drain hole problem

[Joe]

I've read all there is in the tech manual on this, and can't find an answer. Water dumps on my left foot when I drive my LHD car. I have replaced the two 5" hoses under the dash, and have removed the air scoop and looked in there. There is no water in the area under the scoop.
The passage from the scoop to the pipe exiting an inch above the steering column in  the engine compartment is clear.
There is a hole right behind the coolant tank that is part of the problem. I put a stiff plastic hose into it, and it came out very wet. I put it back and blew into it, and found the area under this hole is filled with water. Of course, this is on the opposite side from where the water is descending onto my foot, but I understand there is some sort of cavity that extends across the car, and this cavity has filled with water. Now, where is the drain for this cavity?
I assume the other drain pipe, the one next to the exhaust pipe, connects to another drain hole in the air scoop area. I've not cleaned this one out.
My footwell carpets on both sides are now rust colored from all this water and I need to get it corrected.
Thanks for advice on this.
Joe

[66andBlue]

Joe,
the drain pipe on the driver side comes out where the power steering box is located and is closed by a rubber one-way valve. This pipe and the valve needs to be cleaned too.
See: http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=6092
Hope this solves your problem.

[Joe]

I ran a piece of still plastic into the pipe on the firewall that you reference, and it came out in the box under the air scoop flap. The plastic went through without obstruction. This is the passageway with the 5" rubber hose that people often mention.
I don't see how this is a drain for the area under the dash in which the water is being held.
Joe

[awolff280sl]

Joe, I think I've got the same issue. I get dripping on my left foot in heavy rain. I've ignored it so far in part because I rarely get caught in the rain.
But more annoying is that I recently restored that whole section, heater core out, and I can't imagine having missed a chance to plug a leak. I assume that the water is entering through the hood vent and then may be getting into the space that exists to the right of the most aft part of the fender?

[Steve]

I had the same problem. The water gets into a cavity in the firewall and has no way of escaping because the drain holes, which are located in the wheel wells have been plugged by debris (or undercoating). I could hear it sloshing around, and even tried pumping it out through the hole behind the coolant tank. Every once in a while it would dump onto my leg.

The water gets into the firewall cavity because the steel drain pipe running through the cavity has rusted, or it enters through one of the holes in the engine compartment, like the one behind the coolant tank. Once inside this cavity, the water enters the cabin through the same hole the steel pipe runs through because the steel pipe is tack welded in place and not sealed.

You need to find the drain hole located on the rear side of each front wheel well, where one layer of sheet metal overlaps another. There is no pipe sticking out, just a slight fold in the sheet metal. It is in the wheel well, not the engine compartment. I stuck something pointy straight UP into the opening, and was rewarded with about a quart of rusty water from each side once the hole was cleared.
Steve

[66andBlue]

Those weepholes mentioned by Steve are located in numerous locations and sometimes difficult to find.
At PUB 2007 Tim Kidder of K&K demonstrated where they are and the consequences when they remain clogged.

[awolff280sl]

OK, makes sense, and I'm well-aware of the drain holes and pipes,  and I've seen to it that all remain clear and wide open.
However, what now I remember seeing is a tendency for rainwater to collect along the flat area under the brake booster mounting bracket. For some reason in my car this area must be "lower" than it should be and does not direct water into the wheel well drain hole until it collects to probably 1/16" deep. I always have to blot this up after a storm. It wasn't until this thread that I realized that this pool must be getting through the firewall via a grommet and then tracking along some underdash cables and wires, and then dripping on my left foot, especially with acceleration (now that I think of it).
Now that I've had my epiphany, does anyone have a suggestion as to what material I can use to elevate the low area under the brake booster? I was thinking a few layers of JB Weld?

[mait]

awolff280sl: Is the drain in that area open? It should drain that area adequately if it is patent. It's hard to find with the brake booster in place but if you go under the left front wheel well, it is in the corner made by the underside of the firewall crossmember and the lateral surface of the main frame member.
Hope this helps - Mait