Keeping the Rain out of the Jeep - Replacing the TJ Windshield Frame/Cowl Seal

In southeast Texas, when it rains, it pours! For TDSR that’s always meant water in the footwells because the seal between the windshield and the cowl leaks. This video overviews how to replace that seal and also talks about cleaning out your cowl while you’ve got the cover off.
Parts you’ll need (some links Amazon Affiliate Links):
• Windshield Frame to Cowl Seal amzn.to/3nSRgNI
• Car Plastic Trim Retainer/Fastener Kit (for the A56 Weatherstrip Retainers) amzn.to/3KUUQ3B
• #8 x 1” Sheet Metal Screws (qty. 7, I used stainless steel) www.lowes.com/...
• Rubber washers (qty. 7, I used 0.375”) www.lowes.com/...
• #8 x 32 Steel U-Nut (qty. 2) www.lowes.com/...
Tools (Amazon Affiliate Links):
• T15 and T40 Torx tips, ratchet, and/or driver handle
• Philips head screwdriver
• Universal Auto Trim Clip Removal Plier Tool amzn.to/3HKaflG
Project TJ is the chronicling of working on my 1997 Jeep Wrangler. It's the SE version of a TJ with a 2.5L four cylinder and a standard transmission. At the time of making this video, the Jeep had ~210,000 miles on it.
Disclaimers:
This video is NOT sponsored by any of the brands mentioned throughout this video or video description. All thoughts mentioned are my own. Some links provided are affiliate links. They do not cost you anything, but I make a small percentage from the sale. Honesty is key on my channel, thank you for supporting me!
I am a Do It Yourself, also known as DIY, mechanic. I am NOT a professional mechanic. I do not have any formal training in the automotive field. I assume no liability for anything you choose to do to your car/vehicle or equipment before or after watching one of my videos. All DIY repairs or modifications you perform are made at your own risk. Sometimes, even if you've done everything the right way, you can destroy or damage one or more things on your car or equipment. You must understand this, but by leveraging knowledge and patience, the probability of encountering one or more problems can be reduced.
Also, if for some unfortunate reason, I do give incorrect instructions and something breaks because you followed my instructions, I will NOT reimburse or pay in any way for whatever cost that may be incurred due to following my wrong instructions.
Lastly, please don't do anything to your vehicle or equipment unless you yourself feel comfortable and confident in doing so.

[@CarbonsDIYGarage]

Check out the video description for extra info, parts, tools, torques, and any updates.

[@muninnfeatherpaw4911]

Thank you for this video! I was able to replace my seal easily after seeing you do it :)

[@CarbonsDIYGarage]

That’s awesome! Congrats and I’m glad the video was helpful. Thanks for watching, Muninn. If you feel the video earned it, could you give it a thumbs up/like? Helps feed the almighty algorithm.

[@SeriouslyAwesome]

Possibly the only video on YT on this. Thanks, very informative

[@CarbonsDIYGarage]

Glad to be able to share the process with others. Thanks, Nathan.

[@ChrisLawley43]

I tried folding mine down many years ago and it wouldn’t move. I’ll try soaking it with PB Blaster. I wanted to point out. The fresh air inlet hole for the a/c on my 98TJ was like yours a open hole. The later TJ’s had a air box which went over that hole to help prevent water from going in. I had bought one years ago off eBay used and have never had it leaking in at highway speeds. I believe for years this is where it leaked in on the passenger side . Great video so far I’m going to change my two seals just because they are so old.

[@CarbonsDIYGarage]

Thanks for watching, Chris. Hopefully you were able to get the windshield down. I know I was pretty nervous doing it with the rust-prone nature of this Jeep and it being so stiff.

[@MousyOrla]

Had to remove the carpeting due to water pooling up in both footwells, which led me to discover that half my drain plugs are missing too. I don't have a compressor or any real power tools here right now, so been trying to find the best way to clear it out under the cowl with what I have. A hangar was what I had been considering to improvise with as well. I like these videos, very informative, but wish I could see the whole cleaning process all drawn out since your camera quality and angles made it easier to see around in there than others I've seen. If it ain't the drain clogged, I will definitely check the cowl seal next as that didn't even cross my mind until you mentioned it, thanks!

