With my fugly welding a powerfile is essential!Hardest part is starting IMO! Once you've welded your first couple of patches in it'll just get easier and you'll get more confident.
Good to see you've got one of those power files, those are invaluable with jobs like these
hope the weather behaves for you....nowt worse than welding exposed to the elements
- Thread starter GRW
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I know deleting the jacking point makes the job easier but your whole work will be undone the first time someone unknowingly tries to jack up the van using the now missing jacking point and your sill collapses!
It could be the mot station, the tyre fitter, etc. You might not be there every time to tell them not to and most tyre fitters will jack a vehicle up at the handiest point available ie the sill. Very rarely will they get down and guide the jack onto the subframe.
It could be the mot station, the tyre fitter, etc. You might not be there every time to tell them not to and most tyre fitters will jack a vehicle up at the handiest point available ie the sill. Very rarely will they get down and guide the jack onto the subframe.
I hear you.
I think though I'll just have to be cautious.
If needs be I'll remove the wheels myself & get enough changed, though I do know a couple of Indies where they will pay attention.
Smallfry
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They will do this anyway, regardless of any jacking points. They why none of my vehicles visit "professionals" now, ESPECIALLY not for tyres.
Another reason why I am selective where they go for an MOT too, and I watch them all the time, and will NEVER leave a vehicle with them.
Someone I know just took their one owner car in for an MOT recently. It was a Honda, which don't tend to suffer with many problems. Apparently it needed about £600 worth of work, brakes, and rear suspension bushes amongst it. Feeling a bit disgruntled he ran it in somewhere else, and it passed.......
Smallfry
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A couple of squirts from an oil can used to be the thing on shock absorbers back in the day. Probably still is
I remember it well. I've always managed to find decent testers, and I always stick with them for as long as possible.
In the case of the Honda I mentioned, the second test was done by a company that now has the second generation running it, and they do the required test, but don't go making extra work. If it fails, it fails because it doesn't meet the requirements, not because they've go a big night out to pay for......
Cobbler
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A friend of mine took his Marina for an exhaust at a well know Kit Kat fitter, He had been getting it ready for test. It was on the ramp & the fitter said “shock absorbers are a bit weak sir” “they are brand new, I’ve just fitted them this morning,” probably a bit more verbally. The guy carried on for a few minutes & said “sorry about that sir, I can see there new, but the manager was stood there & I have got to say that to everyone”
I've had good experiences with Bilt Hamber stuff before, so I've ordered 4 750ml cans of S50 just now.
I've used Vactan before which seemed to work well, but Fertan sounds good to me, so I've ordered a litre of that as well.
I already have a gallon of Jotamastic 90 (never used the stuff before
) ...... so the idea is (vaguely, outline & subject to amendment as I make it up as I go) - is to1. Fertan the bits which seem solid but have surface rust
2. Weld in new inner sill & interconnecting metal between it & the old jack point frame (I had to cut back the "outrigger" bits a bit, as there was tin weevil where they butted the inner sill). Note I will not be as OCD as you on the shape - I don't possess the experience & talent to make anything complex & purty - I'll settle for not looking horrendous & being solid
3. Weld in a front sill repair section (simple eh!)
3. Paint everything I can get at with Jotamastic 90 (though I do have an unused aerosol of Bilt Hamber Electrox Zinc Paint as well as some in a tin) that might get waved over the inside of the old jack box). Unsure which is better, Jota90 or Electrox
). I got the Jota90 in white so if I'm pushed I can paint the outer sill with it so it might look OK to get the MoT, & I can worry about a surface finish later.4. Squirt S50 into the repaired sill void somehow as well as any other body voids.
5. Hope the other side is nowhere near as bad (it doesn't look like it is on the outer sill but looks can be deceptive).... and cut out the jack point to look like the other side, then fix, treat, paint, & add S50.
6. Cross fingers & book it in for mot!
(Damn - just realised I meant to order some Bilt Hamber Seam Sealer, & forgot
)We complain plenty about the Government ran MOT test centres here in NI but at least they are fair and by the book.
They don't do any repairs, just testing so have no interest in creating work for themselves.
The downside is that there is no middle ground with them. An item either passes or fails. I've been through over 34 mot tests and I've yet to receive an advisory on a test.
They do get it wrong sometimes. They failed me once on the top strut bearings on a 406.
I had just replaced them and showed them the receipt for the bearings.
A manager was called out of the office and there was a 'discussion' between the tester, manager and me. Luckily the manager knows me and knows I would do a proper job fitting the bearings.
