cab leak
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Joined: May 2013
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cab leak
I've got an 86 f 150 ext cab,a few months ago I noticed a leak ,I thought was the windshield but could not get it to leak using the garden hose directed from every which way.The leak is right above my left knee. A friend of a friend said the cargo light is usually the culprit, I found the gasket dried and cracked I thought maybe it was leaking there and running down the headliner .So I used butyl rubber put it back together and tested it with good results. Now it's leaking again,anybody else had this problem,anyone know if that gasket is available anywhere?I was trying not to remove the headliner but maybe that's the quickest way in the long run
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Joined: Jan 2001
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From: Virginia
Leaks are hard to find. You will be disappointed if you take out the headliner, there is still a lot of metal above the headliner that blocks your view. I would also check the seam in the rain gutter above the driver's door, and it continues to the rear corner. It likes to leak back there and rust out your rear cab corners.
I believe I would also pull the chrome trim off from around the windshield and give it another coat of sealer. Carefully pry the side pieces off with a putty knife, make sure the putty knife is right at the clip so you won't bend the trim. Then take and slide the top trim off by pulling on it.
I believe I would also pull the chrome trim off from around the windshield and give it another coat of sealer. Carefully pry the side pieces off with a putty knife, make sure the putty knife is right at the clip so you won't bend the trim. Then take and slide the top trim off by pulling on it.
FTE Legend
Joined: Nov 2015
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From: Angier, NC
As said water leaks are hard to find.
You did not say when leaking? Is it when I drive flat on a hill facing up or down or sideways. You best t is when it is leaking to sit in the truck upside down looking up under the dash with a good light to see if you can see where it is coming from.
It could also be coming from the cowl area as it is also above your knee. I want to say there is factory seam sealer at the cowl to door post, would have to check my cab as it is all apart right now, to make sure of the sealer but it does dry out and crack to let water in.
Looking at the picture got me thinking are the cowl drains at the bottom of the fenders clear? If full of dirt and plugged water may have no place to go but inside. Maybe thru a rust hole?
Dave ----
You did not say when leaking? Is it when I drive flat on a hill facing up or down or sideways. You best t is when it is leaking to sit in the truck upside down looking up under the dash with a good light to see if you can see where it is coming from.
It could also be coming from the cowl area as it is also above your knee. I want to say there is factory seam sealer at the cowl to door post, would have to check my cab as it is all apart right now, to make sure of the sealer but it does dry out and crack to let water in.
Looking at the picture got me thinking are the cowl drains at the bottom of the fenders clear? If full of dirt and plugged water may have no place to go but inside. Maybe thru a rust hole?
Dave ----
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,577
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From: Washington
The rear cargo light gasket from the newer trucks is made better, I got one at the junk yard.
My truck drips water of the seat belt (left shoulder) ... never did fix this even after a new windshield.
Jim
My truck drips water of the seat belt (left shoulder) ... never did fix this even after a new windshield.
Jim
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Joined: Oct 2012
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From: Cumberland BC
I've got an 88 F350 high boy 4x4 that I have been trying to get on the road ASAP as the local RCMP didn't like my 1980, said "trucks this old shouldn't be on the road" and put it through a forced vehicle inspection, so, it was 50/50 on which one, so I figured the 88 was up., so being that it ran , and the body was nice, I figured I'd spend the $$ and hurry through the rest it needed done (ZF replacement) well, every thing was going fine until I was driving it back from the body shop (2 blocks sitting on a milk tote) and all of a sudden my right knee did much like the last fellows and was soaked quite quickly and after stripping away some of the steering and brake gear, to my surprise, the cowl was really rusty but only along the bottom, like the other fellow said the sealer along the bottom of the cowl had shrunk and cracked and broke away and seeing it was parked for a year near the water (Pacific) the water that made it's way through the cowl area really made a mess, the rest of the truck is better than average rust wise but it set me back a couple of weeks (hopefully not months)
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,561
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From: New Zealand
I also had a 'left knee' leak that was coming from the top of the windshield, running left along the inside of the wide, curved interior windshield trim, & dripping out the LH end.
As far as I can remember, it only leaked while driving; it seemed to need the wind to blow it in.
As far as I can remember, it only leaked while driving; it seemed to need the wind to blow it in.
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