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Car Forum / MINI / March 2006

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Expanding foam

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Fitzy - 27 Feb 2006 19:25 GMT
I'm thinking of filling the recently new sills with gap filling foam,
Comments and your views would be appreciated
Fitzy
miniman - 27 Feb 2006 21:50 GMT
> I'm thinking of filling the recently new sills with gap filling foam,
> Comments and your views would be appreciated
> Fitzy

I was thinking the same thing a while back but was warned off, I am
sure it was a pretty good reason because I am incredibly stubborn and
would have done it, but for the life of me I can't remember the reason!

I think it would have caused worsening of the corrosion but can't be
sure, I think that someone has done tests on some mild steel tube,
possibly strand plastics (Glass fibre and foams etc)

I normally waxoyl the sills and make sure there are lots of drain holes
if they are the oversill variety!

It seems some of the later minis suffered a little from quite bad rust,
shame they had to skimp on quality of steel!

miniman
** - 27 Feb 2006 22:20 GMT
> > I'm thinking of filling the recently new sills with gap filling foam,
> > Comments and your views would be appreciated
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> I normally waxoyl the sills and make sure there are lots of drain holes
> if they are the oversill variety!

Hi,
"oversills" are pure bodges. Apart from the rusty original sills rusting the
"oversills" at a very fast rate, the sills are considerably weakened by
fitting these things. The reason is that they completely change the cross
section of the sill beam. The sill is no longer a box section.

K

> It seems some of the later minis suffered a little from quite bad rust,
> shame they had to skimp on quality of steel!
>
> miniman
miniman - 27 Feb 2006 23:08 GMT
>> On 2006-02-27 19:25:06 +0000, "Fitzy" <peterfitzpatrick@btopenworld.com>
> said:
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
>>
>> miniman

depends how you fit them, I wouldn't leave the old ones in and they
make for a stronger joint if you seam weld all round and then spot weld
or plug weld where the originals went (assuming the floorpan is in good
enough condition to take it. The other thing to remember is that these
'things' are usually made from a decent gauge steel in comparison to a
lot of pattern parts.
Fitzy - 27 Feb 2006 23:53 GMT
>>> On 2006-02-27 19:25:06 +0000, "Fitzy" <peterfitzpatrick@btopenworld.com>
>> said:
[quoted text clipped - 34 lines]
> are usually made from a decent gauge steel in comparison to a lot of
> pattern parts.

I fitted original sills, chopped out any corrosion, blasted with waxoil, so
foam filling sounds ok, ????
what do you think ??
Fitzy
Steve68s - 28 Feb 2006 00:00 GMT
> I fitted original sills, chopped out any corrosion, blasted with waxoil,
> so
> foam filling sounds ok, ????
> what do you think ??
> Fitzy

If any water gets in you could have problems, it may find its way down the
door pillars & you will end up with water lodged in places, if the waxoil is
in the sills you should be ok.

Steve.
David Toft - 27 Feb 2006 23:56 GMT
>>> On 2006-02-27 19:25:06 +0000, "Fitzy" <peterfitzpatrick@btopenworld.com>
>> said:
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>>>> Comments and your views would be appreciated
>>>> Fitzy

This was done at the factory around 1961- 1962, the problem was if
welding work had to be carried out later (i.e. accident repairs) the
fumes from the burning foam were poisonous.
Signature

David Toft

Taffy - 28 Feb 2006 14:18 GMT
> >>> On 2006-02-27 19:25:06 +0000, "Fitzy" <peterfitzpatrick@btopenworld.com>
> >> said:
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> welding work had to be carried out later (i.e. accident repairs) the
> fumes from the burning foam were poisonous.

The main reason they used filling foam at the factory back then was to
combat the water leak problem on early Mini's.  Once they started to weld
the floorpans correctly they stopped using foam.  But it is said that the
sills on these Mini's were still in good shape years later when they were
cut up!  But waxoyl or dinitrol is the best product to use on Mini's now.

Taffy
Fitzy - 28 Feb 2006 18:22 GMT
>> >>> On 2006-02-27 19:25:06 +0000, "Fitzy"
> <peterfitzpatrick@btopenworld.com>
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> Taffy

Thanks people,
I have waxoiled the sills, I will inject them with foam at the weekend,
I will let you know how they are in about 8 or 10 years time  ;-)
Fitzy
Chris - 28 Feb 2006 19:15 GMT
> Thanks people,
> I have waxoiled the sills, I will inject them with foam at the weekend,
> I will let you know how they are in about 8 or 10 years time  ;-)
> Fitzy

I would avoid expanding foam like the plague.  There is very good reason
virtually no manufacturer uses it. Basically it will hold the water in
pockets inside it, if these pockets are next to metal it will hold the water
next to the sill and rot it quite quickly.  Just like mud under wheel arches
that isn't cleaned off holds the water next to meatl and can lead to rotten
arches.  The foam will also deteriorate when trapped water freezes and
expands etc leading it to break down, when this happens it might block the
drain holes you are relying on to keep the sills clear!

