What are these?
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Maricopa
What are these?
ok. So when I was putting in a new antenna I noticed these. in the engine bay at the back(cab side) on each side and in the middle are these little covers about 1 1/2 inch by maybe 2 1/2 or 3 inches. four screws. took them out but couldn't get the plates off. Just curious as to what are they or what they cover?
Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: Simi Valley, CA
Removing these access covers allows you to clean out debris (leaves, bird feathers, insects, you name it) from the cowl vent.
That dum dum stuff has now hardened up like a rock, so when trying to removing the covers, use a hair dryer to soften that crap up.
There's a drain for the cowl vent, allowing any water to escape. If it gets plugged up with stuff, water sloshes around, rust begins, sooner or later...
C1TB-81020A50-A .. Cover-Cowl Top Panel Access Hole
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2008
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From: Nanaimo, BC
Good to know. Thanks Bill and IsoGrifo for the prompt. I have a lot of fir trees around my place and am careful to not let junk into the cowl vent, but theres always some that makes its way in. Nice to know I can get access in there. The Mustangs/Falcons/Cougars etc are prone to cowl rustout and as far as I know there's no easy way to clean out debris. The parts houses sell a goofy plastic liner that you glue up from under the dash to "fix" the rotten out cowls.
Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: Simi Valley, CA
Good to know. Thanks Bill and IsoGrifo for the prompt. I have a lot of fir trees around my place and am careful to not let junk into the cowl vent, but theres always some that makes its way in. Nice to know I can get access in there. The Mustangs/Falcons/Cougars etc are prone to cowl rustout and as far as I know there's no easy way to clean out debris. The parts houses sell a goofy plastic liner that you glue up from under the dash to "fix" the rotten out cowls.
Under the dash connected directly to the underside of the cowl are two large fresh air ducts with flappers inside.
The drivers side comes off at a slight angle, the passenger side comes off at a 90 degree angle.
Removing the ducts allows access to the cowl. It's a PITA removing those ducts, but that's the only way to get in there.
From what I see in the pic, much of the debris will fall into those two ducts, as there's no screen at the top.
So all one would have to do, is remove the end grilles from the duct, wiggle the flappers, the stuff falls onto the carpet.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 282
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From: Nanaimo, BC
Even going through all that hassle, I don't think you'd do a very good job of cleaning them out. The design is sort of like a top hat with the top missing, the air comes up over the sides and down the top, like the wind blowing down a chimney. The debris can't make it up and over the sides and down the top, so it collects in the brim, continually gets damp, then rots out he brim. Now when you're cruising down the road, feelin' cool in your classic Ford, you hit a rain storm, and you're old lady's shoes get wet, the carpet stinks and the floorboards rot out. Dumb design if you ask me.
The early broncos had a good design, as the cowl vents were all plastic so they couldn't rot out the body structure. Too bad every other part of the body rotted out, especially the ones in the 70s, they must have been using lower grade metal by those days.
Which leads me to another possibly interesting question... Do you know if any year(s) of Ford used better or worse quality sheetmetal than others?
I know in the later 70s, they started glavanizing a portion of the cabs and the inner fenders of the trucks.
The early broncos had a good design, as the cowl vents were all plastic so they couldn't rot out the body structure. Too bad every other part of the body rotted out, especially the ones in the 70s, they must have been using lower grade metal by those days.
Which leads me to another possibly interesting question... Do you know if any year(s) of Ford used better or worse quality sheetmetal than others?
I know in the later 70s, they started glavanizing a portion of the cabs and the inner fenders of the trucks.
Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 88,826
Likes: 787
From: Simi Valley, CA
Even going through all that hassle, I don't think you'd do a very good job of cleaning them out. The design is sort of like a top hat with the top missing, the air comes up over the sides and down the top, like the wind blowing down a chimney. The debris can't make it up and over the sides and down the top, so it collects in the brim, continually gets damp, then rots out he brim. Now when you're cruising down the road, feelin' cool in your classic Ford, you hit a rain storm, and you're old lady's shoes get wet, the carpet stinks and the floorboards rot out. Dumb design if you ask me.
The early broncos had a good design, as the cowl vents were all plastic so they couldn't rot out the body structure. Too bad every other part of the body rotted out, especially the ones in the 70s, they must have been using lower grade metal by those days.
Which leads me to another possibly interesting question... Do you know if any year(s) of Ford used better or worse quality sheetmetal than others?
I know in the later 70s, they started glavanizing a portion of the cabs and the inner fenders of the trucks.
The early broncos had a good design, as the cowl vents were all plastic so they couldn't rot out the body structure. Too bad every other part of the body rotted out, especially the ones in the 70s, they must have been using lower grade metal by those days.
Which leads me to another possibly interesting question... Do you know if any year(s) of Ford used better or worse quality sheetmetal than others?
I know in the later 70s, they started glavanizing a portion of the cabs and the inner fenders of the trucks.
Today the sheetmetal is thin as onionskin paper, with plastic inner panels replacing steel to save weight.
Lean against one of these new puppies with your backside: BA-BUMP! Now you have a dent in your door, quarter panel, tailgate...whatever.
We used to go out to Riverside Raceway to watch the NASCAR events in my '65 F100.
We could stand on the top of the bedsides without denting them. Riverside was a roadrace course composed of hills and valleys, so standing there allowed a better view.
I wouldn't suggest doing the same thing with a 1980 or later pickup...don't ask me why I know this.
btw: If the wind blows strong enough, it'll blow 1000's of flower petals from Butchards Garden all the way to Nanaimo, and into your cowl vent!
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Senior User
Joined: Jun 2008
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From: Nanaimo, BC
Ha Ha, I wish! It would sure spruce the place up compared to all the Cedar, Fir, and Maple junk. Obviously, you've visited Victoria before. You know I've never even been to those gardens myself and I've lived here pretty much my whole life, but I hear it's an impressive place.
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Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: Simi Valley, CA
Ha Ha, I wish! It would sure spruce the place up compared to all the Cedar, Fir, and Maple junk. Obviously, you've visited Victoria before. You know I've never even been to those gardens myself and I've lived here pretty much my whole life, but I hear it's an impressive place.
On the ferry from Vic to Port Angeles, was a long time "old battleaxe" customer of mine that has a 1971 Lincoln. I noticed her first, tried to hide...didn't work.
She saw me...ach....my goose was cooked.
"Where have you been...I need parts for my Mark III?" Yadda yadda yadda.
I wanted to jump in the drink and swim for it!
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 4,375
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From: seattle
The access covers were stell plates held on with two screws on 61-5 and a huge rubber plug used 66 up As far as removing the crap in the kickpanel area...theres an ample size hole for most junk to fall through...but I strongly recomend rolling up your sleeve...or having your young son or daughter get their smaller hands/arms in there to pull the junk out and push what they can through the hole...its about 1/2" by about 3/4-1" long...the cowl plugs were put behind and just under the hood hinge mounting area, top center of cowl when hoods up and theres 1 each on the outboard area of each kick panel area which is only seen or accessable with the fender off...I believe theres a pic of a truck I parted a bit ago that you can see the kickpanel outer plate location.
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