pop-riviets for rust repair?

hi guys,
i think i want to repair some small rust holes on my floor panels in my 74 cj5.
i dont have a welder, the skill to weld in a new floor or the $$ to pay someone else to do it for me, but i do have a grinder and a pop-rivet gun.
i was thinking i could cut out the rust (about a 6x6 inch square) with the grinder and then rivet a new piece of steel in its place.
i plan to coat the entire interior with a herc or something like it and i think it would cover this type of repair nicely.

anyone else ever try this or have any advice?

thanks
b

 

I'd think the only downside is that the 2 layers of metal will trap water between them, and that will promote more rust. Plus rivets aren't as strong or rigid as welding. You can buy panel adhesive - it's a structural adhesive that replaces welding body panels in many places. Realize that if you glue on a patch panel, it'll be a permanent repair.
http://www.lord.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1190

Google for "body panel adhesive" and you'll find lots of links.

 

I like Tim's idea. I didn't know they made such a thing.

If you are going to rivet, I'd use some kind of sealer between the metal. Caulk of some sort. This would lessen the chance of moisture being held between the panels.

The rivets will work for you and you'll never notice them once you coat it with the herc liner.

 

I patched a couple areas on my floor with windsheild urethane. (local auto paint store had it...) Clean it up really well, neutralize the rust, scratch it up good, and lay it down. Coat the entire panel with the stuff, and work the patch down to the area you are patching. With a grip of (supposedly) over 5K lbs, it ain't coming up! Done properly, if you get enough "squish" out along the edges, it'll be water tight.

PS. DON"T get this stuff where you don't want it! And wear crappy throw away clothes (long sleeves) and disposable gloves. The stuff doesn't come off until you wear it off. Don't ask..

 

I used the pop-rivet procedure on one of my old landcruisers. I cleaned out all the rust I could find in the affected area. Then I used quite a few stainless pop-rivets and autobody sealer between the two surfaces, the stuff I chose was a thick tar like substance similar to undercoat that I dont recall the name of. I later coated the area with uncercoat. It worked fine. It did not notice propogation of rust.

Note that it is not as good a repair as welding. The bonding agent that timgr pointed out certainly sounds like an attractive solution to pop rivets though - no little pokey things to catch your hands on under the tub, consistent adhesion over the entire area presuming that you can get all areas to contact. On the flip side though, pop rivets do pull the two pieces together. Is the area that you plan on repairing near heat? The manufacturer of the bonding agent does not mention anything about resistance to heat.

Karl

 

dad used pop rivets to fix the rust spots on his healey back when he was my age, too bad the car lasted about 8 months so he never got to find out if they worked well. i used rivets on my jeep to help hold body panels up while i welded them, usually 2 or three per panel.

 

this sounds like a great idea. do youo think i could cut a patch to the exact size and "weld it in from the backside with this stuff. on the web-link it has a tech section about using a backer plate, but it also says this is not the prefered method.

think i will check it out.
b

 

There are some tech documents on that site that will give you some tips.

If you wanted to replace a big section, you could cut out the rust and flange the remaining metal. There's a tool called a flanger that does this. Then apply the patch from the top side and it would sit level with the rest of the floor. This may be more effort than the repair deserves - I think that if you apply the patch from the top and durabak over it, the patch will be strong and not obvious.

 

about a flanger. i would never suggest getting the one from JCWhittless. they will wear you hand out using them and they dont do that great of a job.

 

Eastwood's products are usually good; here's their flanger:
http://www.eastwoodcompany.com/shop...ID=1658&itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&keyword=flanger

 

Eastwood has a kit to do everything. I was considering it to do the bodywork too. It uses all of the above mentioned techniques, flanges, rivets and adhesive. Here's a link:

http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/...emID=1668&itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&keyword=panel

The rivets they use are inset so you can cover them with bondo without too much grinding.

Jim