Jack Point Rust..solutions???

Has anyone got an easy solution for stopping further progression of rust and minor rot in the jack points?

How about zinc chromate, or zinc rich coatings?

Of course you could spend several grand to have a body shop replace metal, but not everyone can afford this type repair. If the issue isn't or hasn't become a structural problem yet, can we do something to offset, or even eliminate further rusting?

Any comments, suggestions, methods of repair????????

[rg2098]

You can sand down all the rust down to bare metal, then seal with POR-15. The only probem with that would be the lack of metal (holes) if the rust is bad.

[Hatterasguy]

Grind it down to nice shiny new metal and paint with a good oil based paint. Fill any holes with a good marine filler, Marine Tex works well. Bondo should be avoided.

After the jack points are all cleaned up just spray them off in the winter and keep an eye on them. A little axle grease inside helps keep the rust away to.

[phidauex]

Use the wire brush dremel attachment (or some other small wire brush) to take off all the crumbly surface rust (but don't worry about getting down to clean metal, POR-15 bonds better to some rust, as long as its not crumbly rust).

Then use POR-15 on a little sponge, that way you can stick it up into the hole and work it around for complete coverage. Those foam-style paint brushes would probably do the job if it was a nice small one.

After a few coats of POR-15 it might be worth spraying on a thin coat of rubberized undercoating, just for abrasion protection from the jack. After that just keep it clean and keep your eye on it to make sure the POR-15 has adhered well (though it doesn't have a reputation for chipping, the stuff is incredibly strong).

Also, after coating the metal with POR-15 you could move on to a structural filler (not bondo) if you need to fill in a few places, maybe that Marine Tex that hattie recommended. With the metal protected, you can put on just about anything on top.

If you take care of it before it becomes structural, you are just fine. If it has begun to affect the strength of the metal.. Well.. I'm sure not where you'd go next.

Quicky POR-15 how-to: http://www.flexistentialist.org/archives/2005/02/09/rust_control_wit.shtml

peace,
sam

[boneheaddoctor]

I will also add that you DO want to wear disposible gloves.....you do not want this on your skin because it does not come off untill your skin does.

Take my word on that. I am speaking from personal experience when I rebuilt my truck.........I went through a gallon of the stuff.

I like the idea that POR-15 absorbs the moisture in the metal to facilitate curing and then seals off the metal from moisture entering again.

My 87 300D has rust at all four jack points and two years ago I sand blasted all rust, heated the metal, then applied West epoxy to seal. But I can see now that this effort has failed and the rust lives below the surface. It's like cancer, so I thought I'd resolved the progression, but not so.

I'll try the POR 15 and look in a couple of years to see if it worked. I think I'll try one jack port with a zinc rich paint I've bought recently and see how that holds up as well. So far, only one jack port has rot holes around it and is still structurally strong enough to bare the weight, but is border line! As mechanically sound and clean and wonderful as my 300D is, it has no value in a resale other than it's componant parts sold as salvage, or salvage value.
Who would want a car with rusted jack ports? If I can slow, or stop, the progression of rust, this car has value to me, and I will drive it for as long as I can, then junk it!

[phidauex]

Originally Posted by boneheaddoctor

I will also add that you DO want to wear disposible gloves.....you do not want this on your skin because it does not come off untill your skin does.

Yes, good advice!