Sill Damage

[JamesR]

First all would love to know what the state of the sills can be to pass an MOT. (Think I'm clutching at straws really)

Having done the repair work to my floor, I raised the car and could see that the outer sill has a hole rusted through and flexes. It has filler along it, which has plainly split in places, so although obvious that there was a problem, I didn't know the extent without doing something which would end up in a lot of work.

This isn't something I wanted to do in September...

 

 

If I replace it properly it will be the floor as well etc. I guess certain areas can be cut out and replaced fairly easily, although I don't think that there's enough floor to weld repair sections to.

What I was wondering was, does the entire sill weld to the edge of the floor. what do the bottom of the sill strengthen weld to? The reason I am clutching at straws is that I'm not going to buy anything till Monday, so I have the weekend to look at it and try to replace rotten panels. After that its probably 3 weeks of work... (Something I wanted to do next summer)

[mattius]

MOT tester uses a screwdriver type object and prods it with reasonable force, if it gives way then it will be a failure as the sill is a structural part of the car.

 

Floor Welds to sill strengthener, sill strengthener welds to sill thats pretty much it. Sill welds at the lowest part of the sill strengthener with spot welds every inch.

 

Prob best to replace the sill strengthener, i dont imagine there will be much of it left after removing the sill and floor. Best time to do it winter anyway, means you get to drive your car in the summer rather than work on it.

 

your car looks very similar to the rust that was on mine though, and my sill strengthener was perfect.

[JamesR]

Well, I was planning on getting a job... Industrial temping over apply, apply, apply. (I now completely love myself as it is the only way of dealing with the absoultely rejection and writing about yourself). (Kidding) So I need the car.

 

I've had a go at it with the angle grinder flappy disc and basically the panelling of the outer sill has rusted and is broken along the top edge of the seam. The actual seam of the sill is poorly welded to the floor, as can be seen from underneath, but the seam is completly strong. I can actually repanel the bottom section of the sill over the weekend, using the strong seam. It needs cutting open in that case, or in any case.

It doesn't seem as if the strength is in the outsill body panel then. I think the inner sill is good. These all look like replacements, although the floor is original.

 

What is it that makes up the strength? Inner sill, sill strengthener or outer sill. Or some of the parts. I thought it was the outer sill.

[thebrookster]

All three bits of the sill together make up the strength and alignment. However, if there is enough good metal in the outer sill then could you not get some sheet metal and make a repair panel, or is the entire outer sill damaged?? I would be tempted to do a repair job for the time being to enable you to get MOT's and be able to use the car, then continue the full repair in Winter as per original plan.

 

Phil

[JamesR]

That was the idea Phil. How much metal is necessary for good metal. That bit is the worst, but its probably gone all away along that edge. Really wouldn't be too great a problem to do as you suggested.

[thebrookster]

Enough to weld to?? Not to certain, never having done this job myself, but i would have thought that cutting back until you get a straight edge to weld to and fit a repair section in would be the best bet. Quite a common way of doing things I believe, as IIRC the replacement outer sill panels are designed to go over existing panels?? Think I mremember reading that somewhere about triumphs anyway, could be wrong tho!!

 

Cheers,

 

Phil

[JamesR]

Interesting. There are currently steelcraft and heritage panels available at Paddocks. Can't see why it would go over the top, but you could do a repair that way. I cut a bigger hole in the front bit and pulled out loads of pieces of rusty metal. Not really sure what the hell they were meant to be? At the front it could be top edge of floor??? or back of A post. The floor has had loads of repairs and this looks like a replacement sill. So anyone's guess unless taken apart.

 

[JamesR]

Well, I've ordered the replacement panels... Quite frustrating, One afternoon's work or many and it was too easy to take the simple option.

[JamesR]

Just a few pics to show the rust underneath. All along the front side, A post, inner sill strengthener as well as the inner and outer sill, plus the bottom of the B post. B post looked great on top from inside the car.

 

Should the radius arm mounting bracket have a plate underneath? One of the pics JMH mailed me had a plate with a bolt going through. My other one doesn't, although this was done by a guy who didn't know the specifics of the car. I doubt there was much left from a previous repair anyway.

 

[GT6 Nick]

Ouch, that looks pretty rotten. Not much holding it all together, and now very little to stop it sagging. Have you still got the doors in place to check body alignment?

 

I'd be tempted to get the inner sills sandblasted so you know what's good metal, before fitting new outer panels. Any rust left in there will fester and spread.

 

Very ouch.

[JamesR]

I'm replacing the inner sills so should not be a problem... Did wonder about the panels around the rear wing, not sure the portable sandblaster has the power and the industrial compressor fixed in position...

 

Gonna make sure everything gets what it can to keep the survival rate good. But thankfully I decided against patching it up.

