Cowl Removal - 2001 Windstar

I know that removing the cowl is supposed to be easy, but I haven't figured a couple of things out.

I can remove the windshield wipers and upper cowl plastic piece.

When I went to remove the lower cowl I was about to get it out when I found the two tab/screw things that hold the rubber gasket from the lower cowl to the screen on the plenum for the ventilation. How do you remove those things? Just pry them out? They were scored across the top but weren't actual screw heads.

Once I get that figured out (with the help of someone here), is it hard to remove the big plenum for the ventilation? It is large and still in the way.

Hi, I have a 2000 and figure they couldn't be too different, so this is what I ran into when I replaced my plugs and wires. You said you got the wipers and top cowl piece off. Now what you have left is about 9 or 10 8mm head screws. There are 4 short ones (2 on each side) that screw into the quarter panels. The other 5 or 6 are longer and screw into the cabin air vent and what I believe is the drain for water. After you get all the screws out, you will notice that the top (part that rests on the windshield) is still attached. This is held in place with like 6 "snaps" that hold the piece down. Start on the corner and try to lift straight up as close to the clips as possible. After getting the one corner done, carefully do the same all the way across the windshield. After you get them all released, raise the cowl up and out, being careful of the wiper motor. The area around the vent and drain may be stuck together by the foam rubber sticking. Don't forget to disconnect the wiper motor wire connector.

From the great Leckemby website for the TSB isolator bolt replacement, here are the steps for the cowl removal:


If you want to remove the cowling here's the procedure for doing this. Thanks again KDS. The cowling which prevents easy removal of the plenum lid contains the windshield wiper motor and linkage to the arm pivots. Be careful prying on this as it can damage the wiper linkage.

It was easy to remove this with the following steps:

Remove the wiper arms (lift pivot cover, remove 15mm nuts, pry arms up off pivot shafts)
Remove four phillip screws along base of splash shield. Locate windshield washer tube elbow under far left side of shield and disconnect. Lift shield along windshield line and pop apart plastic connectors (six total). Lift and remove shield. Remove cabin air filter.
Remove the 8mm bolts from the cowling (two short ones on each side, eight in the middle around the drain and cabin air filter. Remove hood switch (11mm nut right side). Disconnect wire harness from wiper motor housing (right side, two swizzle plugs). Lift cowling up and to the left to clear the wiper linkages from the sheet metal, locate and disconnect wiper motor electrical connector under the back right side of the cowling. It can be lifted out and placed aside.

http://leckemby.net/windstar/windstar01.html

The first time to remove is the hardest, each time gets easier but those clips seem to have a limited life span before they break. Be careful on this part of the process. I have one broken one now so the rubber gasket seal to the windshield is a little loose in one spot, no biggie....

Thanks for the comments, but I guess I still don't know how to remove those two fasteners from the rubber gasket that hold it to the screen that is under the air filter. They aren't bolts so maybe in 2001 Ford changed the design a little bit. I am afraid to just yank on them with a set of pliers and see what happens, but I guess that is what I will do. All of the other information about the bolts to be removed seems correct with what I have seen.

After that, is it hard to remove the fresh air intake from the firewall?

If you are talking about that rubber seal that extends over to body metal on each end ... the ends are held in place by small plastic clips, and "yes", they will probably be destroyed when you yank them loose ... not a biggy!

If you are talking about that rubber seal that extends over to body metal on each end ... the ends are held in place by small plastic clips, and "yes", they will probably be destroyed when you yank them loose ... not a biggy!

Those aren't the ones I am clueless on. But, yes, they don't last long. There are two fasteners between the cowl gasket and a screen that all sit under the fresh air filter. They probably are the same type of cheesy plastic clips but the heads are fairly large. I gave them a gentle tug and they did not want to come out. I was afraid more of damaging the rubber gasket than the fasteners.

On my '99, I think those particular gaskets were made with "sticky" on one side .... no other fasteners used.

On my '99, I think those particular gaskets were made with "sticky" on one side .... no other fasteners used.

I guess if I break it, now I know how to fix it. I just put some weak adhesive on it.

I think I know which fasteners you are talking about. They are on the mesh screen under the cabin air filter. When you lift up the lower cowling, after removing all the screws, the mesh screen stays where it is. It does not need to come off, that air duct is attached to the bottom of the lower cowling with a foam adhesive. Hope this helps you out.

I think I know which fasteners you are talking about. They are on the mesh screen under the cabin air filter. When you lift up the lower cowling, after removing all the screws, the mesh screen stays where it is. It does not need to come off, that air duct is attached to the bottom of the lower cowling with a foam adhesive. Hope this helps you out.

You do know which fasteners I am talking about, they are on the screen under the filter, holding a rubber gasket from the lower cowling against the screen. Apparently, I am a still a little slow on the uptake though. Yes, the screen wants to stay where it is, attached to the duct, but the rubber gasket wants to lift up with the lower cowling but can't (easily) since the fasteners are holding them onto the screen. Let's see if I have this right. I should leave the fasteners on the screen in place, lift up on the lower cowling (after removing the screws), and the rubber gasket will stay with the screen and detach from the cowling where it is held on by adhesive. Is this right?

Thanks for all the help. I guess that I am really showing my lack of mechanical inclination here.

Well, I finally figured out what to do with those fasteners. Gently, pull them up with a pair of pliers. They are just the cheap plastic push-in type. I grabbed a pair of pliers and pulled them out. After that, the screen lifts up with the cowl. The screen gasket is attached (with adhesive?) to the cowl and it did not act like it wanted to be separated from the cowl. After removing the two fasteners, the cowl and screen easily lifted up.