32 Ford Cowl Vent

[32pu]

Hello, when I got my pickup, someone had previously drilled a hole in the cowl vent and bolted it closed using fender washers.

bought a new gasket and spring

Seems that with or without gasket in place the the front of the vent will sits up a little. It doesn't close all the way,

Is there anyway to adjust to get it to close flush?

thanks in advance

 

[DavidG]

If it fits without the gasket in place, then the problem is that the gasket is either too thick or too stiff. If it doesn't fit without the gasket, something is bent out of shape, perhaps where the arm for the lever is attached to the back of the vent or there's excessive wear on the roller where the ratchet notches seat. The former would be an easy fix, but the latter not so easy.

 

[marko39]

Does it fit with the mechanism disconnected? That will isolate the problem.

 

[deuce_roadster]

Was the mechanism hooked up while it was bolted down? IF not maybe because of an early vs late vent not hooking up to the hinge spot? Just a wild guess. Probably something bent if the original hinge spot is intact. David has probably seen every combination of problems.

 

[32pu]

Thanks for the replies, David this truck is mostly original. The fit shown in the pictures is without the gasket and the cowl vent disconnected from the mechanism. It doesn’t appear that the cowl vent itself is bent or distorted. So I’m guessing the mechanism on this truck. This truck was parked for 50 Plus in a garage years, so the where is minimal on the little arm and the bushing that rides on. Any further feedback would be appreciated

 

[32pu]

Here’s some more photos of the vent

 

[32pu]

Here’s the mechanism

 

[32pu]

So first two photos show Calvin laying fairly flush in place, but the vent is not centered within the opening there’s a large gap on the back. Second two photos show it’s centered where I think it should sit properly, but this causes the front lip to rise up

 

[DavidG]

It's the initial cowl vent as is the hinge (as it should be) judging from your photos. I agree that the vent appears to be as it should and is not bent or distorted (except for the extra hole which is immaterial regarding the fit).


Which of the two lever ratchets in your photo have you tried, the upper one or both.? The upper one is the initial version, but it doesn't always give the best result because of the way the keyhole is oriented (front to back) as opposed the other, later one with the keyhole oriented side to side.


Also have you oiled the two hinge pins to ensure that you are getting the full amount of designed travel fore and aft?

 

[32pu]

Hello David, yes that extra hole is what was used to bolted shut by the prior owner. The lower level ratchet is the one that was in the truck, I tried the new one didn’t seem to make a difference if anything it didn’t work as well.
No I have not oiled those hinge pins, I’ll do that but it seems to have a pretty free range of motion and the handle stopped within about a quarter to half inch of the bottom of the dash. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge

 

[Steve/IL]

While the cowl vent and the cowl appear to be in the same condition in the pictures, it is possible that the cowl vent was changed at some time? Your cowl vent is the early style. An early cowl vent will only work properly with an early hinge. The hinge brackets under the cowl are also different between the early and late styles. Do you know anyone with a late cowl vent that you could try?

I tried to convert an early style vent and hinge to the later style vent and hinge, but it still did align properly because of the position of the early hinge brackets.

David, Can you tell from the pictures if the hinge is the early or late style?

 

[deuce_roadster]

Definitely an early lid. Too bad he can't try a more common later one.

 

[32pu]

Steve/IL, that's a possibility to check into, I'll look under the dash tonight. But at a glanceit appeared that everything was factory install. The cowl vent (green paint) matches what's on the windshield hinge and other areas where I've found original factory paint.
thanks,

Frank

 

[Cool 33]

I have found that sometimes it helps to install the gasket, then set the lid in place and put a couple of bricks or other weight on it and then get under the dash and install the bolts/screws. the lid can also be shimmed with washers between it and the hinge to help it end up where you want it to be.

 

[32pu]

Ok thanks for that tip that makes sense, and easy to
execute

 

[VeryTangled]

Man I wrestled with this on my '35... Not much help here but expect the gasket to get a touch thinner after it finds a home. Still it's a fiddly job. Good luck.

 

[Mart]

Are the hinge pivots adjustable on the 32 pu? I worked on the cowl vent on my 41 pickup and found the best way was to slacken all the fittings and have the vent lid in place and then carefully reattach the hardware, while trying to not disturb the lid. I put two small anvils on mine to hold it down.

I did a video showing some of the process, it might be helpful even though not directly 32 related.

https://youtu.be/vD20xHSZYqs

Mart.

 

[1931 flamingo]

United Pacific re-pops both the 32 coupe and pick-up and sell individual parts. Most likely their cowl vent and latch mech are the later style. FWIW
Paul in CT

 

[DavidG]

Mart,

The hinge pivots are not adjustable on a '32.


Steve/IL,

From what I can tell in the photos, the arms and the movable portion of the hinge are the early version given the shape of the arm where the handle is attached.


Cool 33's suggestion is worth trying as the list of other possible fixes is shrinking.

 

[PeteVS]

I'm thinking that if you put the lid in place and hold it there firmly, then go under the dash and see what it would take to get the hinge in the right place to mate up with it. It might take a bit of surgery on one or the other half of the hinge or a wee bit of beating to get everything to line up