They decided on a test drive with the full weight on the suspension to see if the steering was smooth and self centred itself. It worked perfectly and I went away with a pass certificate.
At one time they employed seasoned mechanics with some common sense. But now most of the staff are young guys fresh from their apprenticeship with very little experience. If the computer says no they cannot use any common sense.
sako243
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Builthamber Hydrate 80 I found fantastic so far at stabilising the rust. I've got some S50 which I sprayed inside the 6x6 chassis after using the Hydrate.
I've not used half of the 1L bottle I got of the hydrate 80 and the whole chassis has had a coating of it.
I've not used half of the 1L bottle I got of the hydrate 80 and the whole chassis has had a coating of it.
Smallfry
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I have never used Jotamastic either, so cant comment on that, but I have used electrox, but dont bother painting it on anything other that clean, well keyed, shiny metal. By what I read from the other guys on here, I would say the Jotamastic is the better bet.I've had good experiences with Bilt Hamber stuff before, so I've ordered 4 750ml cans of S50 just now.
I've used Vactan before which seemed to work well, but Fertan sounds good to me, so I've ordered a litre of that as well.
I already have a gallon of Jotamastic 90 (never used the stuff before
1. Fertan the bits which seem solid but have surface rust
2. Weld in new inner sill & interconnecting metal between it & the old jack point frame (I had to cut back the "outrigger" bits a bit, as there was tin weevil where they butted the inner sill). Note I will not be as OCD as you on the shape - I don't possess the experience & talent to make anything complex & purty - I'll settle for not looking horrendous & being solid
3. Weld in a front sill repair section (simple eh!)
3. Paint everything I can get at with Jotamastic 90 (though I do have an unused aerosol of Bilt Hamber Electrox Zinc Paint as well as some in a tin) that might get waved over the inside of the old jack box). Unsure which is better, Jota90 or Electrox
4. Squirt S50 into the repaired sill void somehow as well as any other body voids.
5. Hope the other side is nowhere near as bad (it doesn't look like it is on the outer sill but looks can be deceptive).... and cut out the jack point to look like the other side, then fix, treat, paint, & add S50.
6. Cross fingers & book it in for mot!
(Damn - just realised I meant to order some Bilt Hamber Seam Sealer, & forgot
It took me a couple of months on and off to do mine, but I started in April, when I hoped it would be drier. Hah !
sako243
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I've been impressed so far with the Jotamastic and Hard Top XP. I did use a PPG zinc primer under it on the chassis which I've been less impressed with. It didn't stick as well to the keyed surface. The axles on the 6x6 I just sprayed straight with Jotamastic onto a needle gunned surface and in my opinion has stuck better.
None of them have liked sharp corners though and where I've knocked it hard it's flaked but that I think is to be expected with an epoxy. It was also inside the month or so window that the datasheets say for it to fully cure. It certainly feels like it's gone off harder now.
I had a quick look & probe around the other (o/side) Jack point earlier.
Weirdly, it seems to be absolutely sound & solid. I haven't looked closely or prodded the sill - but indications are it's in good order.
So, that gives me 2 thongs to consider:
1) I might (for now at least) need to only do the one side, not both, which also means
2) I'd need to reinstate the n/s jacking point, so it matches the other one.
I'd say there has to be some cause as to why one side is rusted out, while the other is sound. Perhaps it is constant water ingress in that side - entering via the door seal or similar.... because I did find water pooled under the passenger step insert which is above.
Weirdly, it seems to be absolutely sound & solid. I haven't looked closely or prodded the sill - but indications are it's in good order.
So, that gives me 2 thongs to consider:
1) I might (for now at least) need to only do the one side, not both, which also means
2) I'd need to reinstate the n/s jacking point, so it matches the other one.
I'd say there has to be some cause as to why one side is rusted out, while the other is sound. Perhaps it is constant water ingress in that side - entering via the door seal or similar.... because I did find water pooled under the passenger step insert which is above.
I think spraying Jotamastic might be beyond me, my kit tbh.
I've sprayed quite a bit with rattle cans to the point where it looked not so bad - but the only airline spraying has been with the Shutz Splurge Gloop Gun (applying a 50/50 mix of underseal & Waxoyl under my old van).
Isn't Epoxy iffy to spray without proper air-fed masks & knowing what you're doing?
I was only thinking if I needed to paint spray into a hard-to-reach access area (like my jacking point box after repair & welding)
