Metalwork and welding

jmreire · 14-01-2020 9:41pm

So at the moment, from looking at the pic's....panels covered in red ( anti-rust coating? ) In the metal, work in progress..you have come a long way, for sure.!!! i know that there is still lots to do but when the anti- corrosion paint start's to appear, that's heartening. What MIG welder are you using???

kadman · 14-01-2020 10:15pm

jmreire wrote: »

So at the moment, from looking at the pic's....panels covered in red ( anti-rust coating? ) In the metal, work in progress..you have come a long way, for sure.!!! i know that there is still lots to do but when the anti- corrosion paint start's to appear, that's heartening. What MIG welder are you using???

No. Car is complete and driving. Just have to fit wings, bonnets, boot and doors, and finish

kadman · 14-01-2020 10:28pm

REplacement floor was added as the original was too badly gone.

Front beam stripped and repaired

Heater channel breakdown

zetecescort · 14-01-2020 10:30pm

Is bodywork your trade? Very impressive standard, more so using no special tools and encouragement for the rest of us

kadman · 14-01-2020 10:36pm

zetecescort wrote: »

Is bodywork your trade? Very impressive standard, more so using no special tools and encouragement for the rest of us

No its not my trade. I am a carpenter joiner:D:D

But with imagination:p

jmreire · 15-01-2020 12:45am

I'd say that the front axle beams would not need much work...they are a much heavier steel gauge, so a good clean down and re paint would do them ( unless they were bent?? ) How were the torsion spring's, front and rear? Ok? The front springs make great cold chisels, BTW.

Did you manage to get a new floor pan, or is that one you have made? Its a remarkable job, if you have made it yourself.

Carpenter / Joiner....that's where the shaping skill's came from !!! LOL.
I have a Friend, who is an IT tech, but also his hobby / pastime is Mechanic's.....and he is up for any kind of repair / servicing. He built his own OBD reader specifically for his own car, and it works 100%. He has no hesitation in pulling out gearboxes and fitting clutches, or overhauling brakes etc. He find's it relaxing...:cool:

kadman · 15-01-2020 12:52am

Had to rebuild the front beam and refit to the chassis

And hammer formed a new spare wheel well

Wooden dished former is ideal to pummel a shape into, and then finished by either a small pneumatic
plannishing hammer, or pounce bag. I used a bag and hammer for this.

Then welded it to the rest of the wheel well.

And trial fit into place

kadman · 15-01-2020 10:12pm

Restoring old classics also throws a good mixture of mechanical repairs to be made
as well as the bodywork.
I had to install a casesaver into the soft magnesium case of the fastback. Can
sometimes be par for the course for these engines. And it has to be tackled carefully
or you could end up with an over size paperweight

Torque settings are there for a reason;)

jmreire · 16-01-2020 12:22am

They are the retaining bolts for the piston pots and the head's, what was the problem with them? When undoing the head retaining nuts, had the nuts bonded to the bolts, and instead of the nuts turning, the bolts turned instead in the block and stripped the thread's

?

kadman · 16-01-2020 12:50am

jmreire wrote: »

They are the retaining bolts for the piston pots and the head's, what was the problem with them? When undoing the head retaining nuts, had the nuts bonded to the bolts, and instead of the nuts turning, the bolts turned instead in the block and stripped the thread's ?

Problem with this one, was , it was stripped from over torquing by a previous owner.

The studsv were 8 mm. So I had to bore out the case, carfully.
Grease was there to remove the swarf.

And then drill and tap for a 10mm case saver. And fit that.

Job done

here is the case saver fitted,

Hole tapped before case saver fitted

Case saver fitted onto stud, and stud wound into thread fitting
the case saver,

kadman · 16-01-2020 12:56am

Its a common problem from poor attention to vw engine rebuilds.

Not too bad if it happens on the 8mm stud engine, as there is plenty of meat in the case
when fitting the 10mm case saver.

If your engine is the 10mm studs, then fitting the case saver brings you closer to the case edge,
so attention here is critical.

Case saver kit is cheap enough, and comes with all the bits necessary.
Drill, tap, and a selection of case savers in the big kits, or smaller kits for
only 1 size.

jmreire · 16-01-2020 1:05am

kadman wrote: »

Its a common problem from poor attention to vw engine rebuilds.

Not too bad if it happens on the 8mm stud engine, as there is plenty of meat in the case
when fitting the 10mm case saver.

If your engine is the 10mm studs, then fitting the case saver brings you closer to the case edge,
so attention here is critical.

