Ford EconolineThere's more to the Econoline's staying power than Ford simply sticking with a product that has been the No. 1-selling full-size van since 1980. The Econoline has received only minor changes over the years. The result is a cargo van that looks different, but is still very much the same. For many E-Series customers, that is the best news of all.
Hi All,
I pulled up the front carpet on the 1999 E-250 I'm fixing up and found the padding under the rubber mat wet, even though it hadn't rained in a couple weeks. Under the mat was some real bad rust.
Ground off all the rust and treated with rust converter before priming.
Question: Is there a know problem with Ford Vans leaking around that area or might it just be this van?
The passenger side is just fine.
Still working out how to patch it.
That factory carpet padding is like a sponge - if it gets wet, it holds the water in, and the carpet (or worse, the rubber mat) above keeps the water from evaporating completely. I am not aware of a common leak area up there, it could even have been rain water coming in the driver's window over a long period of time.
You might consider a rubberized undercoating and/or a DIY bedliner product to apply over the fix and under your carpet/mat. This should protect the fixed area if it were to get wet again.
I assume you do not weld, but the patch is not difficult - get a small piece of sheet metal, some pop rivets and a tube of auto seam sealer. predrill your first hole through both the patch & the floor, then apply the seam sealer to the patch perimiter & stick it down. Pop in your first rivet, then predrill the opposite corner & rivet. Now you can drill the entire perimiter without the patch shifting on you. Pop in your perimiter rivets & smooth down any seam sealer that seeped out from the patch edges. If necessary, grab a ball peen hammer & tap down any patch edges that are not sitting flat to the floor. Once the seam sealer has cured fully, paint the repaired area (as exposed primer will rust over time). From there, all you need to do is reinstall the carpet.
Excellent advice RevBubba.
Think I'll get started.
I know a place to get some sheet steel.
Really old computers. 15 years ago those suckers were made to last.
Cut out a template:
Transfer design:
Fun with the cutting wheel. Remove the stamped edges.
You know, I had one thought about your leak source...
I'd take a few mins with a hose & test the windshield perimeter seal. Odds are, this is not where your leak is coming in - but if it is, you'll have water dripping down behind the dash - which is a time bomb waiting to go off... If you do find a windshield leak, fix it before you develop an electrical problem!
But the water could have entered so many different ways, you may never be certain about the source of the leak.
And once you're drilling your holes through the floor of the van, don't forget to check underneath first to ensure you're not going to drill through any parts that might be mounted under the floor!
Good advice on looking before I drill. Hadn't thought of that.
I didn't have to do the hose test. It's rained for the last day and a half.
I saw a stain on the fresh white primer of what looked like a single drop of rusty water. It dripped from the general area of the emergency brake. But just a stain. No actual moisture. I can't believe one drop in that amount of time would be a problem. Maybe it's worse when the van is moving.
If not the rain then maybe something with the air conditioning but it's now getting kind of late in the year to test that. At least around here.
I'll definitely be monitoring the situation.
Good advice on looking before I drill. Hadn't thought of that.
Most importantly, watch out for fuel & brake lines. Easy to miss them during a visual inspection, and mistakenly drilling into either would result in a very dangerous post-repair test drive, at best...
It was raining yesterday so I spent some time in the van looking for the leak.
Found it. Had to remove a few parts to track it down.
The following photo is looking at the inside lower left corner of the windshield with a trim piece removed. It's dark outside.
You can see two rust trails and if you look closely in the center of the picture is a drop of rusty water hanging on the edge of a metal piece.
If the window is leaking I'm assuming I'll have to have the windshield removed and re-sealed.
Question: Anyone know the cost for having a window re-sealed?
Thanks.
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Drivers side floor rust 
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