Waxoyl is the way to go, not sure if ziebart is still around?  A friend of
mine used to swear by putting about 250cc of used engine oil in thru a small
hole, then cleaning off what eventually came out of the drain holes before
driving!

Chris
TurboJo - 28 Feb 2006 20:52 GMT
If the expanding foam does hold water how much extra weight could you be
carrying around?

> > Thanks people,
> > I have waxoiled the sills, I will inject them with foam at the weekend,
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> Chris
Fitzy - 28 Feb 2006 21:41 GMT
> If the expanding foam does hold water how much extra weight could you be
> carrying around?
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
>>
>> Chris

I feel an experiment coming on here chaps,
a metal container ......... possibly a food container,
tin can, open at both ends, wax oiled inside and out, then filled with
expanding foam, then left in the garden,
what will the outcome be ,,,I wonder,
Fitzy


Pedro - 28 Feb 2006 23:57 GMT
One possibility I guess is that two slugs will meet, fall in love, get
married, move in... and have lots of baby slugs.

Any other ideas?

P
Pedro - 01 Mar 2006 00:04 GMT
10 lbs per gallon I think
Nicholas Bales - 01 Mar 2006 14:40 GMT
> I'm thinking of filling the recently new sills with gap filling foam,
> Comments and your views would be appreciated
> Fitzy

It is likely to trap inside the moisture. Yes, moisture will find its
way in, whatever you do. It's better to give moisture a way to evaporate
or drip away than to trap it inside.

Plus, when the day comes that your sills need some welding, that foam
can produce some VERY NASTY fumes. Nasty as in deadly.
Paul Le Teace - 01 Mar 2006 20:25 GMT
I had a 1960 mini that didn't have foam in the sills & they were rotten.   I
also had a 1961 mini that did have the foam in the sills & they were still
in good condition 45 years later. I don't know how the original foam
compares to modern crazy foam but it seems to have done some good.

>> I'm thinking of filling the recently new sills with gap filling foam,
>> Comments and your views would be appreciated
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> Plus, when the day comes that your sills need some welding, that foam can
> produce some VERY NASTY fumes. Nasty as in deadly.
Rob - 01 Mar 2006 23:23 GMT
> I had a 1960 mini that didn't have foam in the sills & they were rotten.   I
> also had a 1961 mini that did have the foam in the sills & they were still
> in good condition 45 years later. I don't know how the original foam
> compares to modern crazy foam but it seems to have done some good.

Foam sticks to the metal and is closed cell - so if you place enough in
the holes then moisture can't get in.  Its used as floatation in boats.

>>>I'm thinking of filling the recently new sills with gap filling foam,
>>>Comments and your views would be appreciated
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>>Plus, when the day comes that your sills need some welding, that foam can
>>produce some VERY NASTY fumes. Nasty as in deadly.
Taffy - 02 Mar 2006 14:44 GMT
Anyway as I said before your far better using Waxoyl or Dinitrol.   Okay
Waxoyl is cheaper and more popular, but it can be a pain getting it to flow
right as you need to thin it down and warm it up etc, but from what I've
heard of Dinitrol, it's more expensive, but it has a better creep?
consistency, but if you can get Waxoyl set up right that's just as effective
too.

Taffy

> > I had a 1960 mini that didn't have foam in the sills & they were rotten.   I
> > also had a 1961 mini that did have the foam in the sills & they were still
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> >>Plus, when the day comes that your sills need some welding, that foam can
> >>produce some VERY NASTY fumes. Nasty as in deadly.
Rob - 03 Mar 2006 02:26 GMT
> Anyway as I said before your far better using Waxoyl or Dinitrol.   Okay
> Waxoyl is cheaper and more popular, but it can be a pain getting it to flow
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Taffy

Yep no way for me to try filling with foam either.

>>>I had a 1960 mini that didn't have foam in the sills & they were rotten.
>
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
>
>>>>produce some VERY NASTY fumes. Nasty as in deadly.
 
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