Case saver kit is cheap enough, and comes with all the bits necessary.
Drill, tap, and a selection of case savers in the big kits, or smaller kits for
only 1 size.

Yes over torquing, can cause that all right. By "case saver" I think that you mean what we call " Heli Coil's" ??? Does the same job in any case. But it's up and running now, no problem.

kadman · 16-01-2020 1:06am

No I mean case savers:D

There is a difference, case savers are better

jmreire · 16-01-2020 1:16am

kadman wrote: »

No I mean case savers:D

There is a difference, case savers are better

Ah, yes..I can see the difference now! Case savers would be much better when working in an alloy block for holding piston block /cylinder head's in place as you were doing.

eusap · 16-01-2020 11:22am

When people say boards is gone to the dogs with keyboard warriors an excellent thread like this appears. People sharing great experience. Well done and more of it!:)

kadman · 16-01-2020 12:35pm

If you look at the pics of the helicoil and case savers. The difference is clear.

The case saver, as the name implies is predominantly used in engine case applications.
Its more robust than the wire helicoil, and can with stand the torques applied by the studs threaded into it.

Vw cases are a soft magnesium alloy, and some energetic builders believe that brute force
is the torque setting, and its very easy to start pulling the studs through the case. Then the harm is done.

And for many the solution here is to slap in a dob of Loctite thread seal, and cross the fingers.
Its not, new case saver is the solution

jmreire · 16-01-2020 8:28pm

Yes the difference is clear from your pics. I've never had to replace one of these, hence my lack of knowledge about them...on the other, hand helicoils were a common request to the store man for fitting in plug holes. And if they failed, then it was an engine out, head's off and sent to the local engineering works. But they are a good solution, and not only in cars....virtually any situation where the threads are stripped beyond repair, they will be a good solution.:D

kadman · 16-01-2020 8:33pm

Something I cobbled together to shape some of the smaller panels I needed.

basically its a 4" tyred castor, and a hardened steel anvil on the bottom,

mini english wheel I suppose. It worked well in shaping the tightly curved panels I needed.

Mounted in the chuck of my wood lathe for stability. Obviously the lathe was never turned on.

It was ideal for this type of panel, repairing the rusted section of the curved airbox.

jmreire · 16-01-2020 8:55pm

Certainly did the job on that panel anyway, amateur construction or not !!!!

:):) Not that it matters as long as it does the job.

zetecescort · 16-01-2020 8:56pm

anvil is a ball for a tractor 3 point hitch?

kadman · 16-01-2020 9:01pm

Smaller more awkward panels were hammer formed over various dollies,
and then finished with a pneumatic plannishing hammer where possible.

jmreire · 16-01-2020 9:01pm

zetecescort wrote: »

anvil is a ball for a tractor 3 point hitch?

And while we are on the subject, where did the 4 wheel castor come from? Shopping trolley or similar???

kadman · 16-01-2020 9:03pm

zetecescort wrote: »

anvil is a ball for a tractor 3 point hitch?

Well spotted, cheap and cheerful, and perfect for the job.:)

kadman · 16-01-2020 9:03pm

jmreire wrote: »

And while we are on the subject, where did the 4 wheel castor come from? Shopping trolley or similar???

Hospital bed

:D:D:D:D

kadman · 16-01-2020 9:12pm

Indents on any of the larger panels were made with whatever solid item
suited the shape I needed.

And plenty of patience.

BonnieSituation · 16-01-2020 9:22pm

I can hear the jealousy of jmreire from here.

kadman · 16-01-2020 9:23pm

Larger panels just take a bit longer thats all. If you start with the smaller panels
first, the same skilset does the same panel.

If we look at a full resto bodywork in its entirety, its too daunting at the outset.
Break it down into smaller areas, and anything is achieveable in time.

jmreire · 16-01-2020 9:24pm

kadman wrote: »

Hospital bed :D:D:D:D

[/RIGHT

And a second life for a hospital bed castor.......is that what they call " Up Cycling" ( which I always thought meant Tour de France cyclists going up hill.....:cool: )

kadman · 16-01-2020 9:30pm

Identify the area that needs repair

Make the repair panel that is needed. Slightly oversize
and trial fit over the rot before cutting out the rot.

Cut it out, and clean up the area. Rust proof.

And weld in new panel.:)

MrCostington · 16-01-2020 9:55pm

Fantastic skill kadman and thank you for posting all those pics!

You must be related to MacGyver

Metalwork and welding

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