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

[metalworker0]

Still too windy so ..glossed the rear of the bumper.

Then I tackled another job ..the bolt that holds the hand brake cable to the chassis snapped off a couple of weeks ago, the hand brake cable had to come off from two mounts to be able to carry out the repairs on the rear of the sills, as it gets in the way.

Good job I had this miniature air drill, otherwise i would have had to take the springs off. ...
Note I also use a centre drill to start it off ..
The bolt was M6
Was Drilled it out and thread re-tapped.Then i used a stainless Allen bolt to put it back on.

[metalworker0]

Inner sill finished at last ..welding was ok ..just trying to rush things along because of the weather ..so most of the sill is in primer ..latest bit upol sealer is applied ready for primer tomorrow or the next day ..meanwhile will start on the outer sill, that being the sections at each end.

Note ..don't grind the spot welds down as it's ..not good, better leave the heads there for extra strength ..as i found that panel was weekend after grinding ..so reinstated all the ones i ground off ..
also only use 0.8mm on the spots not 0.6mm - as you cant get enough penetration with 0.6mm, that''s if you are using 16 gauge steel that i used for the panels.

[Chug]

Good stuff, Are you over the worst yet Mark, or is there still loads left to do?

I'm trying to summon up the will to attack my mk4 front spring hangers, but just as you commented the work days are not the same as you get older, I'm fast aproaching 59 and feel it after a day or two of getting under and laying on the floor and then getting back out from under the van a few times, it's like a work out!

[metalworker0]

Yes 59 here too ...dizzy every time i get up from underneath of it ..burns all over arms

Yes, the worst is over ..as now I'm on the outer sills. poor poem follows:

No burns ..no scrunching down or straining neck
No struggling whist looking outwards ..everything in silhouette
No arc eye from cheating as the space I've got is defeating
No more seeing through misted up googles- hooray for today.

The outer sills ..hard but not a struggle - but either end of the sill i have to fabricate ,...today resulted in me spending hours making a panel ..then rejecting it and starting again. it's not easy working with 16 gauge.

front spring hanger sounds like a doddle compared with what I've just had to do ......but id imagine if the spring hangers gone so has everything else. so take a real good look at everything under there .

all the best.mark

[Chug]

I love line three of your poem I've got the t shirt for that one

Most of the rest of my truck is pretty good, I did the inner arches and front wings just before xmas 2019 and a couple of little bits right at the rear of chassis last year, the n/s hanger is worse as I had some idiot pull out in front of me and it took a bashing then, but might as well get both sides done while at it.

[Altransit]

Following this awesome work with interest
I'm (sort of) glad to hear that you guys are feeling the effects of age in your late fifties, because, at 66, I'm now feeling too many "can't be assed" moments, especially when needing to work at ground level, and the van is being sent to the local garage for work that I wouldn't have thought twice about doing 15 years ago

I only need to clean the outer cills on the Mk7, and give them a coat or two of paint, they seem to be quite solid otherwise, but having had all summer to do it, it's still not done

[metalworker0]

Thanks for the encouragement.... i need it .

Putting old heat shield to good use . - it started raining so had to stop work ..

making panels for the end of sills ....these i chopped out because they were weak.

Many use cardboard templates which is OK ...but they will not stay folded at the angles and you have to tape them into the a form so they stay put in the shape you want - then hopefully you make a replica out of steel that is dead on .

Well forget that, I've found a better way ..that is to use an old heat shield instead of cardboard ..this one was given to me, its off a land rover discovery.

As you can see ..its so thin, you can use scissors .......flatten congregations just by rubbing hammer onto it.

Cut a piece out and mold it into the shape of the panel you want to replace..

Then the rest is strait forward.

..Note I have a vice on the job, rather than get up and down all the time ..I can stay kneeled down on the floor, saving my back ..and some time.
Note also ...the exercise matt ..these are brilliant ..if you see any knocking about buy one ,...this one cost me 50 pence from a car boot sale ..weld spatter will not set it on fire it just burns holes in it and smells a bit ......but far better than bad knees from kneeling.

All the best..mark

[blue estate]

Following this awesome work with interest
I'm (sort of) glad to hear that you guys are feeling the effects of age in your late fifties, because, at 66, I'm now feeling too many "can't be assed" moments, especially when needing to work at ground level, and the van is being sent to the local garage for work that I wouldn't have thought twice about doing 15 years ago

I only need to clean the outer cills on the Mk7, and give them a coat or two of paint, they seem to be quite solid otherwise, but having had all summer to do it, it's still not done

Al I get these moments and I’m only 46

[Chug]

I still use cardboard and 2 inch masking tape for making the patterns Mark, and for lying under the truck I've got a really thick old blanket that is twice, doubled up (so four layers) and that sits on a very thick bit of plastic sheet in case it rains, and it's covered in holes like your exercise mat!

But I've just got onto a man who comes recommended and says can do my welding for me, so I'm gonna get him to have a butchers and see what he says.

[Altransit]

I've just got onto a man who comes recommended and says can do my welding for me, so I'm gonna get him to have a butchers and see what he says.

Sounds interesting Tring is just up the road from me

[blue estate]

I've just got onto a man who comes recommended and says can do my welding for me, so I'm gonna get him to have a butchers and see what he says.

Sounds interesting Tring is just up the road from me

Al you don’t want to send him do dally with 2 rusty transits

[metalworker0]

Finished the front outer sill section ..all it needs is a tidy .
Had to make it up out of two panels to fix this, and took away most of the old one ... it was too thin.

Then moved onto the rear outer sill panels, there is a little stiffener /re-enforcement bit to go back in ..shown in red.

Used an old piece that was cut out as a template, then after a few hours ended up with a panel that is almost done.

Arrowed, have to enlarge drainage slot upwards on this one .. both end panels are a little higher than the main outer sill section..

5 hours yesterday ..6 hours today

[metalworker0]

Panel butt welded into place . I then ground weld down flush.
followed by making two other panels for inside the wheel arch. the hole is 20 mm for the the waxoyle, i have rubber bungs for these.

[metalworker0]

waxoyle work - The hole to get into the centre sill section was drilled next ..this is very difficult as it requires long drill bits, which of the right diameter i did not have, so i used a masonry drill to enlarge it which made the hole a bit rough ..but no one will see it . (should have done this before i welded that panel into place) ...anyway ,...it shows you how you are going to do it with these items in the way.

So this is what you have to do to get at that centre sill at either end ..note positioning of hole ......get it wrong and you'll hit that triangular strengthener ..too far over and you will not get the waxoyl pipe into the centre box section.

[metalworker0]

Showing position of waxoyl drill hole in the centre sill section.