22 replies to this topic

[sonikk4]

Lots of clamps and i mean lots. Clecos will help along with intergrips.

 

Check them out on here http://www.theminifo...se-for-welding/

[Hen1275]

And When welding in the new rear panels, are they spot welded on to the rear heel board ?

[sonikk4]

And When welding in the new rear panels, are they spot welded on to the rear heel board ?

 

Yes they are on both returns. Be careful if you do seam welds, i got warned by a MOT guy (he sprayed my sons car) this maybe construed as a failure, however i argued with him saying that on my sons car they are plug and seam welded. He had to think about that then.

[Hen1275]

Okay thanks, I'll keep that in mind. I'll take photos throughout just in case anything like that is questioned at the mot.

[ings]

Im also changing the panels step by step in my garage. i think i need 4 Saturdays to complete the floor.

 

[tiger99]

I am amazed that an MOT tester questioned the use of seam welding where spot welding was originally used. The practice is NOT banned.

 

10. Acceptable methods of repair
It is essential that repairs to corroded or damaged areas are properly
carried out. This requires that suitable materials of appropriate gauge or
thickness are used for repairs. Additionally:
• any plating or welding extends to a sound part of a load bearing
member
• the repair must appear to be virtually as strong as the original structure
with only continuous seam welding being acceptable for patch repairs
(even if the patch extends beyond the prescribed area).
• spot welded joints are acceptable where the original panel has been
replaced to an existing spot welded flange (provided the original
defective panel flange has been removed). Stitch or plug welding is
acceptable as an alternative to spot welding in these cases.
•MIG brazing, a combination of adhesive bonding and riveting, or
amalgamations of these with other joining methods may be the vehicle
manufacturers recommended method of repair. Such repairs must
therefore be accepted unless they are clearly inadequate.

 

However where spot welds were used, good engineering practice and the need to preserve stiffness suggest that  the line of the new weld may need to be in the same place as the line of spots. For example, welding the side seams along the outer edge alone is unsatisfactory because it puts the stresses in the wrong place. But spot or plug welding in close to the main body, as original, can quite well be combined with a sealing run of TIG along the edge. More commonly, the lap between floor and toeboard has been known to be double seamed, both sides with no spots and it is then stronger and stiffer than the original. That goes for almost any lap except edge flange laps.

 

I can see advantage in double seam welding, inside and out, the joint between heelboard and floor, as it will keep water out of the seam if done carefully, and it will be stronger than original. But it will cost more, in time and consumables.

 

Someone completely TIG welded a restoration job a few years back, possibly on this forum, or maybe the 16 valve lot. It was double seamed and looked most impressive. I suspect that it gained some worthwhile impact protection too.

 

If an MOT tester wants to fail a car on more than adequate welding, he should have to show where in the book it says that he can. But oversills may be banned by a strict reading of the manual, and that would be a very good thing.

 

 

[sonikk4]

The fact you cannot see plug welds but could see only seam welds on a replacement panel was his point. So unless your plug welds were visible which mine are not as they were linished back, he could only assume that the one inch spaced one inch seam welds were the only form of welding.

The fact I added the seam welds as extra strengthening in this case could have gone against me.

[tiger99]

I see what you mean but he was still being silly.