divil

I'll just have to keep looking. So far I have found 4 local places that do this kind of work - one is the guy that repaired it before (didn't want to go back there unless I have no choice). Another one didn't want to know, and the remaining 2 had a look and suggested the seam sealer approach. I'm sure there are other places that could do it but I'm not having much luck finding them. I might give the original guy a call...can't hurt to have him take a look anyway.

neunfünfeins

Wherever you have two overlapping pieces of metal welded together is always tough to protect after the fact. I use a zinc-rich coating on the hidden surfaces before I weld, to give them a fighting chance. There are several specialty products advertised as 'weld-through' etc, but the Rustoleum Cold Galvanizing Compound you can get at your home improvement store is essentially the same thing and works just as well.

There's a reason rust is often called 'cancer'. It should never be left untreated. I'm surprised a restoration shop would take that attitude.

Tom M'G, nice work!
Divil, best of luck to you. Now I appreciate more why you'd warned me about checking the battery tray on prospective purchases.

FRporscheman

I only read the first post but here's my 2 cents...

In my '84 I had a leak in the same spot, and like you, it was after doing the repair once already. I had a pretty rusted tray, lots of pinholes spread across the whole tray. I wire wheeled it clean and applied por15 porpatch over the entire affected area. It cured nice and hard and passed the hose test.

The following year (last year) it leaked again, and in the same spot you indicate. I decided to paint over it again with just regular por15 this time. It held for a day or two. So I prodded and found that the por15 and porpatch were failing in that area because there was no metal left, only paint and seam sealer, and with the 40lb battery leaning on the existent metal, it was spreading open that seam and cracking my paint. I could open it up a good 1/4" by gently leaning on it.

So I ended up smearing regular silicone (not RTV) over/into that whole seam. After it cured, I put the battery in and tried leaning on it a bit, and the silicone stretches and keeps the seam shut. Janky? Maybe, but not at janky as wet moldy carpets, and I can always go back in there and cut/weld when I'm ready.

divil

Well I finally found a promising shop to do this repair, and I just picked up the car today. The guy said that the previous repair was pretty rough - there is a seam along the side where my leak was, and it was nowhere close to being sealed up, and that's why it leaked. He said it was leaking in lots of places along there. He also found a big hole that they had just filled with bondo

Anyway he ground away all the surface rust, welded up the seam, and then covered the whole thing with 3m epoxy paint followed by seam sealer. I didn't get any pics of the process unfortunately. It looks nice and clean, but then so did the last job! I have yet to do the water test on it but he says he did that and it's holding just fine. Hopefully this is the end of it, but I'll be keeping a closer eye on it from now on!

curtisr

I can't think of too many jobs that have made me feel like the world's worst mechanic than the simple task of finding a leak in the battery box.

Really, how simple can it be? Pour water. Watch. Repair. Repeat. Frankly, I've lost track of how many layers of roofing repair tape I've used and of how much bedliner spray I've put on top.

For my next trick I think I'm going to build a wall that would make Trump proud on the windshield sill. @#$%^

FRporscheman

I've thought about that too. Keep the water from ever getting into the battery tray. Haven't tried anything, though.

If you try it, start a thread, I'd love to see.

curtisr

I'll have to wait until the return of warmer weather but this is certainly on my mind.

I'm wondering if this wouldn't seal the space between the hood and the body...

FRporscheman

I don't think you want to seal the hood to the body, you still need air to flow into the cowl for the blower.

The rain tray already diverts water away from the cowl, but it just dumps all the water into the fuse box tray and the battery tray. Maybe we can make a new rain tray that goes end to end, and has drain tubes on the ends.

curtisr

Point well taken. My first thought was to go not much further than the centre point in order to have a bit of breathing space. Say 3/4?

My other thought was a deflector or dam-like gasket but I can't think/find anything other than a door sweep so far.








Keep those thoughts and ideas coming!

Tom M'Guinn

If I had to guess, I'd bet the best insurance is to make sure the battery discharge tube is connected and routed safely out the drain -- so that the acid never hits the battery box. Or better yet, use a sealed Optima or other AGM battery. Rain water collects in lots of places without rusting, so it seems like the battery acid is the real culprit more often than not?

divil

Yeah I think the battery acid must be part of it. One thing I was told recently is that some acid always comes through the battery terminals, because they're porous. If you don't have the battery over (which I don't) then it gets washed down with rain. I'm definitely getting a battery cover now.

Litesonic

There are no extra parts...
That's why mine sports the battery cover as well.

Tom M'Guinn

Good point. I got a cover for mine, along with the discharge tube, after repairing mine. I also put those little felt thingies under the terminals and have been keeping the battery as clean as new with Simple Green and ArmorAll...

88Silver924S

Years ago I put in a yellow Battery Mat (http://batterymat.com/) which is advertised to neutralize acid. I feared it was snake oil at the time but bought it anyway. I don't know if I'm just lucky or if it really works but there is no rust anywhere around the battery over a decade later. For $6 or so I continue to put a new one in every 5-10 years. It may also cushion the battery from vibration a little. For a review: http://www.motorhome.com/rv-how-to/b...acid-absorber/

For wiping down the outside case of the battery put baking soda in a little water as that neutralizes acid, just be very careful not to get any baking soda water inside the battery cells.

FRporscheman

My main purpose for keeping the water out of the battery tray is to mitigate the already existent rust and water ingress into the cabin. Yes, water alone probably wouldn't cause rust, it's due to the battery acid.

I've had battery trays rust on other cars that I've had. In all cases, there was no discharge tube on the battery; now I put one on every car! Every freakin' battery should come with one.