[JMH]

Radius arm mounting bracket should have a plate underneath, you can still se remainings of this to the right. Your car is an early one, right? It changed with the introduction of rotoflex on the gt6 (with the late spit mk 3). You can see this, if your heel board has an extra set of holes close to the center thunnel. Early ones had one or two bolts going through, helping to position the floor panel I guess.

 

New ones available - from usual suspects; did see on the "other side", that TD Fitchets still sell NOS ones for £50 each (for later cars) - but you can use them too. New ones fine; only difference is a smaller plate underneath  8)

 

 

[JamesR]

There are two boltheads, they are rounded, not sure how they help anything but prevent me from cleaning up the heelboard... I assumed that they were attached to something the otherside. Having reached nearly not bolt undone on my car, I can;'t think what without investigation.

[thebrookster]

Are there some pictures on here?? People seem to be talking about some, yet I cannot for the life of me see any pictures or even links to pictures??

 

Anyone enlighten, or do I need to start groveling to Dave??

[spitNL]

Yes there are pics, 3 just in the first post, all from imagehack.

Strange that you can't see them, what happens if you quote the first post, can you see the links then?

Not looking from work are you, cause they sometimes block certain websites.

[thebrookster]

Yes there are pics, 3 just in the first post, all from imagehack.

Strange that you can't see them, what happens if you quote the first post, can you see the links then?

Not looking from work are you, cause they sometimes block certain websites.

 

Yup, college is blocking imageshack!! Sometimes they block the daftest of things. I mean, can anyone please tell what is wrong with my own website??

 

Needless to say, I do now at least have access to my site, however I suspect I shall meet with a bit less success trying tog et imageshack etc enabled!! Not even allowed to ftp into my own website still.

 

If anyone knows a way around the Janet firewall thingy please let me know, as I am still quietly investigating. I am running Linux, which makes life a wee bit harder. (Answers via PM, so as not to drift this thread too much )

 

Cheers,

 

Phil

[JamesR]

I didn't really want to host them here as it costs Dave money. I'm only presuming that they don't if they are hosted elsewhere, otherwise I would be taking the michael.

 

I know they can be made smaller, but you get the wonderfull detailing of the er.. rust etc, which is strangely worth seeing. Actually its worth trying to work out what the hell is supposed to be what.

[thebrookster]

Quite right too. I host my pictures through my own site for this very reason.

 

I am not overly concerned with access right now, as I intend on getting one of these mobile broadband dongle thingys in the near future, which will allow me to access the more nefarious stuff.

 

It is however surprising as to how much detail can be spotted on a good photo that is so easy to miss in real life.

[spitNL]

Have you tried an oline proxy Phill?

Just typing "online proxy" in google gets you plenty of free ones.

http://www.google.nl/#hl=nl&source=hp&q=online+proxy&btnG=Google+zoeken&meta=&aq=0&oq=online+pr&fp=57e39a9dff38ae9e

[JamesR]

It is however surprising as to how much detail can be spotted on a good photo that is so easy to miss in real life.

 

True. Camera is great for that. Crap at 20 yards+. It's also good for people to say which bit should be there and which bit shouldn't

I did email them to you anyway

[thebrookster]

Janet. As in Joint Academic Network. Has got quite sophisticated these days, including scanning all text transmitted for certain words, and intelligent firewalls that learn to recognise proxies. Very hard to find any that are not already barred, and even when you do it generally does not take long for it to be barred!!

[spitNL]

Perhaps one of these will work:

http://www.zend2.com/Go1.php?u=Oi8vd3d3LnNpZGV3YXlzLXRlY2hub2xvZ2llcy5jby51ay9mb3J1bS9CbGFoLnBsP20tMTI1MzI3MTIzNC8%3D&b=5&f=norefer

http://www.webproxyonline.info/browse.php?u=Oi8vd3d3LnNpZGV3YXlzLXRlY2hub2xvZ2llcy5jby51ay9mb3J1bS9CbGFoLnBsP20tMTI1MzI3MTIzNC9zLWFsbC8%3D&b=5

http://www.opencity.us/browse.php?u=Oi8vd3d3LnNpZGV3YXlzLXRlY2hub2xvZ2llcy5jby51ay9mb3J1bS9CbGFoLnBsP20tMTI1MzI3MTIzNC9zLWFsbC8%3D&b=13

[spitNL]

Ah, I see never mind then; above ones will probably not work then.

Is it blocking photobucket too?

[JamesR]

Problem is Universities self justify such draconian restrictions due to the work arounds. Actually I'm not sure what they are really trying to protect... Research? They delete that if you don't back it up. Personal details? Sure. Not sure the restrictions are all necessary for the A1 security.

 

 

[thebrookster]

Nope, photobucket is allowed. As of two weeks ago youtube is now allowed as well. Was most bemused to find it was banned when I first arrived.

 

Was quite funny telling the gent in charge of IT here I wanted access to my site. First question was why, to which I replied because it happens to have my email on the back end of it. The he asked what the URI was. His face was quite comic...., along with the reply, and you wondered why it was banned!!