M5OD Smell Trans Fluid In Cab

[Mark_88]

Did you also cover the drain below the windshield? That is where some leak...

 

[Mhfco6]

No I did not. So other than shining a flashlight in those ridiculously small holes at night time, I could just take that cover off correct? Do the 2 nut looking pieces on the wipers let you take this cover off or does it just pop off after you remove the wipers?

 

[kimcrwbr1]

If it is over full just remove the fill plug on level ground and let it drain until it stops.

 

[Mhfco6]

Yup, plan on doing that when it stops raining. I would pull it in the garage and work on it but I'm also trying to take it easy for a few days. I just had 3 ESI injections in my back for 2 herniated discs. Not fun. I just looked into the cowl holes with a flashlight. I could see the rod that moves the wipers and it looked like a trough maybe 3-4 inches deep across the truck. Didn't look too bad. Truck color is blue. Still had blue and grey paint along with minor surface rust. I found a brother forum where someone posted about removing the cowl vent. He said there are clips on each side of the cowl to remove it after you remove the wiper blades and wrestle the antenna off. It was said that the hood should be at a particular angle to get the cowl off.

 

[Mark_88]

I think that is the F150...although it would be nice...I know the older cabs up to 92 did not allow the cowl cover to come off easily...they can be cut but that requires welding it back or making your own fasteners...not easy unless you are handy with that stuff and not really worth the effort.

If the drain is leaking it can be a pain to repair...needs to be taken apart inside and outside the firewall in some cases...others might get away with a patch...and this can all be the result of a leaky windshield.

If you haven't already done so you might want to pull the carpets out (requires seats to be removed also...and watch for the rivers to flow in...follow them to their source and see what is there. Expect the worst but hope for something easy...like a busted seam that can be repaired...

This isn't hard to do but you might give your back a day or so to settle...and get someone to help if possible because wet carpet is very heavy...hang it on a saddle horse or something similar and let it drip dry...takes a few days even with good sunny weather to dry out properly...then it is light as a feather...

 

[Mhfco6]

Thanks brother. I figured I would start with taking the seat and carpet/rubber out so I can see clearly what the problem is. I definitely need to rest my back first. Do you reckon the dash needs to come out? That would be a pain. I have a good buddy who welds for me, but for everything else I can just use some ingenuity. This truck is by no means a show truck, but would like to keep the outside as reasonable looking as it is now. It isn't too fancy right now anyways.

 

[Mark_88]

Not sure if you will be able to see anything unless you pull the dash out (eventually). The driver side shouldn't be that hard to tell if there is a leak since there is not much under that side...the passenger side has the heater box but you may be able to see up into the corner where they leak (mostly).

You can pull the lower panel out of the 91 dash and that might give you a bit better view...I can't remember exactly how much it reveals. I had a 92 that I was going to dash swap into my 88 along with the 3.0 engine...but changed plans with a better option.

On my 88 cab I could not see the rust in either corner very well until I pulled the dash and was trying to fit the 96 dash. At that point I could easily see and work on the area...it should be done again but that will wait.

Mine had mostly surface rust but some penetration rust on the passenger side. This I cleaned up as much as I could with wire brushes and sand paper and then blasted it with Rust Inhibitor and then rust paint on top. I can only hope it holds up a few years...but now I need to replace the windshield (cracked) and have it sealed good. I know the edging around the windshield is in good shape (mostly) but would like to clean it up before going ahead...

It is much preparation and hopefully yours is not too bad...but, again, don't count on it...it doesn't take much water to make it look much worse than it actually is...and you will probably be surprised at how small the leak really is...but water finds its own path and parties at that until it is fixed...

Let us know what you come up with...always interested in seeing these things come to completion...

I found this image of the driver side rust...thought I had more but must have deleted them...you can see this is mostly surface rust and it trickled down in a wash of destruction...

