THE PORTAL HUB - Pinzgauers, Haflingers, Volvo 303s and more!

Has anyone improved on the rubber valve system for water drainage? My experience is that the valves have slight lips such that a couple of mil's of water can sit in the footwell without draining away. Which spells rust.

I wondered about doing away with them altogether, since I don't do any deep water stuff (certainly not door height) and I think driving in wet weather allows water in, and not out (and this is Scotland, where all driving is in wet weather).

I've just stripped, repaired and treated the footwells and so if I'm going to try something different, now's the time. It might be that just replacing the four drains with new ones might improve things.

Any thoughts gratefully received.

Tony

Removing the ones nearest to the tunnel lets in the cold air but I have taken them out anyway. I did not know if there were any on the bottom of the well but I had a devil of a time removing all the dirt in there when I got the pinz, only holes now are there. Been in very deep water, don't recommend it as the pinz has not run well since.
The hole near the tunnel on the passenger side is a grommet now as the cables for the winch control run through there. I put the control inside near the floor to keep it from getting road debris on it when it was in front.
I also store things under the floor panels that don't mind dirt and water.
I have an extra set of the rubber plugs somewhere but since I don't use them, looking for them has not been in the front of my thoughts.

Besides the flappy rubber grommets towards the center of the footwells, both my trucks have a hole that is centered on the large external rib that is roughly centered in the footwell. The holes are only about 8-10mm in diameter and easily get clogged. There is a matching hole in the bottom of the external rib so the water doesn't pool in there, either. I have to occasionally run a screwdriver through the pair of holes to clear them out, but as the truck rocks side to side you should be able to allow every cc of liquid to drain through them. You might need to flush them out well, then keep them clean.

Thanks guys. I didn't know about the middle hole Jimm391730 mentions. I'm not sure they all have that. I abraded the footwells back for treating and that one isn't there in mine. Maybe a previous owner welded it up.I see the hole in the square tube underneath though. I think I'll drill that one.

Tony

bonefish635 wrote:Thanks guys. I didn't know about the middle hole Jimm391730 mentions. I'm not sure they all have that. I abraded the footwells back for treating and that one isn't there in mine. Maybe a previous owner welded it up.I see the hole in the square tube underneath though. I think I'll drill that one.

Tony

Do I understand correctly that Jim's centered drain holes are not from the factory? This would explain why your truck (or mine) doesn't have them.

I'm pretty sure the central drain holes in both of my trucks are either 1) factory, or possibly 2) done by the Swiss. They look like they were made to be there.

X2 ....on the centre holes.

Thanks guys, I learned something... I am usually allergic to having my drill bits too close to my truck, this could be one of the exceptions...

the drain holes in the floor do not directly align with the drain holes in the rib. the hole in the rib is further aft by an inch or two. if you drill drain holes don't forget to prime and paint afterwards. these photos may help in the outer photo its a bit hard to see the hole however it should help give you an idea of its location.

Mine are in the centre rib, directly in line with each other on the inside and outside (top and bottom) and at the very bottom of the footwell. Not to the back as in your pictures, unless I am viewing your pics incorrectly.

And I can push a screwdriver straight through both holes, with the screwdriver essentially perpendicular (square) to that section of the floor or rib. Assuming this is a factory hole, it might be that they did not have any specific criteria for aligning them during construction.

The hole in my reinforcement channels under the floor are NOT at the low point which allowed sand and moisture to collect and block the hole. I'll be replacing the driver's side channel this spring.