bad times with rust :-(

[steve briance]

I have this week off work to transplant my freshly built 7A engine into the CQ20v on the driveway. Engine built up over the winter taking my time and now it is ready to go in, i set about the job and stumbled over some pretty miserable looking rust in some very awkward to reach places.

The engine coming out was one of the easier parts of the job to do but removing the steering rack (to get access to the rust underneath it) - that was a right PITA. It took about 4 hours of swearing, spanner shaking a blow torch some penetrating oil and a hammer. But never the less, out it came and not before removing the vacuum brake servo to get to the last rack mounting nut and the full horror was revealed.

I have a feeling the only way to deal with this mess is to drill out the spot welds and remove the reinforcing bracket. I should then be able to get right into the corner.

Is this a known problem area on these cars? I think it is something to do with the heat from the exhaust as the other side is still sound.

My plan for repair is:
Angle grinder wire wheel to remove.
Maybe some Bilt Hamber Deox C gel (if surface heavily pitted).
Degrease
2 pack epoxy primer
2 pack base coat and lacquer.
Refresh cavity wax injection

[Error404]

Yup pretty common area for rust. I think due to the area it's only had the e-coat on it from the factory. I'm sure brake fluid spills and ingress from the tie rod hole both take their toll. The rubber flaps do really help to keep crap from the wheel arch out of the engine bay.
I treated mine as you suggest, removed as much loose as possible, Deox gel, 2k epoxy then base & lacquer. I also sprayed a load of cavity wax in there afterwards. Seems to be holding up well. Sure it will need attention again at some point
My ABY is the same.

[steve briance]

My rubber flaps don't do anything to help keep road crap out - they are very tired! As they may lengthen the life of my engine bay a bit, I may try and remake them out of something, whatever it is can't be any worse!

I noticed they are held in with plastic rivets which is nice and simple - makes a change from special Audi unobtainable clip number XXXX

[Error404]

I bought new rubber flaps for mine a couple years back they were about £15 each. Easy enough to make some out of EPDM for sure

[steve briance]

I'm surprised they were still available! I'm off to pick up a new steering rack gaitor tomorrow so will ask then if I've got nothing lying around the workshop to stand in...

cheers!

[kinaputt]

Yes, drill out the spotwelds. Messure first. Then its easy to weld them back in. You should medie blast that rust and use 2K-Epoxy. You cannot remove ut all with a grinder or wire wheel.
I had rust on the same places on mine, but not that bad!

[steve briance]

Yes, i would agree that media blasting here is the best solution. The only problem is that the car is going no where at the moment and I don't have a compressor big enough to run any sort of DIY hobby blaster . It would be perfect though! I've got some 2K epoxy coming

I have some Deox C gel to use if the pitting is too bad. I have used the Deox C bath to soak rusty parts in and i have to say it does work rather well on light rust and I'm hoping that after angle grinding with wire brush, all i would have left is some light corrosion that the gel can do its stuff on.

[steve briance]

well, had a good day today :-)

I had to go out and get a spot weld drill bit and a 90 degree drill to get into the corner. It would be possible with normal drill if the entire engine bay was dismantled but i'm not in for that at the moment, i need my car back up and running! As it is, i had to remove the near side suspension leg to get at some more rust in the wheel arch. It was around the hole for track rod and where the steering rack pokes through. No point in doing just the engine bay leaving that to creep back in!

A few hours of work with twist wire angle grinder attachments, some Deox C gel, a wash down after with HOT water (so it evaporates before flash rust) and a blow dry with the garden leaf blower (yes, i know that could be seen as eccentric but it worked a treat and no flash rust!) and this was the result.

Light coat of Bilt Hamber Electrox today to protect overnight and then tomorrow it is time to weld the bracket back on and throw some epoxy primer at the engine bay

[s2driveruk]

looks like good progress....please take some pictures to show the next steps too I have the same to tackle I think at some point...

[Error404]

Great job

[S2central.net]

Very nice indeed - must investigate that area on mine. It's weird how more rust gets on the 'wrong' side of the RHD cars - my front subframe is much worse on that side.

[GT500]

Always the same Paul. Puddles road side clean the salt off.

[steve briance]

Good productive day had today.

Out at 07:45 this morning welding in the reinforcing bracket then out with the thinners to remove the dust coat of Electrox (it came off worryingly easy) and prep clean the area for primer.

A couple of hours of masking up later...

1 coat of epoxy primer allowed to dry for 2 hours before adding seam sealer and then off into town to collect some more bits for the project.

Get home and seam sealer dried so 2nd coat of epoxy applied over that and then doing 'wet on wet' spraying, it was time for colour and lacquer.

It looks really good now. If it rusts again after this little lot I give up as from the factory it certainly didn't have this amount of paint under the bonnet!

I just need to add stone chip to the wheel arch now and squirt some cavity wax into the chassis rails and other obvious water traps.

[S2central.net]

Love it - especially masking of the old red phone box !

[steve briance]

one for error404:

10minutes with a pair of scissors and an old car inner tube and look what i've now got! Its about the same thickness of rubber and for a free fix using one of those things i thought i'd keep just in case, i'll take it!