I found rust on my 74 bus. It's down at the bottom of the center section all the way at the bottom between the two jacking points. Put my finger right through it! It musta been hiding 'cause there was ZERO rust when I bought it last December.
I reached around the back side ( under the bus) and even that was "soft". This was all on the drivers side.
I went over to the sliding door side and found a little bit starting there too. It was OK underneath though.
What sort of options do I have? Dont be shy... step up and tell me how to fix this mess.
Rust Never Sleeps!!! Thanks alot Neil !
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amskeptic
- Posts: 666
- Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2002 1:01 am
"bottom of the center section"
That could be a number of different places to the semantically-challenged.
I'll assume that you mean, " the rocker sills between the jacking points."
i.e. the painted curved surface that runs under the sliding door and it's equivalent on the other side of the bus.
What I did was to remove the rubber plugs just behind the front tires in the wheel wells, and I blasted the enclosed rocker area with high pressure air to loosen the rust chips and shards which blew all down the enclosed rocker area. These chips want to escape through the drain holes, you'll see them, but are usually too big until you painstakingly fish them out. Of course, if you poked a hole in the rocker, there's an escape route right there. Then I poured high pressure water through the holes and watched rusty water drain out the drain holes. Eventually it was clear water. Then I waited a week to dry. Then I got my spray cans of One-Step Catalyzing primer and shot each drain hole with it, followed by a good blast of air to spread it. I repeated this until it seemed stupid. Then I shot down the holes behind the front tires and followed with compressed air. You could see spray paint mist coming from the drain holes. I blocked all but one drain hole with tape and allowed each drain hole it's turn as the spray paint mist escape. I did this until I had serious questions about my sanity. Waited 24 hours. Put the rubber plugs back in.
That was 1993. Still good.
Colin
That could be a number of different places to the semantically-challenged.
I'll assume that you mean, " the rocker sills between the jacking points."
i.e. the painted curved surface that runs under the sliding door and it's equivalent on the other side of the bus.
What I did was to remove the rubber plugs just behind the front tires in the wheel wells, and I blasted the enclosed rocker area with high pressure air to loosen the rust chips and shards which blew all down the enclosed rocker area. These chips want to escape through the drain holes, you'll see them, but are usually too big until you painstakingly fish them out. Of course, if you poked a hole in the rocker, there's an escape route right there. Then I poured high pressure water through the holes and watched rusty water drain out the drain holes. Eventually it was clear water. Then I waited a week to dry. Then I got my spray cans of One-Step Catalyzing primer and shot each drain hole with it, followed by a good blast of air to spread it. I repeated this until it seemed stupid. Then I shot down the holes behind the front tires and followed with compressed air. You could see spray paint mist coming from the drain holes. I blocked all but one drain hole with tape and allowed each drain hole it's turn as the spray paint mist escape. I did this until I had serious questions about my sanity. Waited 24 hours. Put the rubber plugs back in.
That was 1993. Still good.
Colin
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bottomend
- Posts: 655
- Joined: Tue Dec 03, 2002 12:01 am
Takes on to know one!... You understood perfectlly which area I'm talking about.
I think Im beyond the point of just "fixin" it. It's like... SOFT! on both sides. ( the outer painted side AND the inner part under the bus). The "frame rail" part underneath is rusted. I can apply moderate pressure to it and it'll "squish" very nicely.
This musta crept up pretty quickly because it wasn't like this 6 months ago. Really, I've looked around for rust quite a number of times and I've seen a little surface rust only. I guess thats how it all starts...
The sliding door side can probably benifit from your method but the other side is on it's way to the dogs.
Is there a way to "cut out" this section ( the painted outside portion and the underneath "frame rail" section) and weld in another non rusted part?
I think Im beyond the point of just "fixin" it. It's like... SOFT! on both sides. ( the outer painted side AND the inner part under the bus). The "frame rail" part underneath is rusted. I can apply moderate pressure to it and it'll "squish" very nicely.
This musta crept up pretty quickly because it wasn't like this 6 months ago. Really, I've looked around for rust quite a number of times and I've seen a little surface rust only. I guess thats how it all starts...
The sliding door side can probably benifit from your method but the other side is on it's way to the dogs.
Is there a way to "cut out" this section ( the painted outside portion and the underneath "frame rail" section) and weld in another non rusted part?
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metropoj
- Posts: 997
- Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2002 12:01 am
I've never seen or heard rust spread that quickly, but the rockers are deceiving for the visual inspection. I would assume you used the visual inspection method and not the pointy screw driver method of rust searching ?
Regardless, you have a mess on your hands. I don't know what you're looking for for an answer here. Yes, cut out all the rotten stuff, all those parts that are gone are available from Tabco and a few other places. It's all in how much time and $$ you want to spend. I usually try and cut away everything that is soft and then decide what has to be done from there for patch panels. You may find it's easier to find another one if it's really spread ...
OK, now that you know the rockers are toast, I would take complete inventory of every other part of the van while you're at it. Usually, rust doesn't always just attack the rockers and leave everything else alone ..... My experience anyways .... FLoors, Axle beams, Rear battery tray areas, inner fenders, floor centre .....
Regardless, you have a mess on your hands. I don't know what you're looking for for an answer here. Yes, cut out all the rotten stuff, all those parts that are gone are available from Tabco and a few other places. It's all in how much time and $$ you want to spend. I usually try and cut away everything that is soft and then decide what has to be done from there for patch panels. You may find it's easier to find another one if it's really spread ...
OK, now that you know the rockers are toast, I would take complete inventory of every other part of the van while you're at it. Usually, rust doesn't always just attack the rockers and leave everything else alone ..... My experience anyways .... FLoors, Axle beams, Rear battery tray areas, inner fenders, floor centre .....
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amskeptic
- Posts: 666
- Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2002 1:01 am
You can cut it out and leave it out. Just paint nicely when you are done and you can keep a good eye on the underside of the sliding door track as well. See, you didn't even notice that I had done just that on my bus.bottomend wrote:Is there a way to "cut out" this section ( the painted outside portion and the underneath "frame rail" section) and weld in another non rusted part?
The first foot or so of rocker sill on the left side of my bus behind the front wheels has been ground clean off. The entire right side under the sliding door is gone. No one has ever commented. . . . .Who needs enclosed rocker sills anyways?
Colin < : ] ]
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bottomend
- Posts: 655
- Joined: Tue Dec 03, 2002 12:01 am
Very interesting... but I've got rust on the BACK side of the long section too. I almost put my finger through it! Can I cut that part out too? Isn't that some kind of structural support beam or something?
I know somebody who used to be a body man for 25 years. I should call him and see what he says about it. The rocker it self is toast. Thats a fact, jack.
If I do take out the beam part ( the "backside" of the rocker), can I weld in a piece that is similar but not neccesarily VW? I'm a Yankee... where theres a will, theres a way!
I know somebody who used to be a body man for 25 years. I should call him and see what he says about it. The rocker it self is toast. Thats a fact, jack.
If I do take out the beam part ( the "backside" of the rocker), can I weld in a piece that is similar but not neccesarily VW? I'm a Yankee... where theres a will, theres a way!
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roachghia70
- Posts: 624
- Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2003 12:01 am
i don't completely understand the way that part of a bus is shaped, but you can use sheet metal and bend it to the shape you need. then just tack weld it on, stitch weld around the panel, and then use filler. any time you cut away a panel, you can get underneath and paint the exposed metal/rust with por15 or some other rust preventative paint. hope this helps, but a picture of the area would clear up any confusion...