Rust ate my dash (need opinions/experience)

I've owned my 92 YJ for going on 7 years. Occasionally, during heavy
rains, I would get a boot full of water (left leg) or my passengers
would get their right leg soaked. I assumed it was simply the
windshield rail filling up with water behind the lip that the soft top
hooks into. When enough water fills the rail, it's gotta go somewhere
right? Although annoying to me (and absolutely ****es off the wife),
it's an easy thing to live with. It's not like I can stop the rain,
and the sudden sensation of a soaked pantleg keeps my senses sharp and
on the edge (grin). However, a few weeks ago, after the death of my
stereo system, I began to think differently about water finding it's
way into the cab. Because the deck was fried, I took it out and waited
for the rain. Sure enough, a big-assed steady drip of water fell right
where the deck sits in the dash. This wasn't water from the windshield
rail. I checked the drain tube from the vent on the hood. This huge
port was not clogged and drips water (amazingly) straight down on the
starter solenoid like it was designed to do. Next, I got me a
replacement cowl seal from JC Whitney. The cowl rubber on my rig is/was
cracked and worn. You may recall a previous post by me stating that
the dealer wanted over $100.00 bucks for this strip of rubber. I got
mine for $35.00 bucks after shipping thank you very much. So, today I
dropped the windshield for the first time. No big deal really. I
found **** from the previous owner - a Bic lighter (empty), an inkpen,
and some parking stubs from a parking lot in Canada (where my Jeep was
born). That stuff meant nothing compared to what I found when those
hinges creaked for the first time in 14 years. The tub (thankfully) was
sound. The underside of the windshield was just dandy. The screws
holding the cowl rubber showed surface rust, but not that bad. The
dash lip that sits over and bolts to the tub however, is/was a complete
and total loss. I found rust so bad that it looked like chunks of
cornflakes along the entire span of the dash. I could literally scoop
up chunks of rust with a spoon. Not one spec of rust anywhere else on
this vehicle, but the lip of the dash is wasted. I went ahead and
changed the cowl rubber cuz I went to all that trouble, but the job is
half done. I need a new dash husk or possibly get creative with some
stainless sheet metal. There are no problems with the instrument
cluster and all the plastic is sound. I'm worried that after I get the
dash off, I won't be able to get nuts on the underside of that lip. If
anybody has wrenched through this process, please enlighten me as to
your solution(s). I'm looking for that "what would you do" type of
response so I can ponder my attack.

Thanks,
Brian

Nice description, but does the affected piece of metal have holes in it? If
it has holes in it, them you'd better see about getting a replacement piece
welded in. If it doesn't, then treat it with something, paint it, and pay
more attention to the seal in the future.

Earle

"brianc" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> I've owned my 92 YJ for going on 7 years. Occasionally, during heavy
> rains, I would get a boot full of water (left leg) or my passengers
> would get their right leg soaked. I assumed it was simply the
> windshield rail filling up with water behind the lip that the soft top
> hooks into. When enough water fills the rail, it's gotta go somewhere
> right? Although annoying to me (and absolutely ****es off the wife),
> it's an easy thing to live with. It's not like I can stop the rain,
> and the sudden sensation of a soaked pantleg keeps my senses sharp and
> on the edge (grin). However, a few weeks ago, after the death of my
> stereo system, I began to think differently about water finding it's
> way into the cab. Because the deck was fried, I took it out and waited
> for the rain. Sure enough, a big-assed steady drip of water fell right
> where the deck sits in the dash. This wasn't water from the windshield
> rail. I checked the drain tube from the vent on the hood. This huge
> port was not clogged and drips water (amazingly) straight down on the
> starter solenoid like it was designed to do. Next, I got me a
> replacement cowl seal from JC Whitney. The cowl rubber on my rig is/was
> cracked and worn. You may recall a previous post by me stating that
> the dealer wanted over $100.00 bucks for this strip of rubber. I got
> mine for $35.00 bucks after shipping thank you very much. So, today I
> dropped the windshield for the first time. No big deal really. I
> found **** from the previous owner - a Bic lighter (empty), an inkpen,
> and some parking stubs from a parking lot in Canada (where my Jeep was
> born). That stuff meant nothing compared to what I found when those
> hinges creaked for the first time in 14 years. The tub (thankfully) was
> sound. The underside of the windshield was just dandy. The screws
> holding the cowl rubber showed surface rust, but not that bad. The
> dash lip that sits over and bolts to the tub however, is/was a complete
> and total loss. I found rust so bad that it looked like chunks of
> cornflakes along the entire span of the dash. I could literally scoop
> up chunks of rust with a spoon. Not one spec of rust anywhere else on
> this vehicle, but the lip of the dash is wasted. I went ahead and
> changed the cowl rubber cuz I went to all that trouble, but the job is
> half done. I need a new dash husk or possibly get creative with some
> stainless sheet metal. There are no problems with the instrument
> cluster and all the plastic is sound. I'm worried that after I get the
> dash off, I won't be able to get nuts on the underside of that lip. If
> anybody has wrenched through this process, please enlighten me as to
> your solution(s). I'm looking for that "what would you do" type of
> response so I can ponder my attack.
>
> Thanks,
> Brian
>
>

