• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Seam Sealer for Engine Compartment

Share this page

PatGalvin

PatGalvin

Jedi Warrior
Country flag
Offline
OK, so I'm slowly making progress on my 59 TR3A resto. All body work is done on panels and scuttle/cowl/sills. Pulled body off Sunday and flipped it so I can seal and paint underside. Spent better part of yesterday scuffing epoxy primer and readying for paint. Prepaint, I will seal the bottom with brushable seam sealer which remains slightly flexible. That won't be seen much, as you can't fit your head under my car (pretty low to the ground). But as for the engine compartment; do you guys have reccomendations for sealing the seams in the engine compartment? There are lots of seams and I'd like to close up the gaps and hide the sheet metal butt wellds and lap welds prior to paint. Interested in any feedback from those that are a few months or years ahead of me with their restorations.

And yes, that is the nicest Harbor Freight Engine Stand TR Twirler you've seen this week!

Pat
005_zpsc66d1180.jpg


001_zps16f5742d.jpg


002_zpsc63e5998.jpg
 
Pat,
You are a little ahead of me. Did you seam seal the space between the rocker and the dog leg?

I also have the paintable sealer from eastwood, and my entire tub is epoxy primed, but I'm a little afraid to start the next step. I'd like to know what you and/or others have done from this point.

It looks like you have already completly prepared the paintable portion of the tub -I've done the welding, but not the finishing body work.

Yours is looking very nice.

Jer
 
Hey--I like that TR twirler! Can you post a picture of that alone? How is the body secured to it? Thanks, Jim
 
Hey Jim: Here are a few photos of the TR Twirler. Nice if you fly solo in the garage and want to work on the underside of the tub. HF Engine Stands with extensions. Can turn 90 or 180 degrees with a little effort.

IMG_5373%20(Large)_zps6d265ce8.jpg


IMG_5374%20(Large)_zps0f4bb240.jpg



IMG_5375%20(Large)_zps6c15fc56.jpg


IMG_5378%20(Large)_zps754eab24.jpg


IMG_5377%20(Large)_zpsac4aeb3d.jpg


IMG_5376%20(Large)_zpsa5b54aba.jpg
 
Hi Jerry
I'll start a different thread and share some body work photos. I've learned a lot about metal and filler over the past year or so. I have an entirely new respect for guys that do this for a living.
 
You did the right thing epoxy priming first before you seam seal. There are seam sealers out there for bare metal now but I'd prefer that little extra protection if moisture works it's way in. If your going to use a brushable in the engine compartment I'd lay down some tape on both sides of the seams to make a neater job of it. A caulking tube would be better and a acid brush. Keep a jar of wax and grease remover or reducer around to dip your brush into make a smoother job while your tooling the seamsealer.
Stay away from those fast curing 2 part sealers. They are for production collision shops that need to get the work done fast. They are no better then the single stage air dry sealers. However they will cost 3 time as much. In fact a 10 oz 2 part sealer will be at lease twice as much as a quart of brushable.
 
I've used the brush on sealer without border tape and it really does look pretty sloppy. Onlyused that in trunk floor gaps, that won't be visible after mat or carpet. The Eastwood brushable sealer is nice - very thick and definitely shows tooling or brush marks. I've also used a UPOL Tiger Seal paintable caulk that is about $14 a tube and you apply it more like bathroom caulk. I like that for tight beads ; can tool it with your finger.
 
I used the seam sealer in the tube that I got from the auto paint store, never used the brush on seam sealer, but definately as noted above use paint tape and tape on either side of the joint, brush it on or using the seam sealer in the tube and caulk gun. you can smooth it down with your finger dipped in mineral spirits. make sure you pull the tape off very soon after you apply the seam sealer, you dont want it to set up and then take the tape off or you will pull the sealer up at the edges and it wont look good

Hondo
 
I've had good results using 3M Fast n Firm seam sealer #08505 (beige). It comes in a caulking cartridge and, I believe, is available in different colors.

Bob
 
This14u said:
I've had good results using 3M Fast n Firm seam sealer #08505 (beige). It comes in a caulking cartridge and, I believe, is available in different colors.

Bob
Click to expand...

+1

John
 
I restored my 1958 TR3A from 1987 to 1990 and have driven it 110,000 miles since.

I used no seam sealer but all doors, fenders etc, were painted "off-the-car" and the "tub" was painted entirely so all seams have been protected on both faces by the paint. This makes it a lot easier if you wan to remove them in the future.

I have no rust on my TR - along the seams - or anywhere else.
 
I assume Pat is referring to the welded seams, but I could be wrong. As Don says, I cannot imagine not removing the bolt on parts for painting...even though Triumph appears to have mounted them first and then painted. Of course, in those days cars got traded in every couple years or so!?!

John
 
You will have to have all your ducks in a row when you use the 3M Fast n Firm. It dries out very quickly and leaves poor brush marks. Have your thinner handy. Also it works well following a seam. Put down a nice bead and come back quickly with a acid brush and you won't have to use tape.
 
CJD said:
I assume Pat is referring to the welded seams, but I could be wrong. As Don says, I cannot imagine not removing the bolt on parts for painting...even though Triumph appears to have mounted them first and then painted. Of course, in those days cars got traded in every couple years or so!?!

John
Click to expand...
Yes, was referring to welded seams for seam sealer. Most welded seams are spot welded (well, now plug welded, after panel replacement) and small gaps exist where water can get in and create rust. Typically these are filled with seam sealer, inside and out, to prevent this rust formation. All my panels are painted off the car so won't need any sealer for those (except maybe for front wings install? I've seen some black tar like stuff used between front wings and wheel wells - don't know what it is).
Pat
 
Could that black tar stuff be what used to be called dum dum? 3M Window Weld ribbon seal, #08612 is a good substitute.
 
This14u said:
Could that black tar stuff be what used to be called dum dum? 3M Window Weld ribbon seal, #08612 is a good substitute.
Click to expand...

Nasty stuff to work with...but it sure does seal! It reminds me of the old Steve Mcqueen movie "The Blob"...goes out of it's way to stick to anything

John
 
Esteemed LBC collective:
What have many of you used between your front wings and the wheel wells? That 3M stuff sounds very sticky...
 
PatGalvin said:
Esteemed LBC collective:
What have many of you used between your front wings and the wheel wells? That 3M stuff sounds very sticky...
Click to expand...

My decision was to use nothing. My thought was that it would let any water drain out, rather than having the potential to trap moisture. It does mean that (dirty) water flung up from the wheels can come up to the exterior.
 
Back
Top