shortykorte
Well-known member
Question about seam sealer. the sealer at the rear fender well and floor (interior of Tahoe is peeling and I wonder what you recommend? Thanks.
MP&C Shop Projects
- Thread starter MP&C
- Start date
First thing I'd do is make sure there is some paint underneath. If not, coat it with some Epoxy primer and then get some 2K (catalyzed version) seam sealer. Most of what you saw in the 50's and 60's cars that always cracked in the drip rails was single component, and as seen is prone to extreme shrinking and then cracking. Unfortunately most were bare steel underneath, so as soon as the cracking occurred, water intrusion and rust was soon to follow. So with any seam sealer, a good substrate primer to resist water/rust damage should be first and follow that with a 2K that is more resistant to shrinking and checking. Not sure of what your local autobody store carries, but most will use a special "caulking" type gun to mix the part A and B components as you go. You may choose one over the other based on either availability or gun price point...
shortykorte
Well-known member
Thank you Robert for the quick response and information especially on ensuring the base has a good primer. Looks like a good time to try out SPI.
Well here's the saga of the latest bus repair. It seems a new driver at a local high school was attempting to back out of a parking space and missed the BIG YELLOW vehicle already occupying where he intended to move. Maybe they should change the color of those buses so you can see them coming.
Note door gap closed up here...
So from the onset, it looks like we need one new door, a filler panel, some "adjustments" to a couple door frames, painting and buffing.
Filler panel was fabricated out of 18 ga cold rolled steel, abraded with the DA, and prepped for SPI epoxy primer..
New door and filler panel have been sprayed with SPI epoxy, here shown after blocking with 400 grit..
New hardware getting prepped for painting...
Stainless hardware is used to stave off the rust issues. The bright polished finish does not provide good adhesion for a paint finish. Additionally, we've found that excessive paint build on these promotes cracking/chipping of the paint while driving them in during installation.. So to minimize the build on the hardware, we have eliminated primer on these parts. We media blast with 80 grit garnet media, blow off with air, and they get yellow urethane directly on the abraded fasteners. This method has shown to work well with NO chipping...
Dis-assembly..
The filler panel is actually sandwiched between two flanges at each luggage box, so the bus needed to be jacked up about 8" where the filler panel could be slid in place from the bottom, and bus dropped back down to level before attachment so we didn't have any twist in the boxes.
All door gaps addressed, painting, touch-ups, and buffing complete, ready for school!
Note door gap closed up here...
So from the onset, it looks like we need one new door, a filler panel, some "adjustments" to a couple door frames, painting and buffing.
Filler panel was fabricated out of 18 ga cold rolled steel, abraded with the DA, and prepped for SPI epoxy primer..
New door and filler panel have been sprayed with SPI epoxy, here shown after blocking with 400 grit..
New hardware getting prepped for painting...
Stainless hardware is used to stave off the rust issues. The bright polished finish does not provide good adhesion for a paint finish. Additionally, we've found that excessive paint build on these promotes cracking/chipping of the paint while driving them in during installation.. So to minimize the build on the hardware, we have eliminated primer on these parts. We media blast with 80 grit garnet media, blow off with air, and they get yellow urethane directly on the abraded fasteners. This method has shown to work well with NO chipping...
Dis-assembly..
The filler panel is actually sandwiched between two flanges at each luggage box, so the bus needed to be jacked up about 8" where the filler panel could be slid in place from the bottom, and bus dropped back down to level before attachment so we didn't have any twist in the boxes.
All door gaps addressed, painting, touch-ups, and buffing complete, ready for school!
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zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Nice work as usual Robert, but I think that "contoured" panel added some character to an otherwise dated design. Maybe you should add a concave panel to the others and make the district's buses "unique".
Maybe the design will catch on.
Mike.
Maybe the design will catch on.Mike.
SteveH-CO
Well-known member
If it's a diesel bus and is as noisy as my 7.3 PowerStroke, he could have crushed a number of things and never heard a thing.
I hope you charged the district an amount commeasurate with the work you did to fix it.
I hope you charged the district an amount commeasurate with the work you did to fix it.
