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Rocker Panel Access .

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Old Nov 18, 2015 | 07:15 AM
  #1  
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Rocker Panel Access .

I can't remember if there's access to the rocker panel on the front fender end of it or not . I got a bunch of junk in mine and want to get it out . it's either that or it's coat hanger time and some small tubing connected to a vacuum cleaner hose or something .
Old Nov 18, 2015 | 10:56 AM
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What I mean is a bigger hole then the one near the back of the car .
Old Nov 18, 2015 | 12:57 PM
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Usually there's access through the rust hole.

- Eric
Old Nov 18, 2015 | 05:46 PM
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There is no rust hole , the rockers are very solid
Old Nov 18, 2015 | 06:02 PM
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If you remove the kick panels, there is a one inch access hole at the bottom of that cavity on the vertical surface at the rear. Vacuum and long screw driver or pokey tool required. When torrential rains (or car wash) flood the top cowl area, the excess water is supposed to drop down through that area and exit out that one inch hole, into the "rain washed, air dried" rocker panel, assuming, of course, that your vehicle is upright and not sitting in flood water over the top of the hood!
Old Nov 18, 2015 | 07:31 PM
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Originally Posted by Yellowstatue
If you remove the kick panels, there is a one inch access hole at the bottom of that cavity on the vertical surface at the rear. Vacuum and long screw driver or pokey tool required. When torrential rains (or car wash) flood the top cowl area, the excess water is supposed to drop down through that area and exit out that one inch hole, into the "rain washed, air dried" rocker panel, assuming, of course, that your vehicle is upright and not sitting in flood water over the top of the hood!
I was afraid of that . I will have to put one of those wire feeder reels for running wires behind drywall in there and pull the stuff back and vacuum it out . Sounds like a fun time .
Old Nov 18, 2015 | 07:37 PM
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Maybe I can come up with a better idea for getting that stuff back toward that access hole so I can vacuum it out .
Old Nov 18, 2015 | 07:46 PM
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What about a air hose? Stick the nozzle in one end & block off any area around the nozzle & blow all the small stuff out the hole near the rear end?
Old Nov 18, 2015 | 09:48 PM
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Or jack the front of the car up a couple of feet and with the kick panels out, put a high pressure water hose into the front hole and flush the stuff out the rear hole. Any thing small enough to go through the cowl screen will end up in the bottom of the kick panel cavity, eventually plugging up the one inch drain hole. So if the vehicle has been driven in blowing sand or dirt or winter road sand and salt, expect that stuff to be in that cavity.

Last edited by Yellowstatue; Nov 18, 2015 at 09:53 PM.
Old Nov 19, 2015 | 05:23 AM
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Originally Posted by Yellowstatue
Or jack the front of the car up a couple of feet and with the kick panels out, put a high pressure water hose into the front hole and flush the stuff out the rear hole. Any thing small enough to go through the cowl screen will end up in the bottom of the kick panel cavity, eventually plugging up the one inch drain hole. So if the vehicle has been driven in blowing sand or dirt or winter road sand and salt, expect that stuff to be in that cavity.

How big is the front hole by chance ? I was wondering because I couldn't remember when I had the fender off .
Old Nov 19, 2015 | 09:40 PM
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You can't access the ONE INCH hole from outside. It is only accessible by removing the kick panel as I wrote in my first post. Big enough to get a hose nozzle in there.
Old Nov 20, 2015 | 05:07 AM
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Originally Posted by Yellowstatue
You can't access the ONE INCH hole from outside. It is only accessible by removing the kick panel as I wrote in my first post. Big enough to get a hose nozzle in there.
I thought you were saying there was a bigger hole behind the lower fender area when you mentioned " front hole ". I was hoping there was
Old Nov 21, 2015 | 11:21 AM
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Ok , I started digging this crap out of the rockers and it leads me to one more important question . How do you think it got in there ? Rodents ? Secret passage way leading from the cowl vents ? I ask because there are whole helicopter seeds from my moms silver maple tree from when I ignorantly used to store the car there years ago . I doubt they blew up through a one inch access hole on the under portion of the car near the rear QTR panels . Here are a couple of pictures .....



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Old Nov 21, 2015 | 11:23 AM
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I was viewing some past restoration threads that a good pictures of the cowl area , and it seems they must come down through the cowl . I realize someone kind of mentioned this earlier , but I wanted to confirm this .
Old Nov 21, 2015 | 12:27 PM
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Anything that will fit through those openings in the cowl will end up in the bottom of the cowl cavity, which can be accessed through the kick panel.
Old Nov 21, 2015 | 01:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Yellowstatue
Anything that will fit through those openings in the cowl will end up in the bottom of the cowl cavity, which can be accessed through the kick panel.

lol I don't know why I didn't think of the word " kick panel " that you mentioned a few times before . It makes sense now , you are referring to the " front " of the car , like where your feet go . Sorry for being ignorant , and I thank you for your patience and advice .
Old Nov 21, 2015 | 01:16 PM
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Unbelievable !!



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Old Nov 21, 2015 | 03:30 PM
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Ok , so where may this front access hole leading to the inside the rocker panel at ? Do I remove the vent trap door in picture two ? Also , I found these two pieces of tubing leading to the vent door actuator disconnected . The yellow and black one seems longer then the other one , so I'm assuming it goes to the side of the actuator that sticks out the least ? ( not the one in the middle ) ....





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Old Nov 21, 2015 | 04:20 PM
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You can get into the rocker area if you remove the vent cover with the A/C flapper in it.

- Eric
Old Nov 21, 2015 | 06:03 PM
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Originally Posted by MDchanic
You can get into the rocker area if you remove the vent cover with the A/C flapper in it.

- Eric
Awesome , I'm assuming your talking about the one in picture two .
Old Nov 21, 2015 | 07:31 PM
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Yes, the thing that covers up the standard kick panel vent outlet and replaces it with the A/C recirculation intake.

- Eric
Old Nov 22, 2015 | 12:16 AM
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The only issue I'm having now is the two heavy duty staples holding the actuator assembly to the rubberish ducting in the back of it . there's a staple on each side , and they're not easy to get at . Is there a better way ?
Old Nov 22, 2015 | 06:12 PM
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If you remove those five ? hex screws the whole assembly comes out in one piece. Hole should be in same location as driver side. There is a lot of soft filler in there to seal water so you have to pull and wriggle to get the assembly out. Save the filler.
Old Nov 22, 2015 | 09:25 PM
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I wish it was that easy , but I got it out . like I said there were heavy duty staples holding this thing to the duct works behind it . The staples were like three times thicker then what you would find in a staple gun . Once I got one out I had to just rip the other two free . There was no way in hell I could get to the other two . It didn't really do any damage anyhow , and I'm sure as hell not going to try to put them back in , even if I could . I'll just caulk around the edge after installation . Here's a photo of the hole behind this PITA . There are two holes down there . I'm assuming the one going straight back ( red arrow ) is the one leading into the rocker panel . I'm not quite sure where the smaller one on the side ( black arrow ) leads to though . There is also a photo of how clean this car is on the bottom side ....



There isn't not one hole in the bottom of this car ! Not even close . The only area that has rust scale at all is around the gas tank .
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Old Nov 23, 2015 | 08:47 AM
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Here's a picture of the staples I speak of . Other then that , I'm going to put a rest to this thread . I will add some of these pictures to my other thread as I attempt to progress with this car ....

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