I got lost in his description -- is it the dash panel that is rotting or
is it the riser where the tub meets the bottom of the windshield?

I don't know if it holds true for the YJ series tubs but on the
post-1976 CJ series the tub has Rivitnuts set in a lip to hold the dash
bolts, no nuts.

Either way, agreed on paying attention to the seal. Some advocate
folding the windshield down a couple times a season to let the seal
relax a bit and reseat.


Earle Horton wrote:
> Nice description, but does the affected piece of metal have holes in it? If
> it has holes in it, them you'd better see about getting a replacement piece
> welded in. If it doesn't, then treat it with something, paint it, and pay
> more attention to the seal in the future.
>
> Earle
>
> "brianc" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>
>>I've owned my 92 YJ for going on 7 years. Occasionally, during heavy
>>rains, I would get a boot full of water (left leg) or my passengers
>>would get their right leg soaked. I assumed it was simply the
>>windshield rail filling up with water behind the lip that the soft top
>>hooks into. When enough water fills the rail, it's gotta go somewhere
>>right? Although annoying to me (and absolutely ****es off the wife),
>>it's an easy thing to live with. It's not like I can stop the rain,
>>and the sudden sensation of a soaked pantleg keeps my senses sharp and
>>on the edge (grin). However, a few weeks ago, after the death of my
>>stereo system, I began to think differently about water finding it's
>>way into the cab. Because the deck was fried, I took it out and waited
>>for the rain. Sure enough, a big-assed steady drip of water fell right
>>where the deck sits in the dash. This wasn't water from the windshield
>>rail. I checked the drain tube from the vent on the hood. This huge
>>port was not clogged and drips water (amazingly) straight down on the
>>starter solenoid like it was designed to do. Next, I got me a
>>replacement cowl seal from JC Whitney. The cowl rubber on my rig is/was
>>cracked and worn. You may recall a previous post by me stating that
>>the dealer wanted over $100.00 bucks for this strip of rubber. I got
>>mine for $35.00 bucks after shipping thank you very much. So, today I
>>dropped the windshield for the first time. No big deal really. I
>>found **** from the previous owner - a Bic lighter (empty), an inkpen,
>>and some parking stubs from a parking lot in Canada (where my Jeep was
>>born). That stuff meant nothing compared to what I found when those
>>hinges creaked for the first time in 14 years. The tub (thankfully) was
>>sound. The underside of the windshield was just dandy. The screws
>>holding the cowl rubber showed surface rust, but not that bad. The
>>dash lip that sits over and bolts to the tub however, is/was a complete
>>and total loss. I found rust so bad that it looked like chunks of
>>cornflakes along the entire span of the dash. I could literally scoop
>>up chunks of rust with a spoon. Not one spec of rust anywhere else on
>>this vehicle, but the lip of the dash is wasted. I went ahead and
>>changed the cowl rubber cuz I went to all that trouble, but the job is
>>half done. I need a new dash husk or possibly get creative with some
>>stainless sheet metal. There are no problems with the instrument
>>cluster and all the plastic is sound. I'm worried that after I get the
>>dash off, I won't be able to get nuts on the underside of that lip. If
>>anybody has wrenched through this process, please enlighten me as to
>>your solution(s). I'm looking for that "what would you do" type of
>>response so I can ponder my attack.
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Brian
>>
>>
>
>
>