[Boardmonger]

Well after driving through some puddles my right rear floor pan was soaked. When I got home I took out the carpet and found that I have a little hole on a raised section of the floorpan. The metal is still there so I simple knocked it back into place but I would like to seal it up both on the inside and outside. What are my options? I was thinking maybe an epoxy for the outside then maybe some fiberglass or something for the inside. I could just do epoxy all the way around, really I don't know. Has anyone had similar problens?

Also just cause it is a new topic I am looking to get new tires. Does anyone have any reccomendations or preferances? I don't want to spend too much but I would like a decent tire.

Here is the little hole before I pounded the metal down.

 

[mercwagon]

only my opinion, there might be a better idea? i would clean the surrounding area real well. looks like something must have been pounded thru there? ofroad adventure? if there is no rust i would clean it..cut/trim away and loose coatings..clean again and then use a "seam sealer" something plyable thats going to adhere to the area and stay a little flexible.. sand prime and paint any exposed metal first..in my opinion any fiberglass will adventually lift from the edges and then start to rust..i bought a caulking tube of 3M seam sealer..i dont believe it was very expensive..

 

[Gregs300CD]

You could JB Weld a nickle in there.
Or, there's the "plastic metal" stuff, (which I think is basically fast-drying 1-part JB Weld) that fills little holes.

 

[mercwagon]

follow up..sure there are plnty of things u can seal the hole w/, but i think the most important this is to seal the metal at the damage point..dont wanna seal in or cover up a cavity to start rotting down the road..

 

[Gregs300CD]

Well, of course. Whenever I see metal, I get anxious. Gotta splash some phosphoric acid wash and rust bullet on it! Then slop the JB Weld in there.

 

[MBeige]

Incidentally I also have a nick on the floorboard in the exact same spot. No hole yet. Wonder if that spot was used in a different model for fastening something?

But it's all wet, rain got into battery tray rust hole and flooded the right rear floor. A pale was 3/4 inch full of water! Yikes...[]

Question is which is better, seal it from outside or inside? I would guess outside, but better do both to be safe.

 

[BF_JC230]

Please make sure no water is finding its way inbetween the rubber undercoating and your steel - if there is water in there it will rott out the steel - but leave the under coating and primer looking okay - really push on the area to check its integrity...

Then grind away the loose rubberized undercoating until you get to solid steel...if this is a true hole for M-B parts (exhaust hanger, different heat shield, etc...I can not recall) then use a small bolt and two fender washers and sandwich in some of the 3M seam sealer - if it is a rott hole, punchure then you need to repair it the best way you are able - I would weld in a patch and finish it...

Seal it well - don't let the rott bug bite down there - it can get ugly!!!!!!

Jake

 

[Gregs300CD]

I used one of those abrasive rubbery grinder wheels and electric drill to remove a rust bubble in front of my front wheel. After I got it down to metal, there was a hole roughly the size of a penny. (Of course, I sanded out the inside of the fender well too.) I made sure that the edge of the hole all the way around was down to clean metal. Then, acid wash, Rust Bullet, plastic metal, sand, primer, paint.

I agree that prep is everything.

 

[MBeige]

Would outside temps and humidity be a factor when repairing? When is the best time to do some body work? I've heard some rust eaters function by humidity. The more humid, the harder it gets, the stronger the final product.

 

[Gregs300CD]

I don't know. It's not on any of the bottles I used. I figured the drier the better so no microscopic corrosion would start on the bare metal. That's why I wanted to do it during winter rather than the humid months.

 

[euroamg]

Seam sealer is what the factory uses for joining body panels. It will seal well on that part too. Just make sure you clean the section thoroughly..[]