Fitting up the one piece wheel well into the passenger side quarter. Once fitted, the edge is marked with tape, wheel well removed, and the width available beneath for plug welds is noted. Then holes are punched in the wheel well to match, and it gets refitted. We started at the front so we could use vise grips to clamp, and worked progressively toward the back.
We did have a few plug welds that were contaminated from the epoxy primer, so we'll grind everything smooth, fix those areas, redress the welds and finish any bare areas with epoxy primer. One step closer to the Line-x coating on the underside...
Here we are all tacked in place:
.
We did have a few plug welds that were contaminated from the epoxy primer, so we'll grind everything smooth, fix those areas, redress the welds and finish any bare areas with epoxy primer. One step closer to the Line-x coating on the underside...
Here we are all tacked in place:
.
NASTYZEN
Well-known member
Great fix as usual Robert. Buy you get a big you **** for being able to fit a BUS in your shop.
shortykorte
Well-known member
Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge and skills even though your are busy. May your Christmas be peaceful and filled with love and the New Year be a time of rebirth.
xtremek
Well-known member
^x2. May your holidays be blessed.
Tonight we worked on getting the driver's side wheel well installed. To help eliminate the contamination issue from the close proximity of the primer, we used these piloted burnishing brushes to remove the paint around the plug weld holes on both front and back sides...
That did the trick, no volcanoes this time...
Next we'll need to dress these welds and epoxy prime the bare spots. In the meantime, a test fit of the bucket seats. We're going to need to make some adapter brackets to weld to the floor, I don't think the wood one is going to fly...
That did the trick, no volcanoes this time...
Next we'll need to dress these welds and epoxy prime the bare spots. In the meantime, a test fit of the bucket seats. We're going to need to make some adapter brackets to weld to the floor, I don't think the wood one is going to fly...
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Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
Robert....what are those bucket seats out of originally?
DieselDent
Well-known member
Awesome work as usual Robert!
Where did you get that piloted burnishing brush? Starting the floor pans on my '67 and that would be a great help.
Rob
Where did you get that piloted burnishing brush? Starting the floor pans on my '67 and that would be a great help.
Rob
stinkity stoink
Well-known member
Nice job Robert, but I am waiting to see some power hammer work. ��
DieselDent
Well-known member
Here's the path we took on the seat risers....it's been a while now that GM has used wood in the vehicle, no sense in us bucking that trend! Started by fabbing up some 14 gauge steel into a hat section and left some longer ears on the ends to fold down and close the ends off..
Stainless hex nut welded inside for the seat frame hardware..
Missed getting these pics on the other end, but cardboard templates were transposed to steel fillers, cut out and welded in place, along with the flanges around the perimeter.
We plan on finishing the inner risers up this evening and leveling the seats across for sizing the height of the outer risers.
Finished up the plug welds on the driver's wheel well. We'll get a few more parts prepped for epoxy and address those bare spots at the same time.
Stainless hex nut welded inside for the seat frame hardware..
Missed getting these pics on the other end, but cardboard templates were transposed to steel fillers, cut out and welded in place, along with the flanges around the perimeter.
We plan on finishing the inner risers up this evening and leveling the seats across for sizing the height of the outer risers.
Finished up the plug welds on the driver's wheel well. We'll get a few more parts prepped for epoxy and address those bare spots at the same time.
Ohmthis
Well-known member
Probably weren't selling enough
did you polish up the heads or is that the condition they were in when you recieved it?
did you polish up the heads or is that the condition they were in when you recieved it?Hammer faces as received... the handle had been shaved on the sides so I stripped the finish and re-stained the handle, and added a wedge to tighten it up. I've seen these hammers advertised as high as $220. I traded two other tools for this one, I've already used it more than I did the other two combined..
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Seat riser bracket number two fabrication, got more detail pictures this time..
Used the Tipping die in the Lennox to thin out the crease line, makes for a more crisp bend, especially given the 14 gauge steel we're using...
After bending in the Diacro manual press brake using the gooseneck die...
Fitting and trimming the end transitions while matched to the floor...
