Connect sill repair part 1, 2 , 3 showing before repair

[metalworker0]

Transition panel welded in today (steps up on to the jacking point re-enforcement and at the same time steps the inner sill down, inner sill has to be less bulky in this area to facilitate removal of leaf spring hanger bolt)

1 inch step in last part of inner sill fitted a week or so ago
1/4 inch step in this panel

pics should hopefully explain it . 5 hours work

[metalworker0]

Rear of sill - The larger panel (inner sill) with drain swages in it .

The previous smaller transition panel that I've just fitted- I folded the second fold - (metal folder will only do one fold) in a large milling vice.

For this next operation, (a larger panel) I did not feel like making a jig ..as I have no suitable metal to make one out of .So once I performed the first fold in my metal folder, then I folded the next fold in the same vice.

it's an improvised set-up, just bits of scrap metal to support it and guide it, I was folding, just a bit at a time ..moving it up and down the vice, smacking it with a large raw hide hammer - and opening and re-tightening vice , folding etc, as i went along.

You could do this with a large woodworking vice (don't try it on a Black and Decker workmate ..it will slip about and you will end up with a distorted fold and probably a buggered workmate - tried that years ago ..so i know the outcome.

Note: panel is half inch bigger all around ...will be cut to size when I fit it ..so you don't even have to be accurate with your measurements .....as you can get it right during fitting ..just trimming bits off until it lines up.
As you can see the fold turned out well.
Next steps - I will now get it trimmed to size ..then workout where the drainage swages will be. MORE TO FOLLOW...

[metalworker0]

Trial fitted,
Still to do at this end - add drainage swages ..cut off excess hanging down, drill spot weld holes, ..weld into place , add another piece to the wheel arch rib.

[metalworker0]

That's it until Monday

[metalworker0]

That panel was welded in today, welds were good , just a little ugly in the middle were the spring hanger is, covered all welds with Upol seam sealer ..as it takes a week to go off before you can put cellulose primer on it without it running or bleeding through.
Upol on the panels looks like I've spoilt the looks of it (even worse on the panel I've just installed , which is why I'm showing where it looks reasonable on the other panels) ...but you can partially rub this stuff down after a week or so ,...then looks ok once covered with primer and stone chip.
The welds although they look OK , have some small hollows and some pits and even areas were you can see pin holes of light ...didn't want any of these small defects starting rust off ...hence the Upol.
Note: push the upol well into the voids/pits/hollows with your gloved fingers.

Yes, you can go back to the welds ..start adding more weld ..start linishing them away ..and end up with thin areas of steel, and be sorry you tried to cover your mistakes...as you've made the job worse . LET THE UPOL DO THE JOB OF FINAL SEALING is my advice. - note you are doing a better job than the manufacturer did, as they put all panels together with a spot weld only every 2 inches .

Note also when you do a weld, there is always a tiny trough/ pit either side of the weld of about 0.5mm deep, don't be tempted to linish this down until it disappears or you will end up with VERY THIN STEEL or a useless spot weld - let the primer and paint take care of it .

[metalworker0]

Actually, I think I've made a balls up of that !

I should of primed it, then put the sealer on, then primed again

opinions please

will get the wire brush on it tomorrow

[karl]

i have a connect in tomorrow for inner sill welding

but wont be getting what you are doing with this

just dont have the time either

it will be plate up

[metalworker0]

Yes loads of time in this ..too much ...must be a 150 - 200 hours so far.
so yes plate the sills and get rid within a couple of years.


i don't understand why its taking so long. feels like the hours are shorter than they were last time i did a car, or is it me being slower.

i would say that the rust is going to be the same on any connect of this age (2006) that hasn't been mollycoddled or waxoyled from new.
i can also see that in ten years time a mk1 connect will be a rare item, they will be extinct . i will be tghe only owner of a mk 1 left here ...lol

i can see how its got that way:
1. Many holes from outside leading into it,
2. Completely sealed from above so no condensate can evaporate out of it (meaning if its wet from condensate , which pretty much happens for half the year in the uk ...when the condensate becomes water vapour ..it has no where to go to ...because its sealed from the top, cars of old had sills that had holes that lead into the boot etc ) ..
3. No cavity wax - even though there is provision to put it in.
4. Poorly thought out design , with almost flat bottomed sills if you were parked on a cambered road.
5 . Too many box sections and fussyness within ..when one thick box section could have done it all,.
6 All box sections have flat bottoms that trap water.
7. Only thin electroplating on inside panels - no paint. (why do they put in each factory brochure pictures of vehicles being dipped into a tank of paint ..when there is no evidence that it ever happened)
8. No thought given that the vehicle could be parked on a slope or road camber. this is for all things, (note: I park mine on a sloped drive ,(rear facing downhill) and the channels on the roof fill with what seems like a couple of gallons of water that empties onto my windscreen when i leave the drive...you do get a clean windscreen everyday ..

