Ford Escape cowl rubber seal replacement

A few people have asked so these are essentially the products that I used for my repair. Links added below.
Adhesive
www.amazon.com/J-B-Weld-31319...
Seal:
www.amazon.com/M-D-Building-P...
Every time I get a comment notice, I'll check the video and I'm amazed at how many views this video has. The reason there is not much build detail (and my son is wandering in and out of frame) is that I made this video to show a friend how I spent my afternoon and I forgot to set the video to unlisted. It seems like it has helped or inspired a few people to try to fix their vehicles themselves so I'm glad I left it public.

[@docohm50]

I saw my seal on my 2002 Ford Escape is deteriorated also. Love your idea and saved it to favorites. It's amazing what you find on KZbin to help you out. Thank you for taking time to share your DIY project.

[@variable851]

Hope it helps. I wish I had done a better job videoing it.

[@papapapa6689]

Thanks, helped me a lot. I gave it the 300th thumbs up.

[@variable851]

Glad it helped

[@gregshamieh6339]

Every Ford built in the last 20 years has this issue -- in the Flex and Explorer when the seal goes it causes a maddening buzz at highway speed that appears to be coming from inside the dash - turns smooth running cars into cars that drive the driver nucking futz on the highway. Ford techs - for the most part - don't know what it is. Those that do will charge $250 to replace the cowl and an hour and a half of shop time to repair. A small percentage of affected users just trade the car. =8-o You get some sort of 'Bodgers Medal of Honor' for this fix, Bro. Salute!

[@variable851]

I'd proudly hang that plaque on the wall right next to my doctorate!

[@mhoward3015]

Genius idea! I have the same problem with a 2005 Mazda Tribute. Thanks!

[@ihsana5210]

Thank you for sharing! I just did the same for my 2006 escape. What a brilliant idea!

[@variable851]

Good to hear that people find it helpful.

[@katielyb]

There's usually always a cheaper alternative if you're willing to take the time to look or think on it. If something's too expensive for me at the store I just psst, I'll make something work and usually figure it out. This is a new one for me though so I'm grateful to have found your video. Bought my very first car all on my own and didn't notice a few things. Can't complain so far though because I got a pretty good deal on it and was a one owner. Appreciate you sharing, I really do. Saving me a lot of money after having spent so much on a vesicle.

[@ginasmith3481]

Thank you for this video! I just had my windshield replaced and it was all dry rot! I will attempt to fix it tomorrow with your video! Thanks

[@MrCbowman84]

Thanks for this information! Same deal on my wife's 02. These are great little trucks. I will not be taking a trip to the stealership parts department now:)

[@KM-pm6qe]

I used the garage seal held in place with by original cowls screwed back in, no adhesive at all. Seems to be working well except I’m a bit concerned at the ends where the garage seal is not held quite as tightly against the glass. It helped to have another person to help hold everything in place while I refitted the cowls.

[@reddsofine1]

Awesome. I am definitely going to do this and save some money. Thank you!

[@uploadtime1780]

Awesome deal I figured the cowl would be less but this is a better route. Got to love the elements and the UV on rubber over time. These little SUVs are hitting 18 years old for the early ones at this point so this video will become more relevant for those interested in maintaining them.

[@ianplant3226]

I just bought a new pair of the cowls on e-bay for $122 for both (not $75 each). They come with new replacement engine bay seals and new screws and clips for fitting the new cowls.

[@brianwyatt818]

Awesome ingenuity. I like it

[@labrareji1]

Nice video. Will also give it a try.

[@masonfarmer4653]

the way I did mine cost five bucks bought 100% water proof silicone and silicone it took five minutes now it's fixed and don't have to worrie about rubber baking in the sun

[@joeyoung1498]

Mason Farmer - how's it holding up? I was thinking of doing the same to mine.

[@emeyer6963]

What about servicing the cabin air filter?

[@RichMorello]

Did you use waterproof silicon tape?

[@sshine412]

Yes, excellent! We did the same as Joseph Donnel. Before we "stuffed" it down and tightened screws, we added black rubber sealant (Permatex). Blue tape between plastic and rubber and added to crack to create a nice seam. We then added a bead of Flowable Silicone (clear windshield & glass sealer - by Versachem) between the rubber and the glass for extra protection. Looks good. Thank you.

[@variable851]

How did the seam of silicon hold up against the glass. Any issues with expansion and contraction differences with the rubber against the glass?

[@sshine412]

@ variable851 - So far so good! It is elastomeric (sp?), so it will expand and contract. The product is actually made for repairing the rubber seal around your windshield or windows. Purchased both products at O'Reilly's. I'm sure any auto store will carry.

