How would y'all fix this rust on the upper cab??

[kp texan]

Please help with a method to repair the rust hole shown below (without welding since I don't have a MIG welder or have access to one). This is the only known rust hole in my K5 so hopefully I can fix it fairly easily.

My plan is to first cut out the bad area with my Dremel and a fiber cutoff wheel (after pulling the top seal), then sand the surrounding area down to bare metal. The issue with this spot is that I do not have access to the backside of it so I was thinking that I could epoxy (JB Kwik, or is there something better?) a piece of sheet metal behind the hole and hold it in there to dry either with a magnet or a small screw through the center. Once that was dry, I would apply kitty hair over the sheet metal backing and then use bondo to smooth it out with the original sheet metal and then prime to finish it off. Looks really don't bother me right now since I am going to be painting my K5 within the next couple months in my garage.

Thanks for the help,

Wes

 

[ryoken]

be prepared... A rust spot like that is an indicator that other cab areas may start developing issues at the seams, joints, etc very soon... the lip right above the window joint is notorious, also the overlaps in the jams..


but anyway... no welder? sheesh.... honestly, your better off going in and STOPPING it, then a quickie hack bodyjob, knowing you need to go back in and properly patch it later...

the quickest, easiest temp fix would be to go in and trim out the damage with a cutoff wheel, snips, etc to clean the edges.. then get as much rust out as you can with grinding, maybe a little spot blasting to remove the inner rust..

you can treat any rust you cant get with a little converter, or por15, rb, etc... then douch the whole area with zinc... now it'll be ready for a proper patch down the road.. for the time being I would just pack it with a little dynaglass, rough to shape and urethane or epoxy prime...

you could try a rivet patch, but it's intricate, not the "right, permanent way" to do it.. I'd go back in chip out the glass and dainty wig some real patches in when ya can... thats too intricate a patch for a panel adhesive imo....

 

[kp texan]

Thanks so much for the reply! So assuming there may be other problem areas in my K5's cab, is there any way to find these spots or do I just have to wait until they show? Also, if I were to properly clean up that area, how much would a body shop probably charge to just weld a patch in there (with me finishing the rest of the work)? I know it's hard to guess but are we talking in the hundreds of dollars range here?

I also havent had time to pull the trim on the inside, but how does that headliner panel go in there? Is it tacked to the outer cab roof panel or is there a way to get it out of there to get access and see underneath the roof panel so that I can use ospho, zinc chromate, etc.?

Thanks for the help,

Wes

 

[ryoken]

i would guess, it'd be a labor charge from them.. couple hrs to cut, fit and mig in a patch... probably $100 to $175?

all those upper cab panels are integrated double wall construction... not much you can do till it rears it's rusty head.. i have had other vehicles where we've sprayed convertor into the cavities.... i've also inspected such areas with my boroscope to see potential issues... but for thorough "treatment" your pretty limited to acid dipping the cab..

 

[kp texan]

Well maybe I'll just cut out the bad stuff and then get a price estimate from a local shop. Thats not good news about the cab panels...

Thanks,

Wes

 

[cdoggwsu]

It wouldn't hurt to check some local machine shops either. My floorpan had some major issues around the seat mounts and spot welds, and I asked around at a the body shops to get an estimate. I got anywhere from 200 to 400 bucks to weld some plates in and fill the cracks. Took it down to the local machine shop and he put in plates, did some reinforcement and zapped a few cracked spot welds for 100 bucks, so for a small area like that it may be even cheaper. They didn't smooth anything out but I figured for an average of 200 bucks saved I could spend a few hours cleaning it up before I paint it. Plus, we're not talking about show cars here so a little rough spot never hurt anyone...

 

[kp texan]

Thanks for the tip. Yeah that's true, haha, I just want some shiny paint on my K5!

-Wes

 

[uao85]

Thanks for the tip. Yeah that's true, haha, I just want some shiny paint on my K5!

-Wes

If you want to wait a few weeks, til around May 10-11th, and head up to College Station, I will help you fix it, or I can fix it for you for a little cash if you dont want to mess with it. I have a mig and anything else needed as far as tools go. I have to weld up a few pin holes in my cab as well, but we could easily get it taken care of at the same time. Let me know.

Remington

 

[Mike D]

I am cheap, by necessity, here is another option that might work. Take your dremmel and carefully cut out the bad areas. Get some sheetmetal (Lowes) and cut 2 ( or 3 ) pieces that could be installed behind the bad area to bridge the gap. Pre drill a small hole in the metal to attach a sheet metal screw firmly. Once all the patches are cut out and test fitted, buy some 3M Trim adhesive from an auto parts store. If you can get your finger to fit between the outer and inner sheet metal apply the 3M adhesive to the backside of the outer metal. Quickly apply some more 3M to the patch strip and carefully fit the bridge in place. Use the attached sheet metal screw to position it in place and pull slightly to stick the bridge to the truck body. Continue holding the patch about 5 minutes. Go have a sandwitch or a smoke for about 15 minutes in order to allow the adhesive to set. If you could do another area without disturbing the first ares then do it. Allow about 24 hours to fully cure then remove the sheet metal screw(s). Once this area is completely covered use either a thin coating of bondo or finishing puty. Sand, prime, and spray paint( use a rattle can ) with an auto paint and inspect for blemishes.
3M Trim Adhesive is the next best thing to sex when you don't have access to a welder. Good luck.

 

[ryoken]

I'm hoping you mean panel adhesive....