'71 dash fresh air pull knob...

[brider]

...right in the middle of the dash, that opens/closes the big fresh air flapper in the cowl; is there supposed to be a rubber boot over the push/pull rod where it goes thru the cowl opening to actuate the flapper?

I stuffed a fitted piece of foam in the flapper opening to block the major airflow for the winter, but there's an icy blast coming thru the hole where the push/pull rod goes thru.

Somebody please look under there with a flashlight and see if there's one there, or the remnants of one from long ago.

Thanks!

 

[snailwagon]

Mine doesn't have remnants of any foam, but it may have dissapeard 40 years ago. Without any sealant/ foam, it doesn't leak too much air. However, it is not water-tight and mud bogging results in muddy waters coming inside through it (never thought you could fit an old blues man in there).

 

[cruiserbrett]

I am not sure if the design changed, but on my 11/'71 the center cowl flapper has a rubber gasket on it, which seals off the flapper to the cowl when closed, and by some stroke of luck mine is still pliable and in good shape, enough to the point where it seals pretty well. If you take off the cowl louvre(where the wipers exit, and remove the cover, you will see the flapper and there is a rubber gasket all the way around, looks almost like it was molded onto the flapper itself.

Not sure if that helps, but I dont know if the design changed at some point. the entire actuating mechanism would be on the inside of the flapper seal when closed so there isnt a gasket or grommet on mine?

 

[brider]

Cruiserbrett, you hit the nail on the head. I stuffed a fitted piece of thick closed-cell foam into the opening UNDER the dash to block the air, but I'm getting an icy blast thru the little rod actuation cutout under the dash. It's coming thru the bad gasket.

Time to remove the cowl and plug it from up top, or duct-tape the inside part! Thanks!