Rotting Inner Sills - Graphic Content Inside

[mikeonb4c]

I have to ask... Why did chassis clean take the job on when some of the floorpan was already compromised? Surely it would have been cheaper (with hindsight) for them to patch the smaller holes then? Hell...They could have cut out big rotted sections, then squirted waxoyl right along the inner cills whilst they had the access, then weld the holes back up and do their thing on the rest of the floorpan... You wouldn't have been looking at those holes now, if the job had been done right back then!

I'd like to make a robust contribution to this debate please.

Firstly, we should NOT be appearing to slag off any trader (let alone a reputable one) by name, on this forum. that is a rule of this forum (and quite right too).

Secondly, the owner seems to have been aware that the vehicle had a rust problem before taking ti for treatment. It is quite reasonable then that Chassis Clean might just get on with the job they are paid to do, as the owner has made an informed decision. Remember that they deal every day with collectors cars whose owners known they have a rust problem, and just want it slowed.

Thirdly, and following from the above, no treatment - not even Chassis Cleans - can make a car immortal, where rust is concerned. And certainly not on a vehicle that has been out there for years before receiving treatment. My Bongo now has the beginnings of corrosion on the rea wheel arches despite Chassis Cleans efforts. Are they to be held responsible for that? I think not. And Chassis Clean do not do welding repairs by the way - they are strictly in the business of treating cars.

Fitting (missing) bungs to prevent water ingress is what CC always advise (and may do themselves, if they have any in stock that fit). They don't do cover ups - why should they?

Before I even considered buyng my Bongo, let alone investing in expensive Dinitrol treatment, I inspected it thoroughly to unearth any serious corrosion and thence establish whether the investment would be worthwhile. It smacks of sour grapes to blame failure to spot/notify advanced corrosion on an undersealing contractor.

Steve - we're good mates and I respect your good judgement, but I think you are out of line on this one.

I await the fireworks. Meanwhile, I will send a link to this thread to Chassis Clean so they can respond if they wish.

And no, yet again I have no commercial interest in the company. But I am a very satisfied customer.

Mike

[BongoMTBer]

Nope, no fireworks from me Mike - you are right to say what you say and I appologise for my remarks.

As I already stated and have stated in other threads, they did a super job on the rest of the vehicle and the treatment that they gave has slowed the problem and more importantly, kept it localised. My error was using the vehicle for a year before getting it done properly in the belief that the cheap effort carried out prior to my ownership was protecting it. I guess no job is perfect, but I do know that Chassis Clean were far more thorough than the £100 job offered elsewhere would have been.

My last word on this is Chassis Clean do a Rolls Royce job, well worth the money if you don't wat to spend the time and don't have the knowledge or kit to do it yourself. I still reccomend them, including to a friend who only recently purchased a Bongo. I will say though what I said to him - If you are going to get it done, get it done ASAP and if there are any areas of concern - get them repaired first. If you don't you will regret it.

[mikeonb4c]

Nope, no fireworks from me Mike - you are right to say what you say and I appologise for my remarks.

As I already stated and have stated in other threads, they did a super job on the rest of the vehicle and the treatment that they gave has slowed the problem and more importantly, kept it localised. My error was using the vehicle for a year before getting it done properly in the belief that the cheap effort carried out prior to my ownership was protecting it. I guess no job is perfect, but I do know that Chassis Clean were far more thorough than the £100 job offered elsewhere would have been.

My last word on this is Chassis Clean do a Rolls Royce job, well worth the money if you don't wat to spend the time and don't have the knowledge or kit to do it yourself. I still reccomend them, including to a friend who only recently purchased a Bongo. I will say though what I said to him - If you are going to get it done, get it done ASAP and if there are any areas of concern - get them repaired first. If you don't you will regret it.

