Big Blue's Transformation

[Gary Lewis]

The floor repairs look great Gary!

I bet that country music sounds good coming out of there!

George Strait songs have a little more bass than I care to hear. It's not good bass response either.

My system is tuned mainly for rock music, as is my box. Def Leppard and other 80's hair bands sound great in the truck. Feels like I'm front stage sometimes.

I'm into rock, but 60's rock. I have a Cerwin Vega sub on the shop's sound system and I stream Sirius 60's on 6 at the highest bandwidth setting. Sounds pretty good.

Anyway, thanks. I think the floor came out nicely and it is now well sealed, top and bottom. Then with the sound deadening mat adhered to it there's not much chance of more rust developing.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I'm into rock, but 60's rock. I have a Cerwin Vega sub on the shop's sound system and I stream Sirius 60's on 6 at the highest bandwidth setting. Sounds pretty good.

Anyway, thanks. I think the floor came out nicely and it is now well sealed, top and bottom. Then with the sound deadening mat adhered to it there's not much chance of more rust developing.

I'd say that worked out really well!

Brazing is sometimes a good answer, because the flux will clear the rust, but the heat is not enough to cause thin steel to disappear.

As you said it is not so hard as a weld bead, but for joining steel it has as much, if not more tensile strength than 60 series filler.

And of course it will never rust out in the future.

Progress is good, Gary!

[Gary Lewis]

I'd say that worked out really well!

Brazing is sometimes a good answer, because the flux will clear the rust, but the heat is not enough to cause thin steel to disappear.

As you said it is not so hard as a weld bead, but for joining steel it has as much, if not more tensile strength than 60 series filler.

And of course it will never rust out in the future.

Progress is good, Gary!

Yes, it worked out really well. Thanks for the suggestion!

I forgot to say that the steel where I was brazing is THIN. It was really, REALLY easy to get it red, long before the brazing rod was red. In the past when I brazed it has been the other way 'round, with the rod easy to get red and the steel not there yet.

It turned out that I had the heat down too low, so I turned it up and moved back a bit. That still got the floor hot pretty quickly but also got the rod hot. And things started to work.

As for strength, I'm confident it is far more than adequate. I ground some of the spots down a bit and it doesn't grind very easily.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Yes, it worked out really well. Thanks for the suggestion!

I forgot to say that the steel where I was brazing is THIN. It was really, REALLY easy to get it red, long before the brazing rod was red. In the past when I brazed it has been the other way 'round, with the rod easy to get red and the steel not there yet.

It turned out that I had the heat down too low, so I turned it up and moved back a bit. That still got the floor hot pretty quickly but also got the rod hot. And things started to work.

As for strength, I'm confident it is far more than adequate. I ground some of the spots down a bit and it doesn't grind very easily.

I'm often too verbose when geeking out, but it is rewarding when someone finds it useful!

This is similar to the other day when I mentioned I use my Weller gun to solder the copper traces on a cluster flex.

Make sure it has clean metal and flux, then hit it fast and hot.

Brazing tin is not at all like brazing a casting, but it works great if you can get it done before things start to warp from the torch.

[Gary Lewis]

I'm often too verbose when geeking out, but it is rewarding when someone finds it useful!

This is similar to the other day when I mentioned I use my Weller gun to solder the copper traces on a cluster flex.

Make sure it has clean metal and flux, then hit it fast and hot.

Brazing tin is not at all like brazing a casting, but it works great if you can get it done before things start to warp from the torch.

There's no doubt I warped the floor a bit in places. But who cares? It isn't like it is flat and now has a bump in it. They put so many stiffening creases in it that there's no way to tell that it is warped.

And, I had steel evaporate on me. The front screw hole for the threshold got a bit bigger as I heated it, and it was already much too big to take a screw. Luckily it was one of the last places I worked and I had the technique down by then. So I got it plenty hot with lots of brass on the steel and the rod red and dropped a blob onto the hole just as I pulled the torch back. It hit and flowed out but then cooled enough that it didn't do as it had before and wick away from the hole. That spot is certainly warped, but it is under the threshold and won't be seen.

Who was it on here that said he coats all screws that penetrate the floor with sealant? I'm absolutely sold on that process having seen how the threshold screw holes were rusting. Ford really did a poor job on things like that, although I'm sure the other manufacturers did the same thing.

[85lebaront2]

There's no doubt I warped the floor a bit in places. But who cares? It isn't like it is flat and now has a bump in it. They put so many stiffening creases in it that there's no way to tell that it is warped.

And, I had steel evaporate on me. The front screw hole for the threshold got a bit bigger as I heated it, and it was already much too big to take a screw. Luckily it was one of the last places I worked and I had the technique down by then. So I got it plenty hot with lots of brass on the steel and the rod red and dropped a blob onto the hole just as I pulled the torch back. It hit and flowed out but then cooled enough that it didn't do as it had before and wick away from the hole. That spot is certainly warped, but it is under the threshold and won't be seen.

Who was it on here that said he coats all screws that penetrate the floor with sealant? I'm absolutely sold on that process having seen how the threshold screw holes were rusting. Ford really did a poor job on things like that, although I'm sure the other manufacturers did the same thing.

Gary. on Darth where the threshold plates attach, the holes were rusted and a sloppy fit on the screws. I got some CRES nutserts and some nice CRES machine screws to match. I installed the nutserts and have been using the CRES screws ever since. This was done long before any of the other mods and updates.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Gary. on Darth where the threshold plates attach, the holes were rusted and a sloppy fit on the screws. I got some CRES nutserts and some nice CRES machine screws to match. I installed the nutserts and have been using the CRES screws ever since. This was done long before any of the other mods and updates.

I'm just using oval head stainless sheetmetal screws, but obviously both sides of my floor have been replaced...

[Gary Lewis]

Gary. on Darth where the threshold plates attach, the holes were rusted and a sloppy fit on the screws. I got some CRES nutserts and some nice CRES machine screws to match. I installed the nutserts and have been using the CRES screws ever since. This was done long before any of the other mods and updates.

Bill - That's a good idea. At least I could go with the screws. Do you remember the size?

Hmmm, I'm planning to go back with some black plastic thresholds that Vernon had with the truck. I'd better check to see what screw they take and then get some on order. Being plastic they may take a different screw.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Bill - That's a good idea. At least I could go with the screws. Do you remember the size?

Hmmm, I'm planning to go back with some black plastic thresholds that Vernon had with the truck. I'd better check to see what screw they take and then get some on order. Being plastic they may take a different screw.

My '87 black plastic sills would like a #8 oval head screw.

[Gary Lewis]

My '87 black plastic sills would like a #8 oval head screw.

Thanks, Jim. I'll measure the length in a bit and pick some up.