Darn mud and gravel

[tahoe healey]

I have never seen this addressed before but has any one tried blocking the area around the wheel well to keep the mud and gravel out? I feel that if I don't get that stuff out all the time it will lead to rust. Or is my BJ8 missing a protector?

 

[Randy Forbes]

[ QUOTE ]
I have never seen this addressed before but has any one tried blocking the area around the wheel well to keep the mud and gravel out? I feel that if I don't get that stuff out all the time it will lead to rust. Or is my BJ8 missing a protector?

[/ QUOTE ]
Personally, I feel it is better to leave the area open and just flush it out with water every time you wash the car. You'd never be able to completely prevent the dirt from accummulating, so why make it difficult to clean out?

Just my opinion, yours may be different /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Keoke]

TH, Mal Doughtery has blocked his off talk to him.Yep ifin you dont get it out you will let the tin worm in.Others have removed the rear cill extensions to make the cleaning easier.---Fwiw---Keoke- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif

 

[Dave Russell]

Hi Keoke,
Interesting advice. Folks have mentioned Mal before. I have no idea where he is located or how to contact him. Can you help?

Can you give details on the "removing the rear sill extensions", don't exactly know what you are referring to. Thanks,
D

 

[Keoke]

Dave, I have to tell you based on BJ8 experience. In side the rear fenders just behind the shutface panel is a short extension. Mounted on this short piece is a small triangular brace that supports the lower portion of the shutface panel.While this short piece appears to be a continuation of the Cill it is in fact a short welded on extension that can be cut off and boxed in.-That Help? I will check on Mal for you OK--Keoke

 

[Dave Russell]

Hi Keoke,
My BN2 rear wheel well seems to be fairly clean at the bottom. Not much place to collect anything that couldn't be easily hosed out. There is a triangular bracket near the top, see attached pic, but it doesn't seem to trap much either. Hasn't been washed out for a while. The BJ8 must be different?
D

 

[John Loftus]

Hi Dave,

The attached shows the triangle brace and sill extension that Keoke is talking about. The triangle sits very close to fender sheetmetal and crud/water can find it's way between the two surfaces. Combine the design with very little paint from the factory and you have the reason that original, rust free doglegs are hard to find. My BJ7 was almost rust free but this area needed rework. Hoping that well painted metal and frequent washings will help this area last a long time.

Cheers,
John

p.s. I've thought about putting a temporary shield (thin plastic) across the opening to keep the major dirt/gravel/water/sand from having a direct path from the tire. You could then pop out the shield when washing. I guess I'll worry about this after my cars is back on the road!

 

[vette]

Hi ya, I think I would just coat it real well [take a quart of good thick enamel and pour it down the inside of the fender, let it drip dry, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif]. Then just keep it hosed out real well. Of course you could try another alternative, put on fibre glass fenders as are on my car. the BJ7....The Vette already had them.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif Dave C.

 

[Richard Dickinson]

After I had my BT7 chasis dipped and stripped, the sills seemd to be ok except for the extensions. On the BT7 the triangular piece is apparently not present. I cut the rusted out extensions out and bought sill extension repair pieces from Healy Surgons. Since the outer sheet metal is supported by the shutface panel and the outriger it seems that the sill extension serves no purpose except to collect water and mud and rust out. My question is whats wrong with eliminating the extension and blocking the end of the sill?

 

[Keoke]

Thanks for the piccy John. The problem is when the fender is installed there is a void underneath the extension that holds the dirt and moisture in the dog leg. Your Piccy was taken up too high Dave, that one is the lock plate stiffener.---Keoke

 

[Keoke]

Hi Richard, cutting the extension off and blocking the hole left is what many owners do.-- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif----Keoke

 

[vette]

Richard, since I haven't taken a Healey apart yet, I can't say this for sure, but I would suspect that the sill extension contributes to the stiffening of the inner cockpit panel that it is attached to and keeps it from waffleing or oil canning. That is the case with the MGA bodies that I have worked on.
Dave C.

 

[Dave Russell]

[ QUOTE ]
Your Piccy was taken up too high Dave, that one is the lock plate stiffener.---Keoke

[/ QUOTE ]
No plates down below on this BN2. The part shown by Kilmartin as "Gusset, shut pillar triangle" looks like it never had been there. A prior owner may have removed it somewhere along the way. Didn't realize the gussets were missing. Good thing it's not a concours car. Not that I would put the parts back anyway.

All I really know about the car's history is that the shrouds, fenders, & doors have been removed & painted the new color on all inside surfaces. A pity too, as I would have liked the Florida Green that the BMIHT cert. says it originally had. I really like the color of Bruce's BN2. Not about to take it completely apart to change the color back to original, along with changing the the interior colors, though. Thanks for the insight.
D

 

[John Loftus]

[ QUOTE ]

The problem is when the fender is installed there is a void underneath the extension that holds the dirt and moisture in the dog leg.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hi Keoke .. yup .. some add holes along the bottom flange of the dogleg to help draining and air flow .. some remove the sill extension .. some flush out with water (and even periodically remove the lower fender bolts and screws for better access) and some just leave the dirt and crud and let the rust worms have a feast! Not a very good design if you 'asks me'.

Cheers,
John

 

[Keoke]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif,One more technique John; Place nylon washers between the fender and the Cill then no hole drilin.---Keoke-- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Richard Dickinson]

vette- The sill and extension are spot welded to the outrigger and don't add any stiffness to the body. At any rate, the sill extension repair pieces I bought would just be tacked on and the only thing they would do would be to add to the corrosion problem in this area. I already cut out the rusted part of the outrigger face and welded in a patch. I'm thinking that when and if I get this thing put back togather and before it's exposed to the elements I might fill this area with somethig that will bond to the metal. Maybe something like spray on truck bed linner.

 

[vette]

Richard, your points are well taken. "They" say that no matter what you try to coat underbody panels with it will eventually come loose. Or at least gets the moisture on the wrong side and next to the metal. If I had the parts apart where i could clean and etch them real good, I would paint it with epoxy. Then top coat it with thick enamel.
I wonder if anyone is still supplying fibre glass fenders for Healeys? Mine were produced and installed in the 60's I think. Know one has ever known it unless I tell them.

 

[Keoke]

Vette, there was a full set of FG fenders on E-bay recently.---Fwiw---Keoke

Richard, Weld all the holes up!---Keoke

 

[Richard Dickinson]

Plastic washers sound like a good idea. Probably if I just give it a good coating of paint it will outlast me.

 

[vette]

[ Probably if I just give it a good coating of paint it will outlast me.]

Yeh Richard, I agree. Epoxy and Enamel.

Keoke, I am curious, do you know if FG fenders are being made by any suppliers.