Ferd/289 Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 I want to repair a small rust area in my passenger floor. Damage is approx 6 squar inches. Instead of welding, (which I cant ) i am thinking of using a cold rolled steel piece and attaching with rivits. I will use a silicon sealer to seal out H2O. Anyone do this or have advice?? Ferd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zerrari GTO Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Make sure you cut out all the bad steel (cut out an inch extra if needed). then strip the surrounding area and paint w/Por15 as per directions. Rivet new steel plate in and fill over-lap w/ dum dum. Hammer edges down between plate and floor pan and reapply dum dum if needed. Prime and shoot w/top coat as per Por15 instructs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Juday Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 There are some incredable new adhesives out now that offer a viable alternative to welding to repair small rust areas like you describe. Proper surface preparation and attention to fit are essential for good results. I would drop a PM to Racer X. Ernie is extremely knowledgable in this area and always willing to share his expertize. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vintage-TechZ Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 OOOOHH ! Don't do it that way,please !! Go to your local Paint store(O'reilyl's or the like) and pick up one of their small kits for "DURA-mix" autobody epoxy ! Its waterproof and stronger than the steel it surrounds.It even deadens "tinny" sounding metal. As long as you have cleaned the metal bare (2-pieces),you just apply the appropriate mix to your pieces and neatly smear it into place.Once its tacked up a bit,spread a "smoothing batch" over the existing visible edges an"VOILA" ! You'll be glad you did it this way !!................Vince Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zerrari GTO Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 It still ain't gona hold like welding or rivets! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vintage-TechZ Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 It still ain't gona hold like welding or rivets! Believe it or not......If the prep is done well, the steel will rip or tear BEFORE the Dura-mixed area will even think about fractureing ! Quite an amazing technology .I was a non believer til I saw many junk yard proofs with my own eyes. Most large panels on cars today are built with similiar adhesives,you may not notice this because the damage is usually not where the adhesive held !! And I'm not kiddin'. .................Vince Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zerrari GTO Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 I have always believed in replacing a material with the same material but from what you say Vince, this sounds like great stuff. I'll definately try it out on some future applications. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax240z Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 There are lots of adhesives and epoxies out there that can seriously outclass rivets. The drawbacks are that they are usually much more expensive, require lots of surface prep/time, and if applied poorly they just won't work. Just make sure if you do a patch you a) remove all the old rust from the area, and seal it tight against moisture once the repair is done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A. G. Olphart Posted October 8, 2004 Share Posted October 8, 2004 I have used epoxy to repair both the doors on a full sized Healey (rusted from the inside at the level of the bottom structural member) and some AH Sprite fenders (also rusted from the inside). I started by by sand blasting the rusted area on the inside with a home style blaster (it didn't deform things like the big boys do) and then laying up epoxy fiber glass matting on the inside. I kept it from running through the rust holes by taping the outside after sandblasting, but before layup. This worked pretty good for me, but I don't know what RacerX would say about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 2slo4u Posted October 8, 2004 Share Posted October 8, 2004 Just DON"T use silicone! Most silicone sealers contain an acid etchant and will keep causing corrosion long after you use it. I once cut out a small hole in my floor, cleaned and primed it, and riveted a piece of lexan. It worked fine and I'm sure the lexan will outlast the rest of the car. A small hole will probably not affect structural integrity of the car to a noticeable degree. 81zxturbo 95slobaru Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueovalz Posted October 8, 2004 Share Posted October 8, 2004 Just DON"T use silicone! Thanks for beating me to this issue. Silicon, over bare metal is a big no-no. It will cause rust under the silicon over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax240z Posted October 8, 2004 Share Posted October 8, 2004 Yup, you'll notice siliconE smells exactly like vinegar... that is the acetic acid... bad news on bare metal. As for silicon on bare metal, not a big deal but nor will it really be any help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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