i haven't moved onto the engine layout yet ..but all that gubbings at the back of the engine (most of i cannot see or workout) , all looks hard to work on .

all the best.mark

[metalworker0]

Time was taken up today riding to the next town on my bicycle, to get some more cutting disks, so far ive used 22 . they are 1mm thick and cut like a knife through butter.
.

[metalworker0]

when i got back i made a start on the front inner sill and jacking point ..BTW the Upol was so strongly adhered to the panels, it was almost impossible to remove with a twisted strand wire brush on angle grinder..so ..it stays as it is, every confidence in it now sticking to the bare metal and forming water tight seal. ..good product .

Anyway back to the front jacking point, this was cut out ..but still have more cutting to do ,...so that i can get access it with the welder...some of he front cusp has to be cut out ..this is thick (red arrow)..will find some metal of equal thickness when i put it back again.
There is quite a bit of thinking involved with this one ..so it may take a few days

Note: The screw driver going through hole ..this is the one that lets water directly into the sill .this is directly behind the wheel and isn't covered by the wheel arch liner. this hole will not be blocked i will extend the wheel arch liner a bit so that it does not get water forced through it .

[metalworker0]

Made the sill re-enforcement / jacking point today .

You can also see the old one ..and how the panels try to tear away and crumple around it . - will come up with a solution for that on all for jacking points later.

There is still a little bit of trimming and grinding to do ..the end of sill dark area is not as bad as it looks.

[metalworker0]

Welded the strengthening plate into place .
Green arrows show where the welds go on the outside , red arrows show a gap i had to fill with several runs of weld.
Welds look a bit scruffy ..same problem --- no room to work in ..cant get the torch at the right angle and cant see what I'm doing..but this will hold a battleship up.

Today's work - included more cutting out - 5 hours.

[metalworker0]

That slot in the plate at the end nearest the arch is in the wrong place ..will have to weld it up tomorrow ..the mistake was because there is drainage on the other side in that place, but it does not come from the outer sill just the inner...not much of a problem ..just another hour or so.

or maybe will cover it up with the outer sill ..and leave it there ..as in that place there is no cavity but its double skinned . umm wait until i get up to it, maybe and work it it then.

all the best.mark

[metalworker0]

The weld I did yesterday is as the diagram, there is a short 1 foot long box section at the back of the middle sill box section in the area I'm working on (labeled - inner box section). ..it was joined onto that.

The closing panel was made today - will weld into place on Monday, picture 2 shows later work on it .

5 hours

[metalworker0]

Too windy yesterday ..but did manage to prime the rear bumper, today it's raining.
These are all things you have to allow for, if doing the job outside, this can put many weeks on a job.

Wind ...- only a slight breeze is enough to ruin a weld and also cover you with sparks and molten metal.
The sort of welder I'm using is called a MIG welder- Metal-Inert-Gas
This is a welding machine that has mounted within, a drum of thin steel wire, this is driven by pinch rollers and electric motor, the wire is automatically fed to the end of the nozzle. and is consumed whilst welding.
The gas, (BOC argoshield light - a mixture of argon and CO2) is contained within a large cylinder / bootle on the back of the welder . is blown from the nozzle and shields the arc - so excluding oxygen from the weld, this is an inert gas ...a gas that does not react or burn - Is termed a shielding gas. Without this gas, the weld will just spatter and explode like La Palma - so no welding in gusts or breeze ...if outside, as only slight breezes can blow away the gas.

Rain - you don't want to be using any electrical equipment outside or generally getting wet or peed off - as generally results in you doing a bad job / not as good a job.

so will be back with updates, when I've got the right conditions.

Any comments on the work so far good or bad welcome.