Ready for the TIG
Used the Tipping die in the Lennox to thin out the crease line, makes for a more crisp bend, especially given the 14 gauge steel we're using...
After bending in the Diacro manual press brake using the gooseneck die...
Fitting and trimming the end transitions while matched to the floor...
Ready for the TIG
dnroe
Well-known member
Robert, have you ever considered giving any more information on your paint prep process you use on the blasted or sanded metal prior to epoxy? I have only blasted and primed interior or hidden areas on my project and have not found any good online tutorials that covered that step. I know beggars cant be choosers but it would be nice to see your process before I tackle any exterior panels. Much appreciation to you for the effort and time you have put into this thread.
Rather than me steer you wrong or miss some detail, this topic was recently addressed on the SPI user forum:
http://www.spiuserforum.com/index.php?threads/cleaning-bare-steel.5028/#post-53586
http://www.spiuserforum.com/index.php?threads/cleaning-bare-steel.5028/#post-53586
OK, so sometimes you take another look and think yeah, we can do better than that. Today the passenger bucket seat was test fit onto our riser. It could be brought a bit tighter to the floor. Next, looking at the cross member, the rear flange (red arrows) didn't match up to the rear flange of our riser.
The blue tape shows the rear flange of the cross member below...
Here's our updated riser, half as tall, and once trimmed the flange will match to above the cross member..
The blue tape shows the rear flange of the cross member below...
Here's our updated riser, half as tall, and once trimmed the flange will match to above the cross member..
Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Robert, every time I look at something I've done I have that thought. For me, re-doing it sometimes made it worse. The details you are taking care of are just astounding and give me the courage to try new things. Thanks so much for posting your work and the thought process behind it -- it's inspiring.
Bob, thanks for the kind words, but I feel you are far more of an inspiration to perseverance and determination than I ever could be. But on a lot of these fabrications, you don't see the improvements needed until the "test piece" has been completed.. 
I do find that forcing myself to explain something helps me better understand it, and that showing the mistakes (practice) is all part of the learning curve
I do find that forcing myself to explain something helps me better understand it, and that showing the mistakes (practice) is all part of the learning curve
More details on the seat risers, here the 5/8-11 hex nut is welded inside. The tacks at the top are merely to hold it centered within the hole to maintain our correct C-C hole spacing. It gets welded inside as well to keep things anchored in place.
The 5/8 hardware was chosen as the factory seat bracket on these 2002 Monte Carlo seats had a hole that large existing already. The front of the seat bracket actually had another bracket underneath that was held in place with a solid rivet. We drilled out the rivet to remove the obstacle (so the rail was flat across the bottom), and opened the hole up for 3/8 hardware.
Test fit....
Still need to fill in the flange corners on the front and this one will be ready for SPI epoxy primer to coat all the surfaces before it gets welded in place..
The 5/8 hardware was chosen as the factory seat bracket on these 2002 Monte Carlo seats had a hole that large existing already. The front of the seat bracket actually had another bracket underneath that was held in place with a solid rivet. We drilled out the rivet to remove the obstacle (so the rail was flat across the bottom), and opened the hole up for 3/8 hardware.
Test fit....
Still need to fill in the flange corners on the front and this one will be ready for SPI epoxy primer to coat all the surfaces before it gets welded in place..
polexican23
Banned
Here's our updated riser, half as tall, and once trimmed the flange will match to above the cross member..
WOW...
i may now have to redo the seat risers on my project. BTW if you get a hold of a VW dunebuggy (ie. meyers manx) and make something similar you could sell a few of them. It would increase the ability to use other lower seats than VW seats. just a thought.
Moving on to the outer risers, these ones will be a bit taller due to the recess where the original seat frames bolted. We started out with using the tipping die in the Lennox to thin the 14 gauge cold rolled steel at the bend line for a more crisp bend.
Next, after making the inside bends, the Fasti-werks bead roller is used with a skate board wheel to add a radius to the outer "leg" of the riser.
Next time in the shop we'll get the ends closed up.....
Next, after making the inside bends, the Fasti-werks bead roller is used with a skate board wheel to add a radius to the outer "leg" of the riser.
Next time in the shop we'll get the ends closed up.....
