Which way is correct, cowl seal?

[Shadow71]

Ready to put new cowl seal on 71 Charger but want to be sure I'm putting it on the correct way.

The old one that came off was < facing engine bay, while others I've seen are > facing engine bay, which possibly looks smoother. (although I has seen pics with both ways)

Can anyone unravel this mystery!!!!

[A383Wing]

Reminds me of the age old question about the toilet paper, "OVER or UNDER"??

[Shadow71]

lol, so that's what it comes down to, preference?

Looking at the one that came off, and I would think it to be original, it's install would fold down as With the hood closing <, which makes sense to me.

The ones I've seen on restored Chargers, including one on Graveyard Cars, seem to be reversed because it looks more appealing to the eye but in fact would close in reverse of hood >.

This looks like another job for Moribund.............

[A383Wing]

must not be any 71 owners here to give you an answer

[Shadow71]

I guess not

I found it in the service manual and though the pic is not completely clear (doesn't look accurate vs actual side view of seal) it seems to suggest it goes the smooth looking way.

So I installed it like that and it looks like the one on GYC's, bunched up and not great.

I found a site with some nice pics of a Hemi Charger resto and can clearly see that they ran it the same way that the one that came off this Charger was run, < towards E/C.

Thinking I will take it back off and reverse it and see if it doesn't "sit down" a little better.

[A383Wing]

I'm probably no help at all here, but I went and looked at my 70, which I'm sure is a different seal completely, mine has the round end of the seal facing the windshield..... like this -- ">".....open side of seal faces front of car

[69bfan]

The 71-74 B-Body hood to cowl seal is the same profile as the 70 to 74 E-Body application.  The seal should be positioned so that the "V" or open area is facing the driver compartment.  The clips really snap tight into the metal openings, so it is going to be a tedious job removing them without tearing the small mounting tangs that protrude through the rubber seal.

[Nacho-RT74]

open V side to engine bay

[Nacho-RT74]

survivor car engine bay:

[Shadow71]

Dang, I should have waited another day. Those clips were super tight going in, just hope I can get them back out without scratching everything up.

My gut told me open V to E/C was correct for several reasons;

1. The seal that came off was that way.

2. if you think about it, placing it that way naturally "lifts" the seal around the corners (opens the V) and better chance of sealing to hood.

Glad I posted this as even through the responses it went both ways and the factory manual even suggests the wrong way.

[Shadow71]

I flipped that sucker around, much better now!