reptile
20+ Year Contributor
- 33
- 7
- Mar 30, 2004
-
Spokane,
Washington
So with winter approaching I decided now was as good a time as any to tackle my rad support.
Years ago a shop that was servicing my car advised me to replace the support due to the amount of corrosion (most of it is on the lower part)
They told me they could do it, then later told me they COULDN'T after I had bought the new part. No big deal, I figured it was worth it to have a brand new rad support on hand anyway.
Now that I'm doing the work, I can understand WHY the shop would be hesitant to do this kind of work as separating spot welded parts is a massive pain in the ass, especially when all the components like wiring, AC lines, etc are still present and attention needs to be paid to prevent damage to underlying contact points and miscellaneous systems. Thankfully, there's no rush and I am not paying anyone by the hour so I can take as much time as I need.
For a 28 yr old car that saw her fair share of Canadian winters, the amount of corrosion in the subframe isn't as bad as I had feared, so I thank "past me" for rust-proofing the shit out of her when I first bought her in 2000.
Still, there are some ugly spots in the underside as well as the strut towers that I'd like to address. Under the side skirts are some corroded areas and the best course of action will be to cut and splice some fresh steel.
I've always wanted to learn how to weld, so this might be the time for me to add a new skill
From what I've seen, it's not that difficult of a skill to learn, but it's definitely an art.
So, If anyone here has experience with sheet metal welding (I'm thinking MiG/Flux core will be the route I will pursue) I'm open to recommendations on hardware/techniques, advice.
Anyway, just wanted to share with the class.
Years ago a shop that was servicing my car advised me to replace the support due to the amount of corrosion (most of it is on the lower part)
They told me they could do it, then later told me they COULDN'T after I had bought the new part. No big deal, I figured it was worth it to have a brand new rad support on hand anyway.
Now that I'm doing the work, I can understand WHY the shop would be hesitant to do this kind of work as separating spot welded parts is a massive pain in the ass, especially when all the components like wiring, AC lines, etc are still present and attention needs to be paid to prevent damage to underlying contact points and miscellaneous systems. Thankfully, there's no rush and I am not paying anyone by the hour so I can take as much time as I need.
For a 28 yr old car that saw her fair share of Canadian winters, the amount of corrosion in the subframe isn't as bad as I had feared, so I thank "past me" for rust-proofing the shit out of her when I first bought her in 2000.
Still, there are some ugly spots in the underside as well as the strut towers that I'd like to address. Under the side skirts are some corroded areas and the best course of action will be to cut and splice some fresh steel.
I've always wanted to learn how to weld, so this might be the time for me to add a new skill
From what I've seen, it's not that difficult of a skill to learn, but it's definitely an art.
So, If anyone here has experience with sheet metal welding (I'm thinking MiG/Flux core will be the route I will pursue) I'm open to recommendations on hardware/techniques, advice.
Anyway, just wanted to share with the class.
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