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MG MGB Technical - wet front driverside footwell

The sun is out it hastnt rained for weeks and my garagre stored roadster has just passed its MOT. But i now have a front footwell which is very wet. Was first noticed a few weeks back but appeared to dry out but again today its wet again. Any thoughts on where this could be coming from?

ps

The floor pans were replaced about 3 yrs ago and no holes.
A Charman

Hi PS,

Assuming its not a leak allowing rain to get in, I would think it could be the hose from the windscreen washer nipple, either its come off or its split.

On further thought it could also be a leak from the heater that is finding its way into the cockpit, through assorted grommeted holes. Does the wetness only appear after a run? This would further indicate a heater leak.

Herb
Herb Adler

Car is never in the rain and the wash/wipe hant been used since the MOT. Wonder if it could be the heater, but would have expected more water and ever time the car was used?
A Charman

I had a leaky heater core that behaved just as you describe once. It could be leaking which might cause water to pool in the bottom of the space the heater is in. Then when you go round corners that could be sloshing out. You could check behind the little doors or hooded vents (depending on year) either side of the transmission to see if there is any water there.

My memory of that arrangement of that bit of the car is a bit hazy so I am not sure if that is possible!

Simon Jansen

Wet does not necessarily mean water. Could be leaking master cylinder - hydraulic fluid.

CS
Christian

checked the brake and clutch and no sign of lost fluid, so i think it is water.
A Charman

Does this occur just after you wash the car?

Wayne
Wayne Pearson

A confession, i rearly wash it and as it doesnt go out in the wet it doesnt get that dirty. Its just very strange that it dried out and has been ok for 2-3 weeks, but now its wet again after a short tip >5 miles
A Charman

If it is definitely 'water', and the master levels definitely aren't dropping, and it is the passenger side, and it doesn't get wet or hasn't been washed, and hasn't been driven through water, then it must be the heater core. This doesn't need grommeted holes to leak into the cabin as it is effectively behind the firewall and already inside the cabin, it will drain into one footwell or the other (right side is more likely) directly.
Paul Hunt 2010

Stretch your arm down the footwell and put your fingers into the opening where the warm air comes out from the heater. Is there water lying in that area? If there is it will slosh out onto the floor when you drive round corners. It has either come from the air box (which is the box under the grille in front of the windscreen), or it has come from the heater matrix leaking.

If the heater isn't leaking (are you losing coolant?) then suspect that the air box drain tube is blocked - a common problem. It exits high up under the car on the RH side near the front of the gearbox. You can only see it from right under the car looking up into the tunnel. The end of it is like a rubber bulb and it can get blocked with leaves and other crap that falls down the air intake. There is no alternative but to squeeze the bulb (known as Tom's knob) and let the rubbish fall down your arm.

Could a washer pipe have come adrift allowing water to syphon out of the bottle?
Mike Howlett

Pretty gross thought, but do you own a cat? Friend had a similar issue and leaned his cat was using his car as a litter box. But would only pee in it.
Bruce Cunha (1950 TD 4139)

"But would only pee in it" well that's Ok then :o)
Paul Hunt 2010

No no cat, got a dog but hes not very agile. Mikes thoughts are worth investigating.
Thanks all.
A Charman

If your air box drain tube is blocked be careful about trying to clear it with a wire or rod from above. I did that on my girlfriends car and the damn thing fell off! Trying to get it back in place and get the little hose clamp done up without having to dismantle half of the dash and interior was not easy (but possible with much swearing and scraped hands). Best to jack up the car and clean it from underneath as Mike says.
Simon Jansen

Had no problems poking either of mine out from above, which avoids getting eye and armfuls of muck ... maybe I was more careful. The plastic bung giving access to the clamp is in the footwell so shouldn't need dismantling of the dash or interior, see http://www.mgb-stuff.org.uk/drain.htm

But to be honest most people just recommend chopping off the restriction at the end, so if it were missing altogether I can't see how that differs.
Paul Hunt 2010

Whether you can poke it out from the top depends on the age of the car. If it is a car made before the air vents where fitted ie, has the radio high up on the dash, then you can't see or get at the drain hole from above, as there is a large rain baffle in the way. This was deleted on later cars when the air vents were installed.
Mike Howlett

Paul, if the tube comes off completely then you need to poke it back in place from under the car but also make sure you get the clip over it then get the hose pushed back on over the metal pipe inside the heater space. All pretty tricky though an inch and a quarter sized hole!

Her car is a later one (78) so no baffle in the way. I just think it had never been cleaned as it was packed solid and needed quite a bit of poking to get all the rubbish out. Her car lives outdoors. It didn't have mesh under the heater intake grill so that was the first thing I put in place.
Simon Jansen

This thread was discussed between 24/06/2010 and 28/06/2010

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