[@CarbonsDIYGarage]

On my shop vac, I can connect the suction hose to the exhaust side of the vacuum, which results in air blowing out the hose. Since you don’t have an air compressor, maybe that amount of air will help move dirt along? Honestly, though, the hangar down into the drain and wiggling it all around probably did the best for me. My drain wasn’t very clogged though. Here’s a video I made before I cleaned it out. Maybe it’ll help you? Good luck and I hope you figure out the source of your water problems. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d3bWnmulqJJ5abc

[@MousyOrla]

@@CarbonsDIYGarage Many thanks and the shop vac idea is a great one I didn't think of. Gonna see how well the hangar approach does and I'm hoping that does it. A little water has been getting in for a short while now at least as far as I know, but Hurricane Ian dropped a ton of water on us, so that definitely didn't help my water issue lol I appreciate the video, let's hope it's just a clogged drain, otherwise I have to move the cowl seal further up my to do list.

[@jonathanahlander1799]

Super helpful!! Thanks and greetings from Sweden 🇸🇪

[@CarbonsDIYGarage]

I'm glad it was helpful. Tack för att du tittade på videon!

[@MrGGBHTD]

Great video - I need to do this on my 2002 TJ - should be a breeze now - thank you!

[@CarbonsDIYGarage]

Thanks for watching and good luck with the project!

[@jeremywhite845]

What a great video. Thank you.

[@CarbonsDIYGarage]

Thanks for watching, Jeremy.

[@kenmiller5954]

i had the same problem all i did was clean the drain and everything under the cowl my wiper moter was in the water so had to replace it also i have a 97 wrangler

[@CarbonsDIYGarage]

I’m glad and jealous that for most folks the cowl drain is usually the problem. Thanks for watching, Ken.

[@corazon5929]

cleaned out my cowl yesterday and still have water on the floor board. guess this is what I'll try next!

[@CarbonsDIYGarage]

An easy check, based on my experience, to see if the cowl/windshield frame is leaking is to put some paper flat against the inside of the windshield and then slip it downwards as far as it will go. This will put it up against that seal and into the little shelf where water collects through a leaking seal. Then spray water at the seal. See if the paper gets wet. Move that paper side to side, especially on the side collecting water. If the paper stays dry, I'd say it's not your seal leaking.

[@Dustyfingers]

Noticed blower motor foam in the cabin is drenched when it rains. Would that be the weather strip in front of the cowl!

[@CarbonsDIYGarage]

My guess is that your rain water drain under your cowl is blocked and water is filling up under your cowl and spilling into your fan. Take your cowl off and inspect/clean under it. I talk about that from 4:25 to 6:00 in the video. If that’s all it is, way easier than cowl seal - and free! Good luck and thanks for watching. Here’s a video of what a clean drain should flow/drain like: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d3bWnmulqJJ5abcsi=TgnsSW66FVPJ79RQ

[@ForceBuilt]

Another great video! Very useful information. Try and stay cool.

[@CarbonsDIYGarage]

Thanks, Steve! I wish I could say the leaking/flooding is completely stopped but, alas, there's still some leakage on the passenger side. We think it's either the header seal or the door. More investigations to come. Some day this thing will have enough band-aids on it that we can tackle some of the fun stuff like you're doing with Lil Red.

[@ForceBuilt]

@@CarbonsDIYGarage JJ leaked some on the passenger side(actually pretty bad). Mine was the plastic piece that is stuck to the underside of the windshield wiper cowl(wiper shafts go through it). It was allowing water it inter my ac/heater system right above the passenger floor. My plastic broke loose from the underside of the cowl and I put it back with double sided tape. Fixed my water leak. Lil Red has a cover built on top of his ac air intake. I noticed yours did not and neither does mine. That is one change they made in the later models.

