trasit welding help needed

[al1959]

looking at the floor near the arch there is a good sized area to cut out, would it be best to cut it in segments as shown in the photo? a few of the segments would only get welds on 3 sides due to rotten metal then the next segments connecting onto it till all sides are welded as i move around the rotten area`s.

or are the segments i have shown 2 large?

 

[al1959]

hi themenace
can`t do the rear floor as its a camper van, i only have the front floors to play with till i get the the arch.

thanks

 

[mr haynes]

looking at the floor near the arch there is a good sized area to cut out, would it be best to cut it in segments as shown in the photo? a few of the segments would only get welds on 3 sides due to rotten metal then the next segments connecting onto it till all sides are welded as i move around the rotten area`s.

or are the segments i have shown 2 large?

Do what you are comfortable with.
It is ok to build the repair in sections, we don't all have die presses in the back of the shed

 

[Misterg]

That looks like the whole of the top of the strut tower is rotten - would he be better off using the repair panel previously linked to?

 

[al1959]

hi misterg
hi hope thats not the case because that would mean disturbing the turret top which a few have said don`t do (disturb).
your the first one to mention it so i will wait and see what the general consensus is on how to proceed, i was intending to sand down further then treat everything with hammerite kurust after welding.
thanks

 

[DanZac]

I'm guessing that the thinking behind not removing the strut top was getting the new one correctly positioned?

The replacement arch complete with strut to that @Misterg mentions looks like the strut mounting holes are pre drilled so I'd probably be tempted to make a jig / mounting to pick up on those holes on your original, at which point you can change the whole assembly, and as long as your jig is accurate the new one should be in the same position.

Personally I'd have thought that was easier than making loads of patches and trying to weld them on?

Ford Transit MK3/4/5 1986-00 NEW Front Inner Wing c/w Suspension Top RH | Central Panels Auto Parts

www.centralpanels.co.uk

 

[al1959]

I'm guessing that the thinking behind not removing the strut top was getting the new one correctly positioned?

The replacement arch complete with strut to that @Misterg mentions looks like the strut mounting holes are pre drilled so I'd probably be tempted to make a jig / mounting to pick up on those holes on your original, at which point you can change the whole assembly, and as long as your jig is accurate the new one should be in the same position.

Personally I'd have thought that was easier than making loads of patches and trying to weld them on?

Ford Transit MK3/4/5 1986-00 NEW Front Inner Wing c/w Suspension Top RH | Central Panels Auto Parts

www.centralpanels.co.uk

hi danzac
the worry is if i dont get the jig straight!, if i can patch then thats the way i would rather go.

i have watched a video on a transit strut repair which was in a hell of a state, the link is here

my thoughts are that if he can repair that then i can cut and patch and repair what i have but misterg has me wondering if the top is to far gone, could a few of you look at the photos of the strut top again, if you think its a goer then i will carry on and weld patches around it.

thanks

 

[Misterg]

my thoughts are that if he can repair that then i can cut and patch and repair what i have but misterg has me wondering if the top is to far gone

Sorry, didn't mean to worry you unduly. Pretty much anything can be rebuilt, it's just a question of whether it is worth the effort. I think that once you've cleared away all the rust, yours will look very similar to the one in the video - pretty much all the inner skin seems to have rotted away.

 

[Misterg]

The replacement arch complete with strut to that @Misterg mentions looks like the strut mounting holes are pre drilled so I'd probably be tempted to make a jig / mounting to pick up on those holes on your original, at which point you can change the whole assembly, and as long as your jig is accurate the new one should be in the same position.

Personally I'd have thought that was easier than making loads of patches and trying to weld them on?

Ford Transit MK3/4/5 1986-00 NEW Front Inner Wing c/w Suspension Top RH | Central Panels Auto Parts

www.centralpanels.co.uk

I think it was a repair panel that was suggested previously - something like this (n.b. I haven't checked that it is this one specifically):

https://www.centralpanels.co.uk/pro...991-00-new-front-inner-wing-suspension-top-l/

 

[eddie49]

I'm afraid that I agree with Misterg - the whole strut top is a goner.
Using a wire brush tends to just polish the rust. If you use a grinding disc, or hit it with hammer, it will all turn to dust. Even if you do not dare to do that, the heat of trying to weld to it will cause that to happen anyway.
You will need to follow DanZac's advice and use the current strut mounting holes to make up a jig that can be temporarily anchored to sound metal, then replace the entire panel.

 

[al1959]

my welds

 

[al1959]

the plug welds never came through the other side so probably need the dial turned up a touch.
the stitch weld shows ok on both sides but lots of splatter, thats ok though cause i can clean that up.

 

[Misterg]

For the plug welds, they need a bit more metal to completely fill them & make sure that the metal is melted in all the way around. For the others, It looks like your gas has run out! (Either that, or you're moving the torch away *really* quickly after releasing the trigger.)

 

[theMenace]

The plugs need a bit more movement of the wire while you are making the weld, but a couple look alright.
The stitch welding needs improvement certainly - none of those welds will hold up im afraid but you're definitely getting there.

The fellas from project Binky did a very good bit on stitch welding where they show you up close the movement you need to get right and it's well filmed so you can see how long he has the arc on for, and where he starts and stops his stitches.

Timestamp:

They also does similar for plug welds, but I can't remember which episode. The whole thing is worth a watch if you haven't come across it already.

I gave up on gasless mig welding very early on so maybe someone else can help with why you're getting that pitting?

 

[theMenace]

For the plug welds, they need a bit more metal to completely fill them & make sure that the metal is melted in all the way around. For the others, It looks like your gas has run out! (Either that, or you're moving the torch away *really* quickly after releasing the trigger.)

I think he's still on gassless?

Sorry I posted the same link twice above but it's the right one.

 

[al1959]

hi
yes i am using flux cored gasless.

yes i will get there, practice will improve the welds, i just did more stitch and plugs which have come through better which i will post shortly. the spatter is due to being gasless,

 

[al1959]

so a couple of more welds, top and bottom

 

[Misterg]

the spatter is due to being gasless,

Ahh - it was the craters in the middle of the spots I was looking at

 

[al1959]

Ahh - it was the craters in the middle of the spots I was looking at

hi misterg, on a positive note, the turret top is 100% solid, its the inner skin that has rotted but the flash from the camera makes it look much worse, i have solid metal on the turret all the way around and its good thick metal so my thoughts are plug welding on the inner turret as it will be difficult to get a stitch weld around the top of the patch which will weld onto the solid metal below.
i have had my head under that arch for a good 30 minutes today with a torch having a good look, it been cracked with a hammer and even as a total beginner i can say the turret top is thick and good to get some plug welds into it, then work my way around with patches then get a couple from the cab side as well to give it even more strength.
last night and this morning i was really peed off thinking this would be a garage job but now having a real good look at the turret top i am very much happier knowing that this can be sorted without going to a garage. the camera made it look much worse, i have bits of the old arch to pick out with a screwdriver then clean the turret top up and i will be good to go. just the weather once again holding me up, i should have stayed in hartlepool lol, the weather down there was more predictable, you can`t plan more than 6 hours in advance in scotland.

so what are your thoughts on patching with plugs inside the turret as well as cab side?????????????? and stitching where possible?

 

[qwakers]

all repair sections must be seam welded unless otherwise originally manufactured