How do you clean the years of "stuff", leaves, pine needles, etc. out of the cowl vent intakes aft of hood?

I pulled a small bird nest sized pile of Douglas fir needles out of one side, one needle at a time.

Where is water "supposed" to drain to? Engine bay like on 122?
Where does water end up if drain is clogged? Interior floor like 122?

How can I make sure the drain is clear?

My sun roof drains in A&C pillars were clogged too, dripping on head.

Thanks

After you've cleaned them, try to get a set of this (-'85) or these ('85-on). I added the screen myself. I agree with some that it reduces the airflow a bit(when not using the fan, which I try to save for when I really need it), but not too much (and it's worth curing the hassle of clearing out debris).

I may be a little late to the party. I haven't looked through all the brick board pictures yet, but I sure appreciate your posting of these pictures of the screened in vent caps. Very creative. The Snow-caps or vent-caps are VERY hard to come by these days. It's too bad that there aren't any aftermarket versions. Perhaps some enterprising BB member will figure out how to make some. Thanks for sharing the snaps, though.

Ditto on wishing for new production snow caps, the 86- one's have sold for silly money recently. They look easy enough to copy in fiberglass if one had originals to make molds from.

You could cut into the rocker just forward of the door, block off the rocker and open a hole forward of that for the egress of debris. No need for screens or cowls that way.
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1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb but electronic ignition and M46 trans in Brampton, Ont.

I don't know why Volvo didn't block off the rockers at the door seam, but they didn't so the gunk flows into the rockers and out the unplugged weep holes if not too large. The rest remains and has to be extracted by pulling the carpet, then the plastic plugs.

At least you have a 91, which is better rust-proofed and less likely to rust at the floor-rocker area.
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1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb but electronic ignition and M46 trans in Brampton, Ont.

The 240 was designed with airflow into the rockers. Leaf flow, needle flow, dirt flow too. The drains are under the fender and along the pinchweld at the bottom of the rockers. I know them by feel, not sight -- always seems to be a needle protruding from one.

Yes, I think they can overflow into the floor pans at the front of the rockers if the drains are clogged. The reason I say "I think" is I don't know for sure whether it was designed that way or just rusted that way.

Best vacuum attachment I've found is that blue corrugated electrical conduit.






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Art Benstein near Baltimore

I'm not into working out. My philosophy: No pain; no pain.

Thanks a lot. I can see a weekend gunk removal project starting. Now I know where to look! From the size of piles I removed from cowl, I'm betting there is a nest in rockers too.

I'm after the vent/snow cap also if anyone has one for sale, same needed for 122 and CJ7 Jeep (same issues). Too many trees?

screen seems to be a key.

Thanks for the help

I have seen on this board, several recommendations from people who have used a large strip of flexible magnetic material - similar, I imagine to the kind of magnetic material used by people who have removable advertising that they place on their car/van doors - I don't know the proper name of the stuff, but I think you know what I'm talking about. People have used that stuff - cut to size - and placed it over their cowl vents to keep the junk out when the car is sitting under the trees. Hope that helps until you find either a snow-cap or a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Clever idea, this would help with a couple of my vehicles that sit out under forest trees when parked.

Gotta be cheaper than a new garage.

Could be used to make removable bumper stickers, eh?

Where can you buy sheets of that magnet stuff?

"Where can you buy sheets of that magnet stuff?"

Home Depot/Lowes sell a $5 kit which includes 3 sheets--each sheet can do one car. The kits are meant to cover home hot air vents during the summer. -- Dave

Here are a few places who sell flexible magnetic material in easy to cut rolls. In sizes 24" wide by up to ten feet in length - these 24"x 10' roll sizes or smaller are your best bet for low cost. If you order the basic white color it's usually pretty inexpensive - comparatively speaking, of course. If you buy the white colored stuff, you can paint the magnet material the same color as your car and paint your own black stripes on it - to mimic the cowl-vent "look".

http://www.dickblick.com/products/flexible-magnetic-sheet/

http://www.magnets-flexible.com/sheets.htm

Thanks, good idea