A cowl assembly for a vehicle and its method of assembly includes providing first and second separable cowl parts 34, 36 adjustable between connection points on the vehicle and a latch mechanism 38 connects the first and second cowl parts for handling as a unit and for lateral adjustment of the length of the unit; and the first and second cowl parts respectively including first and second portions 62, 66 thereon configured to engage one another to providing relative movement between said first and second cowl parts for actuating the latch mechanism between locked and released positions in response to lateral adjustment of the cowl parts for connection to the vehicle.
A windshield stop is operable in a conventional manner to support the lower edge of an automotive windshield while the adhesive material mounting the windshield to the body of the automobile cures, and is also operable to provide an attachment of the cowl grille assembly covering the gap between the windshield and the hood of the automobile. The windshield stop has a cowl mounting portion integrally formed with the finger supports for the windshield. An opening through the cowl mounting portion can receive a conventional push pin to attach the cowl grille assembly to the windshield stop and provide a fixed support therefore.
A vehicle body ventilation system for a vehicle having a windshield, a hood, and a cowl assembly, wherein the cowl assembly comprises a cowl grille panel having a front and a rear edge and a first seal including a sealing portion and a carrier portion wherein the carrier portion is frictionally engaged with the front edge of the cowl grille panel. A second seal is provided that includes a sealing portion and a carrier portion wherein the carrier portion is frictionally engaged with the rear edge of the cowl grille panel. The carrier portion of the first seal and the second seal are of a first durometer and the sealing portion of the first seal and the sealing portion of the second seal each are of a second durometer for sealing to a vehicle windshield and hood, wherein the second durometer is less than the first durometer.
An apparatus for aligning and supporting a rotatable shaft through a plastic molded support member includes an integral boss formed in the plastic molded support allowing insertion of the rotatable shaft to be supported therethrough. At least one bearing is associated with the boss for establishing proper orientation of a rotational axis of the rotatable shaft to be mounted through the boss. At least one bearing is press fit into the boss. In the preferred configuration, a pair of hat-shaped cylindrical bearings are press fit in opposite ends of the boss to define the rotational axis of the shaft to be mounted through the boss.
A cowl grille structure for positioning in a space between a lower edge of a motor vehicle windshield and a rear edge of a motor vehicle hood. In one embodiment the cowl grille structure includes a molded main body planar leaf screen portion, a washer fluid channel extending along the main body portion and molded integrally with the main body portion, and mounting structure molded integrally with the main body portion for receiving a windshield washer nozzle member with the nozzle member in fluid communication with the integral channel whereby windshield washer fluid may be delivered to the nozzle member through the integral channel. In a second embodiment the washer fluid channel is defined by a molding positioned along the rear edge of the main body leaf screen portion between the rear edge of the main body portion and the lower edge of the windshield.
