There's A Hole In My Crossmember......

[Leon 24]

Group A rear beam mounts fitted. Good!

 

 

Bloody great hole in the crossmember that appeared when I dropped the spare wheel cage. Bad!

 

 

That's my next Saturday morning accounted for then

[Fox 3]

Bugger. It looks a bit grotty around the beam mounts aswell! Is it just surface rust? It might be wise to clean it up and protect it from further corrosion

[Leon 24]

It is getting a bit grotty, you are right. It's solid though. I want to do a proper job on that so will wait until I drop the beam and do the whole lot nicely.

 

Crossmember hole is a bit more urgent as I have an MOT coming up! I've just been and chopped the corresponding section out of the crossmember on my other shell (which has a nice crossmember, shame about the rest of it) and will patch up the hole next weekend.

[steve@cornwall 100]

Bloody hell - we wondered why the other welding had been done.... I think it was standing quite a while at some stage?

[Leon 24]

Yeah, once I got the spare off I could see where it had been patched before - on the same crossmember on the passenger side, about 4 inches to the left of the new hole.

 

I've cut a neat patch out of the other shell and will give it a good dose of weld through primer and then let in the new metal at the weekend. I'm not surprised the area corrodes, it has minimal protection and if it was any thinner you could probably read through it.

 

Definitely looks like it's been standing...... in the sea

[steve@cornwall 100]

Yeah, once I got the spare off I could see where it had been patched before - on the same crossmember on the passenger side, about 4 inches to the left of the new hole.

 

I've cut a neat patch out of the other shell and will give it a good dose of weld through primer and then let in the new metal at the weekend. I'm not surprised the area corrodes, it has minimal protection and if it was any thinner you could probably read through it.

 

Definitely looks like it's been standing...... in the sea

 

 

Penzance, I think...........so that would be about right !

Edited January 2, 2012 by steve@cornwall

[Leon 24]

There's also a hole in my boot floor dear Liza! Well, there was until about half an hour ago:

 

 

Not my finest work but it's fixed. Seam welded all the way round, I have done an overlap rather than a straight butt weld as I didn't trust my gasless mig not to blow holes everywhere in that thin French steel

 

Crossmember is tomorrow's adventure, then next weekend the engine is going to have to come out, I have a missing manifold stud on the first cylinder and it's blowing like a beast, tried to put a new stud in and can't even get it in a couple of turns so there is a bit of old stud in there somewhere

Edited January 7, 2012 by Leon

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

It is possible to drill and helicoil the head in situ to repair a manifold stud. I have done it a few times. You will need an angle drill.

[Leon 24]

I have a 90 degree angle drill somewhere, I bought it to try and drill out a sheared bonnet hinge (on a 205 naturally) but never used it.

 

My only fear is going in totally cock eyed and making a big mess of the head. I have 2 spare heads but still I'd rather not toast this one.

[Leon 24]

Crossmember patched. Not my finest hour but it's seam welded and solid. Now I need to drop the rear beam, grind the floor back and epoxy mastic the lot. The seam sealer is a temporary measure really.

 

[steve@cornwall 100]

This one has definitely gone to the right home! so pleased to see it being saved .

[Leon 24]

She'll never be beautiful underneath, but the only people who'll ever see that are me and the MOT tester!

 

I'll be a lot happier when that vile underside is all one colour and (relatively) rust free. Beam and tank off to do it properly to be honest.

 

Then in the summer she'll get some paint topside. Interior cleaned up well!