- Thread starter God mode restorations
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dobbslc
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That's what I said
Dcal
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Thanks all for the interest.
I think there is a lot of misinformation out there on this.
It does need to be a proper repair and as strong as the original, also the subframe needs to have been a fabrication, however everything is open to interpretation.
The "not normally accepted" bit bothers me.
Is it acceptable if a replacement subframe is no longer available?
But not if it is?
That would scrap a lot of old (and not so old) vehicles.
The repair I did replicated the original construction method and I'm certain sure it is stronger than it was when it passed the test a year ago.
I could just have just painted it and say it a refurbished replacement, but where's the fun in that.
I think there is a lot of misinformation out there on this.
It does need to be a proper repair and as strong as the original, also the subframe needs to have been a fabrication, however everything is open to interpretation.
The "not normally accepted" bit bothers me.
Is it acceptable if a replacement subframe is no longer available?
But not if it is?
That would scrap a lot of old (and not so old) vehicles.
The repair I did replicated the original construction method and I'm certain sure it is stronger than it was when it passed the test a year ago.
I could just have just painted it and say it a refurbished replacement, but where's the fun in that.
ajlelectronics
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There is no reason to poke the sleeping lion?
northwest
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Well, today I started a pretty steep learning curve, bit of a monster, I hope to make friends with it:
The crap on top winds me up but gently does it. Then back to basics making a hanging target and a bit of bar to make the (curved) fold:
Came out well on the end but both are for another day.
The crap on top winds me up but gently does it. Then back to basics making a hanging target and a bit of bar to make the (curved) fold:
Came out well on the end but both are for another day.
Personally I'd have painted it all and then driven through some horse sxxt down a country lane to keep the reinspection to a minimum
That welding job has to be better than a second hand subframe in only slightly better condition surely.
Nice job.
I don't make the rules.
But if a subframe is made from a higher tensile steel, and you go welding it and/or replacing sections of it with mild steel, you've just changed the properties of what is potentially a highly stressed component.
Dcal
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Strictly speaking, you have to leave the repair uncoated so the inspector can see the repair to make an assessment.
It's a bit of a nonsense because it's only repairs after a fail that will ever get inspected but I'm happy to follow the rules.
Brad93
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Blimey that's got to be 30 years old if not older.
Power hungry monsters but not much to go wrong with them.
Sergei Slovenija
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I modified a mini subframe for a honda B18 engine for a friend. Lots of bits cut out and replaced with square tube. Went through it's mot's ok. There's loads of vauxhall, honda and k series mini's kicking about with very heavily modified/welded subframes. Never heard of problems with mot's.
Dcal
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I certainly hope I've changed the properties of it, the steel I replaced was by and large missing or hugely thinned.
At the end of the day, it's a 1.2l Punto.
The original subframe was mig welded together.
I replaced a rotten bit with a solid bit with the same size welds.
I can't see it being anything exotic and I'm pretty sure it's just mild steel but happy to be educated.
It didn't fail when it was a fraction of the section size it is now, so I'll take the chance.
DAPPH
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In the past I've used copper water pipe as ferrules for chisel & file handles etc .
northwest
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Bought new by it's current owner 35+ years ago. It just works. Next to it is a TransMig 300 amp machine that I have been invited to fix so expect some daft questions.
droopsnoot
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I think the difference is whether yours (and mine, in the last MOT) were modified or repaired prior to the MOT test. I asked about this ages ago - my MOT man at the time said that they can't possibly know the exact shape of every subframe out there, so if it doesn't look like it's been modified or repaired, they've no reason to query it. The issue is possibly when the MOT is failed on a rusty subframe, and then re-presented with it repaired. Hopefully it's not as cut-and-dried as that, and the OP (I've lost track now) gets through - it would be very frustrating to do all that work and then not get an MOT just because it's been repaired, without considering the quality of the repair.
I'm in a similar position with the Vauxhalls, and that's where my question arose - there are very few good solid subframes out there, no new ones of course, so it's down to repairing and strengthening prior to the MOT.
Dr.Al
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Yeah, that would have been sensible and it did cross my mind, but I like brass and enjoy turning it.
Pete.
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I don't enjoy those little needle chips that can poke a hole in kryptonite!
Dr.Al
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I know what you mean. It's not so bad if you have the tool upside down and the lathe running backwards though: then the chips get fired down into the bed rather than over the whole workshop.
MattF
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Same here. As Pete says though, the swarf is evil.
