Hi Gang. Long over due update on Harry.
So i was talking about replacing the tub floor due to the original wearing through at the fixing points due to galvanic corrosion. I got the old floor out using a normal drill bit (6 or 7mm) and a special spot weld drill bit which are about 20 quid for 2 (bit steep, i thought). Anyway, ended up with this and this...
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I ordered 3 new lengths of the re-enforcing bars from YRM (about 11 quid each) and found a local metal works who cut me a sheet of 2mm 5251 aluminium for £20 (YRM price for similar sheet albeit with pre-drilled holes is £50). I also ordered 3 of the ribs which go from side to side as the originals were shot too.
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These are the new bits waiting to go together...
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The long thin runners are now attached to the new floor and the floor is attached to the tub (you have to do that in one go). Now I just need to attach the ribs side to side, etch prime/paint the load bay and seam seal underneath. Any recommendations as to the best seal to use? I'm thinking a no-setting type as per OEM spec. I'll be using some DPC or similar totry and seperate the steel ribs and the alu parts to provent future corrosion.
I've also been having radiator issues. I refitted the original only to find I had put a pin hole leak in one of the fins whilst man-handling it
I tried to solder it up but made a mess of it...
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The hole just kept getting bigger and bigger as the wall thickness of the fins was like cigarette paper due to corrosion. It was also getting a bit rough on the other side...
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I looked at the options (second hand, new good unit, new bad unit or recore) and decided on a recore. Second hand are unknown condition and hardly worth the bother, new good ones are in excess of £200, and new bad ones are made of plastic
. I found
www.gm-radiator.com/ who supplied a new core, very smart it is too...
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I stripped the old rad down with a blow torch and a screwdriver to scrape the molten solder away. First you have to take the mounting frame off the rad, then the header tanks off the old core. I used this video for inspiration...
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Once apart, you get some nasty old brass header tanks. Even though they may be nasty, they are still brass and therefore infinitely better than the plastic ones produced these days.
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Look at the sediment build up in there!
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I then got these shot blasted at a local place...
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My plan this weekend is to solder the tanks on to the new core and make sure its water tight, and perhaps get some primer on it all. I can do all of that at home in the evenings so perhaps I'll concentrate on getting the tub back together and back on to the chassis as can only get to that at the weekends.