Replacement Body Panels

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Alister McBride
Member
Posts: 97
Hi All,
I'm doing a bit of an overhaul on #57 and at the moment have some new gal panels ready to be installed. (The mechanicals will come later...) Instead of creating rust problems by spotting with the mig to re-attach the panels i'm going to use Sikaflex and pop-rivets. I was going to use Sikaflex - 11FC (the stronger option of the two at the hardware store) and stainless pop-rivets. Was going to go with aluminium rivets but aluminium reacts with steel to rust it quicker and didn't want to go normal steel rivets as they will just rust quickly due to poor quality metal used etc...
Firstly, any thoughts or advice?
Secondly, two questions - 1) what size/type of rivets should i use? (there are millions of types...), 2) Should the spacing be the same as the old migged spots from the factory or closer/further appart? (is there a standard used on trucks etc?)
Cheers,
Alister
October 5, 2011 at 8:04 PM Flag Quote & Reply

David Hallandal
Member
Posts: 133
Don't Use any rivets, just rely on the Sikaflex. All the panels on my truckare held with Sikaflex only. Rivets will pull the panel in like a small dentand give somewhere for the moisture to get in.
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David Hallandal
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October 6, 2011 at 7:11 AM Flag Quote & Reply

Tony Lee
Member
Posts: 539
Agreed, a lot of modern buses are largely held together with glue.

Might check on the need for using the correct primer to go with the sikaflex though
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Tony

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October 6, 2011 at 8:03 AM Flag Quote & Reply

joseph baz
Member
Posts: 331
Alister, I do a lot of work with Sika products in the building industry,have done a couple of van bodies and as David said use just the Sikaflex,I use sika 210 primer and sikaflex 252 and if you want a fast grab we use Sikafast 5221 just on the four corners to hold the panel, the sikafast 5221 will only give you 9 minutes of open time (variable with the weather) and is a two pot product,to keep even pressure on the panels we use a ratchet strap over a straight block of wood pressuring the bonded areas without squeezing too much glue out,don't rely on the hardware store for fresh stocks if it's a slow moving product,call the Sika rep in your state and he will tell you who does the most selling of the products that you want.
Happy body building!!
Cheers,Joe
October 6, 2011 at 9:18 AM Flag Quote & Reply

Seamus and Cate
Member
Posts: 21
Hi - I need to put a few patches on some of my panels - what gauge gal should I use?
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October 7, 2011 at 8:37 AM Flag Quote & Reply

Alister McBride
Member
Posts: 97
Thanks all! Didn't expect not to use rivets but with the added benefit of all that less work i guess you'll twist my arm... Finding it hard to find someone who stocks the Sikaflex 252 and primer though, going to have to order it in somewhere, this week should find a solution.
Seamus, it depends which panels they are, some are 1.2mm but in general 0.9mm although if you're just putting a patch on i don't think it would matter that much...
Cheers
October 8, 2011 at 7:52 AM Flag Quote & Reply

Peter & Sandra James Oka 374
Member
Posts: 412
Tony
With regards to the best place to buy Sikaflex in our part of the world I've found Ovesco at Ferry road Sandgate to be very helpful plus they stock a lot of the bits we needed.
Sometimes your local builders supplyhardware will sell lots too so you don't get old stock.
I've had a tube in the cupboard for acouple of years and it worked ok when I finally opened it .
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Oka 374 LT Van

October 8, 2011 at 8:47 AM