[@muninnfeatherpaw4911]

Do you know what that plastic door framing piece is called? I noticed that my driver's side one is cracked where the header seal's push pin goes. I'm still having water issues, though not in the footwell anymore. Going to replace the header seal and the door framing piece, but I can't find what it's called

[@CarbonsDIYGarage]

You bet, Muninn! They’re called windshield frame seals. I got mine off eBay: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3i7goiuf7Fsd9ksi=yBNnjD_syeLpzGdq Video I made about them: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3i7goiuf7Fsd9k Playlist on all the water leak work I did: kzbin.info/aero/PLhW5wYsEOUKoMnQJ_35Ms5uGGCSWG30Uz I hope that helps. Good luck! Thanks for watching.

[@XMusicSeekerX]

Great video! Where did you get the foam pads that go between the seal and the frame on each side? Did they come with your seal? Any idea where I can find them?

[@CarbonsDIYGarage]

I’m not sure which foam seals you’re talking about. Can you drop a video time reference and I’ll take a look. Thanks for watching.

[@XMusicSeekerX]

Yeah, sorry. It's at 10:40.

[@CarbonsDIYGarage]

@@XMusicSeekerX Ah! Yup, those came with the new seal. If you go to the one I linked in the video description, you can see it/them in the product photos.

[@XMusicSeekerX]

@@CarbonsDIYGarage awesome, thanks!! The one I purchased didn't have them. I'm going to try and return and order the one you suggested!

[@DF-yi5nv]

Where did you order the seal from?

[@CarbonsDIYGarage]

Thanks for watching. All of the parts I used are in the video description.

[@everettteague7024]

So did it work?

[@CarbonsDIYGarage]

It definitely did. I’m really glad I did it. Unfortunately, it also helped me realize I had other spots leaking too. My windshield header seal needed to be replaced (I made a video for that, too), my door seals (video for that), and there’s a crack in my hard top letting water in. But a big chunk of the water intrusion was remedied by this lower windshield seal replacement.

[@darraj]

I'm eager to do this to my '99 TJ too, but it's impossible to find that seal here in Australia 😞

[@CarbonsDIYGarage]

@@darraj Man, that’s a bummer. Maybe doing something like this to “beef up” the seal you could work, at least temporarily? kzbin.info4bQE7_0Im64 Maybe put a strip or two of it on top of the current seal? Here’s a link to the seal material I used. amzn.to/3tHqgUh Good luck, I hope you find a solution.

[@darraj]

Yeah that's what I'm thinking I need to do. Cheers man.

[@tpmillerusa]

Missing the most important facet of this repair. Did this stop any/all of the water in the cabin problem? I see the video closed out... with the 'guess we'll just wait till the next torrential rain" hanger... Some say strip ABOVE the windshield is main culprit. Some say strip between cowl and windshield (this video) is the problem. Some insist that NONE of those, but the body/door seals left and right of the windshield let 90% of the water in... and yet others insist its the loop of weather-stripping that totally surrounds each door... I've got 1/2 doors... I've got full doors... I've got soft top... I've got hard top...I've got soft door 'tops' for the 1/2 doors... and any combination drives just fine. But, sitting in any amount of rain soaks the floor... and it's odd, nothing on pass side - 1" of water on driver's side... then, next storm... exactly opposite. Mine's a 98...so 25+ years old.. cowl opening is meticulously clean... no rust visible anywhere... low miles - stored for years...move investigation needed.... to be continued.... TPM

[@CarbonsDIYGarage]

Consider this video the first in a 6-part series. Catch all the info here: kzbin.info/aero/PLhW5wYsEOUKoMnQJ_35Ms5uGGCSWG30Uz Be sure to like and subscribe. TL;DW : I end up replacing all the seals. Cowl/lower seal was definitely the cause for the bulk of the water and why I did it first. Frame side seals were easy but likely not needed. Frame top seal helped but I also had a top crack I had to repair. Lower door seals also helped a good bit. Jeep is now leak tight except in hard/sideways rains. Seals for both sliding glass windows don’t seal so water comes through the door uppers onto the door armrests. Son won’t replace the uppers and so lives with this “Jeep thing” leak. Thanks for watching, TPM.

[@dualmass]

Its called PB B' Laster, You MUST SAY it correctly for it work correctly....B....Laster!

[@CarbonsDIYGarage]

Will not make this mistake moving forward! Thanks for watching.

[@dualmass]

@@CarbonsDIYGarage 😆😂