Well said that man. And none of us get it right. For all my big talk about spotting rot before I buy, about 2yrs after I bought the Bongo I found a complete but localised cill rust-through where it joins the front cross member behind the front wheel arch. It is clearly a weak point, and just rusts away from inside. CC would have done their treatment on mine way too late to make any difference to that kind of advanced stuff. Wheelquick (Wigan - and probably the place Steve had in mind when discussing welding and value for money waxoyling) did a superb (inexpensive) job, and welded a patch over the area, and its now (as far as I can see!) as solid as when new. Until the next one shows up.........

Good luck getting yours sorted - its a bugger when this happens esp,. when its a car you don't want to be throwing away if at all possible.

I'm sure Ste didn't mean what he implied about CC, but I felt someone had to stand up for them. They are very solid and decent guys, but they only do Dinitroling, not complete vehicle repairs etc.

Mike

[Gripped]

I was doing some of my own waxoyling (pressure container in a bucket of hot water !) and squirting copious amounts of the anti-rust mayonaise into the sills........ I then noticed the rust on the front sill behind the wheel arch as mentioned above. This is obviously a weak spot as the rest of the van isn't too bad.

My screwdriver went right through so I have to cut a square of sill out, ready for the local guy to weld it..... problem is the sills are full of waxoyl, so they'll have to be careful.

I'm going to ask if the plate they use can be extended to reach the front cross member to add additional strength. This is because the end of the sill where it meets the x-beam is rusted probably the the point of uselessness. The rust was very crumbly, but only localised. Must be a water drain hole in the area.

[mikeonb4c]

I was doing some of my own waxoyling (pressure container in a bucket of hot water !) and squirting copious amounts of the anti-rust mayonaise into the sills........ I then noticed the rust on the front sill behind the wheel arch as mentioned above. This is obviously a weak spot as the rest of the van isn't too bad.

My screwdriver went right through so I have to cut a square of sill out, ready for the local guy to weld it..... problem is the sills are full of waxoyl, so they'll have to be careful.

I'm going to ask if the plate they use can be extended to reach the front cross member to add additional strength. This is because the end of the sill where it meets the x-beam is rusted probably the the point of uselessness. The rust was very crumbly, but only localised. Must be a water drain hole in the area.

Yes its a common spot (is it where all that rainwater runs to ground off the AFT?) and I did wonder whether it might actually be best having a drain hole in the replacement plate that Wheelquick welded on, but didn't like to ask as it would have made extra work for them and they did an excellent job, quickly and cheaply, even though they were very busy.

[BongoMTBer]

Yes its a common spot (is it where all that rainwater runs to ground off the AFT?)

Not entirely sure that is the cause actually. Just got back from another evening of welding and I have found that under the plastic step into the front cabin, there are two rusted holes. It looks as if it has coroded from inside the seams there. Also, the amount of grit I blew out of the front cross member and sill at the front suggestst to me that it picks up rubbish off the road which collects arounf the front crossmember welds. I stand to be corrected though.

Anyone with a tintop had the same problem areas?

[Gripped]

Update:

Well, the welding is done, and the waxoyl didn't make it catch fire. It did however, fail the MOT on the rusty old exhaust which I've been nursing along, but is now terminal. So quoted £150 for a new centre and rear section which sounds about right.

Will post photos of the fix when I get it back.

I must learn me to weld. But the local learning establishments don't seem to do it.

By the way, I've been srpaying waxoyl into the wheel arches from inside the van (removing the plastic "cupholders"). The stuff went on thick, then I used a hair dryer and bit of tube to melt it and make it run into the small panel gaps, so it should have reached right inside the wheel arch skins to inhibit the rust. My arches are not too bad at the mo, so want to keep them that way. Mind you, if I could weld good enough, I wouldn't worry about such things as my paint jobs are improving all the time !! .......

[Gripped]

So,

Got the Bongo back, £330 lighter in the wallet, but for that I got a new middle and end exhaust system, some welding and some adjustments to meet the MOT. So all in, not too bad.

Here is the promised photo of the patch over the front sill drivers side. I've now filled the sills with waxoyl and covered the external areas in special waxoyl black underseal. I've ground the welds flat now, so it looks neater than in the photo.