Rusty Battery Tray
03-18-2014, 09:50 PM
#16
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
OK gents... we have pictures... drum roll please!
Well - I think it could be a lot worse. Looks like mostly superficial, but there does appear to be a hole. Seller says he poked it a few times and it's solid.
Most importantly, according to a post in another thread, corrosion at the front of the tray as seen here is less likely to affect the DME or KLR as it would if it was at the rear...
Well - I think it could be a lot worse. Looks like mostly superficial, but there does appear to be a hole. Seller says he poked it a few times and it's solid.
Most importantly, according to a post in another thread, corrosion at the front of the tray as seen here is less likely to affect the DME or KLR as it would if it was at the rear...
03-18-2014, 10:06 PM
#17
i had this same issue on my first 944 n/a, i think the early cars had it worse. the problem starts with water puddling in that area when the drain vents get clogged with leaves and debree, this repair can be simple if the rust is minor (surface rust) a good anti rust agent with some heavy truck bed liner fixed mine. if the rust is bad to the point where water has run and puddled on the passenger foot well and usually working its way to the passenger rear floor mat area then its probably not worth the trouble, if you have the option not too. if its caught early it can be saved.
03-18-2014, 10:15 PM
#18
Three Wheelin'
OK gents... we have pictures... drum roll please!
...
Well - I think it could be a lot worse. Looks like mostly superficial, but there does appear to be a hole. Seller says he poked it a few times and it's solid.
Most importantly, according to a post in another thread, corrosion at the front of the tray as seen here is less likely to affect the DME or KLR as it would if it was at the rear...
...
Well - I think it could be a lot worse. Looks like mostly superficial, but there does appear to be a hole. Seller says he poked it a few times and it's solid.
Most importantly, according to a post in another thread, corrosion at the front of the tray as seen here is less likely to affect the DME or KLR as it would if it was at the rear...
Also, believe it or not, it's the other way around regarding which end of the tray is the worst for getting water on the DME. The front of the tray, by the firewall, is actually the part that's directly above the DME. If a hole forms there, water will drip down directly onto the plug.
03-19-2014, 12:44 PM
#20
Drifting
Doesn't look to bad to me as long as it's solid around the mounting points.
When I bought my car 16 years ago it has some rust in that area including pinhole leaks. I could see traces of water by the DME/KLR but luckily they didn't get wet.
I used a simple fix that has held up since then.
I cleaned the rust up w/ a wire brush on a drill. I then used POR15 epoxy putty
http://www.por15.com/EPOXY-PUTTY_p_54.html
about 1/8-1'4" thick and molded it over that area to make a new 'floor'. Not only did it seal the holes, but also raised that area to reduce pooling in the future. After some primer and body-colored spray paint it looked decent. No cracks or issues in 16 years...
When I bought my car 16 years ago it has some rust in that area including pinhole leaks. I could see traces of water by the DME/KLR but luckily they didn't get wet.
I used a simple fix that has held up since then.
I cleaned the rust up w/ a wire brush on a drill. I then used POR15 epoxy putty
http://www.por15.com/EPOXY-PUTTY_p_54.html
about 1/8-1'4" thick and molded it over that area to make a new 'floor'. Not only did it seal the holes, but also raised that area to reduce pooling in the future. After some primer and body-colored spray paint it looked decent. No cracks or issues in 16 years...
03-20-2014, 09:41 AM
#21
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Also, believe it or not, it's the other way around regarding which end of the tray is the worst for getting water on the DME. The front of the tray, by the firewall, is actually the part that's directly above the DME. If a hole forms there, water will drip down directly onto the plug.
03-20-2014, 09:44 AM
#22
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Doesn't look to bad to me as long as it's solid around the mounting points.
When I bought my car 16 years ago it has some rust in that area including pinhole leaks. I could see traces of water by the DME/KLR but luckily they didn't get wet.
I used a simple fix that has held up since then.
I cleaned the rust up w/ a wire brush on a drill. I then used POR15 epoxy putty
http://www.por15.com/EPOXY-PUTTY_p_54.html
about 1/8-1'4" thick and molded it over that area to make a new 'floor'. Not only did it seal the holes, but also raised that area to reduce pooling in the future. After some primer and body-colored spray paint it looked decent. No cracks or issues in 16 years...
When I bought my car 16 years ago it has some rust in that area including pinhole leaks. I could see traces of water by the DME/KLR but luckily they didn't get wet.
I used a simple fix that has held up since then.
I cleaned the rust up w/ a wire brush on a drill. I then used POR15 epoxy putty
http://www.por15.com/EPOXY-PUTTY_p_54.html
about 1/8-1'4" thick and molded it over that area to make a new 'floor'. Not only did it seal the holes, but also raised that area to reduce pooling in the future. After some primer and body-colored spray paint it looked decent. No cracks or issues in 16 years...
I've been quoted $300 by my body guy to do a fix involving cutting out the rusted area, welding a small plate in and respray. I'll check for myself and choose one either your DIY method or for him to do that.
Right now not having the DME/KLR wet is the crucial part of the decision process on whether to move forward.
