in the carpet. I just got it runnin tonight so i'm gonna wait a while before I fix cowl. Thanks for the pics. Would these cowl cracks add to getting water in the cab?

 

The cracks can allow water in, also the factory did a poor job of applying sealant on my truck and left a large hole right below the windshield which was a source of water leaks.

 

That area where the cowl cracks was never sealed from the factory. Water can get in through a seam under the bottom corner of the windshield. there is a factory weld there that also cracks. There is also a hole there that Dodge simply covered with a piece of sticky-gooey tape, like said above. Cab loghts are also a source of water. It dribbles down the pillar and comes out a seam high on the kick panel hidden by the dash. Also, the horizontal flat part of the firewall under the wiper lineage can rust out. I have had this on two of my 1977s but none of my 1991s so far. My 1981 crew looks like it might be galvanized in that area.

Here is a link with pics I did a while back. On post 8 you can see the stain from water that may have come down the pillar.

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...t=anatomy+cowl

Hope this helps. Eric

 

I get a drip around my windshield at the top of the A pillar. I'm pretty sure it's from the cab lights since the windshield and gasket is new, and it was leaking before they were replaced.

 

Pry back your new rubberjust inboard of the corner and look for this hole. The windshield installer may have overlooked it.