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x399/akwarian8/RustDriversidebelowwindshield_zps4b322caa.jpg

 

[Mhfco6]

I'm trying to post some pics but my internet is horrible out here. I pulled the seat, both chrome trim pieces on the floor, the rubber mat, and the carpeting. The passenger side looks absolutely fine. The drivers side on the other hand is a disaster. How would you recommend getting the firewall insulation off from around all the pedals/steering shaft etc..

 

[Mhfco6]

 

[Mhfco6]

I took a few more pics after I peeled up the black rubber mat that used to be attached to the metal floor. It looks a lot worse now. The rust stops where the firewall insulator/mat starts. It almost looks as if the water runs down off the mat and then where the mat meets the metal floor.. This is where the rust started. Here are the pics. Let me know what you think.

In this pic you can see where I raised up the firewall mat with my hand and there is no rust underneath.

 

[Mark_88]

Yes, the driver side floor pans definitely need to be replaced. Fortunately, you can purchase them from places like LMC and either weld them in yourself or have your friend do it.

The other section to inspect is the upper inside corner of the windshield. and the idea is to make sure the firewall is as clean and rust free as possible before replacing the windshield...

I mean if you had to patch the floor panel and reseal the windshield to get you through the winter that can be done...it's just such a pain to pull everything apart too much or too often.

Not sure how big the floor pans are or how much they cover, but I think they pretty much go right up to the seam just behind the pedals and then down to the back behind the seat...but you can have a look at them here:

http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/FR/full.aspx?Page=11

That shows a fairly big part of the floor area...and only $40 or so...I might have to order some for mine before they get too much thinner...

The main support area to watch for and protect is the pillar base...and yours looks clean from those shots. Maybe it's just the floor pans from having the water sitting on them...and I'd say if the passenger side is clean then your leak is on the driver side for sure...

 

[Mhfco6]

Yea passenger side looks fine. The pillar base is the the wall to the left of your feet in the driver seat? Or are you talking about the actual A-pillar? I'm not sure where the water is coming from. There is no rust trail like there was in the pic you posted.

Also I went out with a flash light last night and hit every part of the cowl outside that I could. I didn't see any light under the dash inside the truck. I also pushed the flashlight behind the firewall mat under the dash inside the cab and looked for light shining through the outside of the cowl. I didn't see any light anywhere.

It's not raining today. I'll take a water hose to the cowl and windshield today and see what happens.

 

[Mhfco6]

Ok I might have it narrowed down. I drowned the the cowl (both sides) and the windshield.. No dice. The drains seemed to function flawlessly, regardless of what I thought they would do given most people on the forum here say they clog up. Funny, I noticed a small water leak behind my seat during the heavy rain... Didn't think anything of it but after drenching the whole truck tonight that is the only spot I can see where water coming into the cab. I peeled off the back carpet so I could see everything. The water comes in by the rear window and streaks down the inside of the back cab and then like a water slide follows the interior kicker panel all the way down to the floor pan. Really strange if this is the ONLY source of water because there is no rust trail. I guess maybe the carpet at the floor pan soaked up all the water and then spread throughout the entire front part of the floor pan. The water trail itself might evaporate or all drain to the floor pan before it had a chance to rust??

 

[Mark_88]

It could well be the rear window or even the rear light causing the flood. Many have found the rear light to be leaking around the seal and repaired it by simply resealing the light...there are many posts on that one...

The rear window is less likely but possible...especially if there was a replacement done incorrectly by a previous owner...

That would be a real bonus for you as it would entail only fixing the floor pans and sealing the leak...but search the site on "third brake light leaking" or other similar search combos...you will find more than enough info on how to fix it the best way...

Found this also...easy enough...this guy just replaced the whole rear light...lol...I watched it and thought...wait, I didn't see him repairing the seal...but, anyway...he does address the problem and most see the headliner wet from the leak...although not necessarily.



This was actually more common on later models...the earlier ones like first and second gen weren't so affected...

 

[Mhfco6]

I will water test again before I make the decision to fix something. I only saw water coming from the seal on the rear window. Headliner wasn't wet at all.