Found Object

[ardiesse]

I'm now onto the all-time favourite repair - the cowl/A-pillar bottoms. (\sarcasm)
Things have shifted down a gear or two.  It's just complicated.

I cut away a dodgy repair to the driver's floor, and then a strip of the floor wide enough to get an angle grinder in.  Next to go was a section of the no. 1 body crossmember.  Then it was a case of grinding away the remains of the inner sill, finding the spot welds as I went.  The box-section spacer is not spot-welded on the outside - I put a 7/16 bolt and nut through the hole to hold it in place.  Bit by bit I cleared the inner sill away, until the spacer was left on its own.



While the surgery was ongoing, I turned dressmaker.  I had a paper pattern for the inner sill front from last time, photocopied it, then cut and folded, making adjustments as I went.  When I was happy with the pattern, I transferred it to sheet-metal (and then made a couple more adjustments to fold lines as I went).



I drilled the hole for the subframe bolt, and it wasn't in the right place.  But I remembered good advice from a forum post:  It's only metal.  If you make a mistake, weld it up, grind it flat, and start again.  I welded and re-drilled the hole, and the repair section lined up much better.  Here it is, with another 7/16" bolt holding it in position.



The new section lies flat on the tabs of the box-section.  I have to drill holes for plug-welds, and weld the slots up.  But I have to pay attention to the order of things now.  It's probably a good idea to make the repair sections for the cowl panel before I weld the inner sill repair in place.

This will take some time.  Then I can turn the patterns over and do it all again on the passenger's side.

Rob

[ardiesse]

I welded up the slots, and added the lower sill return.  Then I took a template from the box-section, traced it onto the inner sill section, and drilled holes for plug welds, before transferring the box-section over to the inner sill repair piece, and plug-welded it in place.



Rob

[ardiesse]

Next, I held the inner sill section in place with self-tappers and a couple of tabs tack-welded on.  Then it was a case of finding spot welds and drilling them out until I freed the outer sill.  With the cowl panel exposed, I then welded up some craters, did a few postage-stamp repairs, and then fabricated the front part of the cowl.  Here it is, more or less welded in place.



Still to be repaired: the part where the subframe bolt goes through; and the bit hidden under the outer sill.

Rob

[ardiesse]

So . . . (a needle pulling thread) . . . I can manage about one repair section a day, if the going is good.
This is the right hand cowl bottom, repaired.



That's a relief.  But of course, I get to do it all over again on the passenger's side.

Rob

[Brett027]

Looks very neat Rob.

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[Longman]

Looks good Rob. I can't tell in the pic, but I hope you put a drain channel at the bottom.

[ardiesse]

Haven't yet, but thanks for the reminder.

[Errol62]

Yes but if you want to be factory correct you then have to block the drain hole up with a cup of tar


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[ardiesse]

A few days further on, and the passenger's side inner sill repair has taken shape -



And I managed to get one of the lower cowl section repairs fabricated and welded into place.  While there are fewer rust holes as such on the passenger's side compared with the driver's, I spent a lot of time chasing holes.



The parent metal is paper-thin in places, so I'll be better off chopping out and replacing a larger section.  But first, I have to cut off the front six to eight inches of the outer sill, in such a way that I can repair it and put it back.  I have a (probably naive) hope that I won't have to replace the LH outer sill.

Technology to the rescue.  My nephew has one of these nifty wireless endoscope/borescope thingies, which will be just the thing to explore the inside of the sill so I can get a good idea of how diseased it is internally.

Rob

[ardiesse]

Another day, another repair section.

I cut off the front eight inches of the LH outer sill (much guesswork to find the spot welds).

Then I cut out a paper pattern, which I transferred to sheet metal, and gradually formed to shape, trimming bits off as I went.



But I can tell that this is the Australia Day weekend.  How?  Because it's got stinking hot and humid, all in one glorious mix, and I'm working out of doors.

Rob

[ardiesse]

Yep.  It's hot.  But I ventured outside just long enough to weld in the final section -



A voice of caution is telling me to trial-fit the subframe, and only with the subframe in place to weld the inner sill sections into place.

That's not going to be today.

Rob

[mcl1959]

My voice of caution would be agreeing with you. When the subframe is lined up the bolts go in easy. If the subframe is out even just a little bit, the bolts won’t go in

Ken

[ardiesse]

Endoscopy Report

Patient: Object, Found.
Examining Institution: Rough-As-Guts Body Works.
Region of Examination: Sill, LH.

Observations: Some ulceration at posterior and anterior extremities of tract, occasional perforations of the wall.  No ulceration detected at medial reinforcement immediately inferior to B-pillar attachment.

Therapeutic Recommendations:  Surgical replacement not indicated. Topical liquid iron salve recommended as treatment for perforated ulcers, followed by anti-corrosive protective layers.

Y.F.B.

Rob

[ardiesse]

The subframe's back on (again).  Just temporarily, with three of the four lower bolts and one #3 Phillips screwdriver.



And here are the inner sill repairs, partially welded in place.

Passenger's side:



And driver's side:



I'll leave the subframe on while I attach the No. 1 body crossmember repair sections.

Rob

[Rod]

Well done Rob. Your said never doubt yourself on the refit of the subframe. Great work!

Cheers Rod

[ardiesse]

Passenger's side no. 1 body crossmember trimmed to size, reinforced, clamped into position and tack-welded:



I couldn't plug-weld the inner subframe mount to the no.1 body crossmember like I'd hoped, because the subframe got in the way.  Who'dathought?

Rob

[ardiesse]

Driver's side No. 1 body crossmember repair section cut to size and tacked in place:



This side went a lot more easily than the passenger's side.  I didn't have to reinforce the repair section, as the part behind the inner subframe mount was sound, so I left it in place.

So that's the no. 1 body crossmember repaired.  I can now take the subframe off, tip the shell on its side, and go nuts with the welder.  After that, well, it'll be the RH inner sill.  I'll put in a request from the Department of Foreign Affairs to the sheet metal shop for an L-shaped profile of 1.6 sheet, ~1800 long.  I need to slice off the bottom 30-40 mm of the inner sill, pretty much all the way along, and replace it.

Rob

[Errol62]

Good progress Rob. Wouldn't it be easier to remove the entire inner sill and tack/plug weld on a new one, than butt weld the entire length?

early Holden nut

[ardiesse]

Clay,

In short, yes.  But.

I'm afraid that if I cut out the whole inner sill, the shell will lose its structural integrity.  And from what I've seen looking down the driver's side sill, it's "only" the inner's bottom third that's diseased.  So I'll give it a go.

What could possibly go wrong?  (I've been asking myself that question almost every weekend . . .)

B.t.w., do you perchance have an inner subframe bolt to spare?

Rob

[Errol62]

I probably do, will have a look.

Tack the doors shut at the bottom rear, and then a cross piece between the bottoms of the B pillar. That will hold it X, Y and Z.


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