[@sshine412]

@ Kapt Slo - After the gasket and crowl where in place on the windshield and screwed down, I then applied painters tape. I placed the tape on top of both sides of the cowl and gasket running along the edge taping from left to right (one end of the windshield to the other). Where they joined. I added black sealant and used finger to smooth out (like you would if you where caulking a tub). The tape made the seam "cleaner looking". I hope I explained better.

[@Sara-oo7er]

Awesome demo and idea-bought the supplies and going to try this with my 06 Escape...the rattle of the old broken rubber seal on the windshield (especially when well below freezing) is driving me nuts when driving.

[@joseph6254]

Thank you for sharing this. I just did this to our 05. Didn't want to pay 200 for such a cheap part on a car with 155k on it. I did it a little differently, 1st, after I cut off the old rubber I reinstalled everything except the screws, then cut the rubber foam piece to fit. After that I stuff it down behind the plastic until even then put the screws in and tighten down. Lastly I pulled it back an ran the double sided tape along the bottom edge of the glass. I think it turned out perfect for what it is. Plus it's replaceable if you just pull the screws. Anyway thanks again, for the good idea.

[@variable851]

Before I made the video, I was going to try double sided tape but the tape I had on hand did not hold the foam very well. Being replaceable is nice for sure. Is it holding up well?

[@joseph6254]

+variable851 Its holding up great so far. The double sided tape don't like sticking to the foam but it's still nice, flat and tight to the glass. If I ever feel the need I will run a extremely small bead of black silicone along the glass and the top of the foam. That would cut right off with a razor if it needs replaced. Good stuff man!

[@drewdizm523]

Doing this DIY after this mayhem of the quarantine that's brought upon us. Gonna use the sealant 100% silicone RTV same as this hopefully this would stand the test of time

[@variable851]

Great, I hope it works out for you

[@rexman78]

I'd like to try this. Could you please provide a part number or where you bought the garage door seal?

[@davidsantini2555]

thanks need to do this to my 05 tribute

[@RickTharp]

Brilliant

[@dronestuff3431]

You are god! Thanks for the video!

[@MrAc4321]

I guess its not a real bad video for his first effort, but he didn't seem to care he left out footage anyway. Too funny

[@variable851]

Sorry about that. The video was made to show a friend what I resorted to in order to fix the cowl leak. I left it Public instead of Unlisted by mistake and here it is with 65,000 views nine years later.

[@smilingsun47]

I love this. My 2001 is having the same issue. I want to try a water resistant caulk to go along it??? Any thoughts??

[@variable851]

I think that would work just fine. Good luck with the repair

[@douglundy5755]

yeah, no aftermarket parts online for W211 mercedes and I resist $115 for a replacement. Was about to do this myself!

[@SommerFamilyDad]

Can you give some specifics on the adhesive you used?

[@robertrekker5034]

+SommerFamilyDad I used Permatex black silicone adhesive. I wanted something that would expand and contract with changing weather conditions plus the black color would blend in if any pushed out of the gap that I didn't catch

[@Chamoritaboom]

For my 05 Escape

[@spookyflwr_ss]

Not enough info, how did you bond it? Is it placed under the shield?

[@LightsOut-xw9cu]

He says in the video that he used double sided tape to bond it to the bezel. The fasteners will hold it tight ftp the windshield once placed back onto the vehicle.

[@JimWillits]

So how did your repair hold up? I've got the same issue and I'm thinking about giving it a try. Any updated suggestions after living with yours for a while?

[@variable851]

It has held up very well so far. Come Spring I may go back and just run a line of black gasket sealant along the edge of the original plastic trim piece and the new rubber just to clean up the appearance a bit. Everything behind it has stayed nice and dry so far and no debris is getting back there anymore so I'm happy with it.

[@ceynas]

Did you trim the rubber lengthwise?

[@variable851]

Yes, the cowl trim is two pieces that over lap. I attached the rubber to each piece with enough that they overlapped and them trimmed the ends to fit flush against each other.

[@SommerFamilyDad]

I finally got around to starting on this today and ran into a hiccup. The driver-side cowling piece won't come off due to the windshield arm. I don't see a clip or way to get that off. If you have any info, please share. Thanks!

[@variable851]

+SommerFamilyDad The arms getting pretty stuck on there over time. IIRC there is a small retaining clip at the base of the arm but I still had a hard time getting mine off. I used a small puller to get mine off. I had one already but I've seen them at Harbor Freight for a few dollars. Once loose they come on and off easily but the corrosion over the years really cements them on.