03-20-2014, 12:20 PM
#23
Look in the drain hole for rust also, it is on the passenger side. I just treated my battery bay as it had some minor surface rust. Stripped down to bare metal to see whole area. Treated the surface rust with 4:1 water:vinegar, then later with chemical rust neutralizer. Rustoleum primer paint, followed by brushable seam sealer, followed by another coat of primer. New battery mat and all is good.
The rust occurs on these not only because the drain may plug, but because rain water washes battery acid into the tray. The first thing that rusts is usually the battery tension bracket. Look at used ones online and notice how many are rusty. I'm putting Rustoleum primer coat on the bracket itself.
Don't recommend pors-15. It will hide the rust underneath that will continue to grow. I went back a local shop that restores air cooled volkswagen and porsche, as they see rust all the time. They said to steer clear of that product, fwiw.
The rust occurs on these not only because the drain may plug, but because rain water washes battery acid into the tray. The first thing that rusts is usually the battery tension bracket. Look at used ones online and notice how many are rusty. I'm putting Rustoleum primer coat on the bracket itself.
Don't recommend pors-15. It will hide the rust underneath that will continue to grow. I went back a local shop that restores air cooled volkswagen and porsche, as they see rust all the time. They said to steer clear of that product, fwiw.
Thanks for the advice
I've been quoted $300 by my body guy to do a fix involving cutting out the rusted area, welding a small plate in and respray. I'll check for myself and choose one either your DIY method or for him to do that.
Right now not having the DME/KLR wet is the crucial part of the decision process on whether to move forward.
I've been quoted $300 by my body guy to do a fix involving cutting out the rusted area, welding a small plate in and respray. I'll check for myself and choose one either your DIY method or for him to do that.
Right now not having the DME/KLR wet is the crucial part of the decision process on whether to move forward.
03-21-2014, 01:07 AM
#24
Burning Brakes
My 86 was similar, I was able to clean most of the rust up and ended up with three small holes that were covered and fixed the issue.
FWIW Battery covers are always missing on these cars and as the battery is open to water due to the hood not sealing in that area washing potentially corrosive water down to rest under the battery, especially if the drain is blocked.
The covers are still available from Porsche and are cheap.
FWIW Battery covers are always missing on these cars and as the battery is open to water due to the hood not sealing in that area washing potentially corrosive water down to rest under the battery, especially if the drain is blocked.
The covers are still available from Porsche and are cheap.
03-21-2014, 07:21 AM
#25
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
In 2011, I used por-15 porpatch to fix a rusted battery tray with a bunch of pinholes (and some bb-sized holes). I smeared porpatch thinly over the affected metal, cuz I had no por15 paint.
A couple of years later, I did another car with porpatch for the holes and por15 paint for the bare metal. Even closed a 5-inch hole with a steel plate and porpatch as seam sealer (and several spot welds for strength).
A couple of years later, I did another car with porpatch for the holes and por15 paint for the bare metal. Even closed a 5-inch hole with a steel plate and porpatch as seam sealer (and several spot welds for strength).
03-21-2014, 09:50 AM
#26
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sounds good. as far as welding goes, if it's not too far gone, there's no need to overcomplicate this.... epoxy resin/[in this case, 3600 psi epoxy] is sooo much stronger than regular polyester resin. 3600 psi resin is what the Boeing 787 is made of... try dinging an epoxy surfboard with your fist... hope you don't mind a visit to the emergency room... you'll need something really hard like an ax handle. it's incredible strength is why it is used exclusively with carbon fiber. take epoxy surfboards..... with normal use, they don't ding. carbon fiber boards don't ding period.... epoxy surfboards don't age either. while a polyester surfboard begins to breakdown in just a few months, I have an epoxy board that is still pristine after 20 years... all that sun exposure and it still looks like new. in this part of your car, epoxy might last for 60 years - or until you die - whichever comes first.
next thing I want to try is using epoxy to reinforce the firewall/clutch area.
next thing I want to try is using epoxy to reinforce the firewall/clutch area.
03-22-2014, 10:40 AM
#27
Pro
Also, I 2nd the battery cover recommendation above. I purchased mine from ECS Tuning, didn't need to go to a dealer.
http://www.ecstuning.com/Porsche-198...cal/ES1363441/
03-23-2014, 01:11 PM
#28
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
03-23-2014, 06:14 PM
#29
Pro
http://roguetuning.com/rogue_tuning_ecu
For anyone that hasn't converted to a standalone aftermarket ECU, this is probably going to be the most likely solution for a DME that needs repair/replacement.
03-24-2014, 12:42 PM
#30
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Basically, he's built a modern ECU that duplicates the original DME, accepts any original or aftermarket chip, supports modern injectors without the need for resistors, and adds a few extra plugs for additional MAP and wideband O2 sensors (only functional if you run his chip software). The web page is at:
http://roguetuning.com/rogue_tuning_ecu
http://roguetuning.com/rogue_tuning_ecu
Got pics today of the footwell - PPI lifted up the carpet. DME/KLR have not been penetrated, apparently... some "orange water" appears to have run down there, but the floor itself is not rusting.
I think I'm going to pull the trigger on this...