[EVL_54SunValley]

Hi all,

I'm looking for a way to prevent further rust and protect the inside the rocker pannels of my 54 Merc. I guess I could just go with POR 15 or Zero Rust, but I'd like something a little thicker so that It would seal the seam between the inside and outside rocker pannels. I found some old stuff in there and it looks like it was some kind of foam or something.

Anyway, I figured JC Whitney's "Rustproofing Chemical" (See http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/P...X/appId-462189) would do the trick, but they won't ship this over the border. Is there anything else that someone could recommend. I was thinking of Rust Mort, but I'm a little leary of leaving all that residue inside, which might leach into my paint down the road.

Any suggestions are much appreciated.

Ed

[jcclark]

I recently sprayed some epoxy "truck bed liner" that I
was very impressed with. Does anyone know why this wouldn't
work? I love the durability of this stuff and it stays
flexible for good sealing. I've thought this would be
good for the inside of doors. Anyone know?

[astroracer]

The problem I have with spray on "rust coatings" is, unless the surface you are spraying is absolutely clean and grease free, the coating is not going to adhere to the metal and all you will be doing is creating a place for water and salt to collect and never dry out. Water and salt leaching under the coating will actually rust the panel out quicker then if you left it open and coated it with rust mort or zero rust.
I use a few squirts of transmission fluid in the rockers, doors and quarter panels to displace water and keep it from settling in. I was called stupid for saying this in another post but I'll say it again because it works for me. Yea it may drip a little but it leaves the rockers open to breath and doesn't create a substrate for moisture to collect under.
Drill a couple of 5/8" holes at either end of the rocker and use a power washer or car hose sprayer to clean the rockers out a few times a year. If you drive through a lot of mud and rain this will also let them drain better. Hose them out and then spray in more Zero Rust or whatever...


"Call me stupid if you want to but that's my experience and opinion..."

[farna]

The thinner coatings work better. You can use bed liner, but as mentioned it may not stick. Undercoating works well if you can get inside. The rockers have small "weep hole" drains that can't be sealed! If you do, any moisture that does get in can't get out.

[BarryK]

Here is the problem with using spray-in bed liners for this application.
The epoxy one you talk about be it made in Canada or NC are not made to give good corrosion protection. They are weakened up by thickeners and done so at the loss of adhesion and rust protection. That is Why as a bed liner if you drop a 10lb bag of potato's from 3 feet up in the next week your bed liner will bubble, the epoxy has been weakened badly.

3m make a beige/yellow waxy rustproofing and i don't remember the name for use in doors and places like rockers. Comes in aerosol and shutz can and I know they have a wand for it.
Won't dry, won't crack and won't trap water.
Any paint jobber would have it.

[302 Z28]

Barry, I am at the point on my 34 where I need something on the undersides of the fenders and running boards to prevent "starring" of the fiberglass from road debris. I was thinking of a commercially applied bed liner material. You got any better suggestions on what may be suitable, or better?

Vince

[BarryK]

For staring under metal and fiberglass fenders bedliners work great.
They will resist stone chips fine just not heavy objects if its epoxy base.

I was referring to the epoxy type bedliners not the urethanes, polyurethanes or the polyurea type bedliners.

I just would not be pouring bedliner inside doors or rockers for rust protection because it just won't help long term.

[fordSR]

Vince,
I used the Polyurethane bedliner from Southern Polyurethanes Inc. on the underside of my fiberglass fenders. I used the entire gallon on the four fenders, mixing one Qt. at a time and applying it in the center of the wheel well where a rock would hit if thrown by the tire. Pot life is short, about 15 min so mixing one qt. at a time is important. This will bond to raw fiberglass or epoxy primed. You can paint over it with epoxy primer then topcoat with single stage or B/C. I suggest that you do not add any reducer to the bedliner, spray it just as you mix it. This will give about .150 thick coating which I believe will survive a wheel weight thrown from the rim at freeway speed. It will also make your fender more rigid and solid. This stuff is pretty thick and you will need to buy the gun recommended by SPI. Do not try to appy this stuff with your Binks #7.

[302 Z28]

Thanks FordSR and BarryK, I will give Southern Polyurethanes a look.

Vince

[MARTINSR]

3Ms product is called "Rust fighter" part number 08892 for the aerosol and 08891 for the quart to spray with a gun.

It is commonly called "cavity wax" and works very good to protect somewhere like a rocker where you can't get in there and prepare it properly for paint.

Something like bed liner or any "paint" is just not going to do anything, it will flake off and you will end up with a maracas for rocker.

[jcclark]

Are you serious? A 10 lb bag of potatoes damaging a bed liner?
If that's true it sure wouldn't be used in truck beds.
It would be a useless product. It's there for protection not
looks. I've seen the spray on liners take concrete blocks
thrown on it without a scuff. If some potatoes damage it someone
did something wrong. I used it inside my alluminum fishing
boat and I haven't yet ben able to scrape this stuff off.
It may not be good for rust protection but it sure won't
come off bare clean steel.

[BarryK]

Originally posted by jcclark
Are you serious? A 10 lb bag of potatoes damaging a bed liner?
If that's true it sure wouldn't be used in truck beds.
It would be a useless product. It's there for protection not
looks. I've seen the spray on liners take concrete blocks
thrown on it without a scuff. If some potatoes damage it someone
did something wrong. I used it inside my alluminum fishing
boat and I haven't yet ben able to scrape this stuff off.
It may not be good for rust protection but it sure won't
come off bare clean steel.

***********************************************
I'm only speaking of the epoxy based ones that you shoot out of a shutz gun. Very common to fade out in 6 months and also very common to drop something in the bed and a week or two latter a
bubble will appear from broke adhesion. Its very cheap to make an epoxy bed liner but those are the risks.
Its not guaranteed to do it but can happen.

Stick with the urethane types. 3:1 or 4:1 mixes.

[EVL_54SunValley]

Thanks Barry and MARTINSR.
I've found what you were talking about, enquired and got this:

"Dear Ed,

Thank you for contacting 3M Canada.

The 3M Rust Fighter-I 08891 is not available in Canada. However, 3M Rust Fighter-I 08892, which is the same product in aerosol form, is available through the following distributors...."

I doubt an aerosol would work since I'm trying to get deep inside the rockers. Any other suggestions, products, methods or othermeans?

Thanks again,
Ed