[@buybuydandavis]

I sucked it up and bought a specialty wiper arm puller tool from amazon. like 12 bucks www.amazon.com/OTUAYAUTO-Battery-Terminal-Wiper-Puller/dp/B076PY8785/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1542335060&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=puller+windshield+wiper

[@jpdbarranquillero]

Hello, How long did the whole process take? what did you use to put it on the cowl? thank you, John

[@robertrekker5034]

+jpdbarranquillero The whole thing took a few hours. I used a black silicon adhesive to join the door seal to the Ford plastics and waiting for the adhesive to properly dry took the longest plus a few test fits. Otherwise it was very straightforward, just take your time trimming the rubber to make a nice even line.

[@maliajalbert6652]

does the silicon sealant need to be applied to the glass and rubber as well as to the plastic?

[@variable851]

No, just to the plastic. Nothing goes on the windshield. The repaired piece sits against the windshield the same way the factory piece does so you can easily remove it if needed.

[@maliajalbert6652]

variable851 great! thanks for the quick reply :)

[@amelsfr]

I need this on my 06 Mazda Tribute... where did you buy the rubber? do you have a link? also, you put the double side adesive tape between the rubber and the plastic, but did you also put the black silicon between the rubber and the windshield or not? did you do anything else?

[@variable851]

I bought mine in store at Home Depot but the one I used was identical to this one on Amazon (see below). When I made the video I only expected one of my friends to see it so I didn't elaborate much. Ultimately I did not use the double tape. I used black Loctite 59330 silicon adhesive sealant (also available on Amazon). I did not put any sealant on the windshield (or more accurately between the windshield and rubber seal). The pressure of the screws on the original plastic cowl piece that you are attaching the garage door seal to is sufficient to press the seal against the windshield. Does that make sense? www.amazon.com/M-D-Building-Products-3723-Garage/dp/B000052035/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1509899800&sr=8-18&keywords=garage+door+seal

[@amelsfr]

thanks a lot for your answer! very helpful! do you remember how much adhesive sealant did you need? I found the one you mention on Amazon as an 80ml tube but it looks small, is that enough? (see link below) also I found the rubber seal that perhaps you used the first time when you made this video? (see link below as well). how long did it take to perform this job? sorry for the many questions, I'm totally new to this sort of things so I'm trying to understand as best as I can before making a mess... adhesive: www.amazon.com/dp/B001VXWCTM/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I3TNDVR25Q8N6H&colid=2HV7TZL8ZU5Z7 rubber seal: www.amazon.com/dp/B00011KLH0/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I3NLR7BULS0803&colid=2HV7TZL8ZU5Z7

[@variable851]

I used the adhesive very sparingly. Just enough to make a nice seal but not so much that it squished out when I pushed the rubber and plastic parts together.

[@amelsfr]

thank you very much for the help!

[@jianjulianyu6460]

This is great idea, though I when I tried it it didn't work out as nicely. The rubber seal doesn't closely conform to the windshield, and it leaves an open gap.

[@variable851]

Sorry to hear it didn't work out. When I made the video, I didn't intend for it to be public otherwise I would filmed how I cut down the rubber molding and test fit them before applying the adhesive. I still can't believe how many views this has gotten. It makes me want to go back and do a better job of it.

[@drewdizm523]

@@variable851 Wanna try this DIY, Did you stick in the Double sided tape or did you use a silicone sealant on it?

[@variable851]

@@drewdizm523 silicone sealant. The tape idea was a fail. Hope it works for you

[@bontempsthedog6826]

What did you end up doing to the edges?

[@variable851]

If memory serves, I was able to save the corners and I blended some of the silicone into the gap.

[@mbrenterprisesbdif]

TU

[@deanmurray4953]

Flex seal and flex tape 100%

[@urbannpa]

What kind of glue did you use???

[@variable851]

Ultimately I used Permatex black silicone adhesive which blended in nice with colorwise once dry.

[@Chamoritaboom]

I just bought two new cowl grills and it was only $55 a piece on parts geek

[@TravisCox2112]

me too, just today

[@Chamoritaboom]

Travis Cox I did mine in the summer got ready for the rain 🌧 this Fall aNd Winter

[@rjb6327]

You can get a replacement rubber on EBAY for $39

[@adequatedust]

can you leave the seller's name or part number?

[@Chamoritaboom]

You didn’t even show us how you took it off that’s what I need to see!!

[@variable851]

They show you how to take it off as part of this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKaVdGxnZ7x2pck

[@rjb6327]

Not a very detailed video. What did you use to attach to the cowl? Double sided tape? How did you get the old dried rubber off? What cuts did you have to make. GOOD IDEA BUT NOT VERY HELPFUL.

[@variable851]

It definitely isn't very detailed. I made this video with the intention of a single friend seeing it to show him how I spent my afternoon but I forgot to set the video to unlisted. I was surprised to see YT comments showing up in my email with comments so I just left it up.