Cut to good clean metal, grind paint away and weld or bond like thickness and grade of material over the hole you cut. Round edges on everything, sharp corners propagate stress fractures. If you know someone who can butt weld, cut an odd shaped hole to clean metal, make a metal template, butt weld it, grind the welds smooth. In either case, coat with good chassis paint on both sides after etching primer has been used on raw, clean, abraded metal.
FUSO FG cab extension - any thoughts? (2004)
- Thread starter FGwannaB
- Start date
SkiFreak
Crazy Person
Engineering 101.... ensure you have a solid substrate before you start your repair.
That could involve cutting back more metal than you think.
After that it's just a case of shaping a bit of sheetmetal to patch the hole, then welding it in.
A TIG or MIG welder is well suited to that task. An oxy acetylene welder could also be used, but avoiding heat related warpage issues can be an issue if you are not proficient with that method of welding.
FGwannaB
Member
I finally purchased a suitable yet basic mig welder from our local welding store yesterday. I made space for it in the shop (2 car garage used for tools and bicycles - not cars). I've been wanting to get a mig welder for a few years and the knee hole pushed me over the edge. Youtube has some fantastic floor board repair videos. I'm certain I can do the welding part. Shaping the metal is another story that will probably require more tools...english wheel/metal brake? Now i'll need more space for the additional tools, time to learn how to use them........I knew I was getting in over my head but the time frame for anything near completion of my FUSO camper dream is lengthening by theories known and understood only by quantum physicists. Oh yeah, there's the funding issue as well. 
But it's a ton of fun!
But it's a ton of fun!
SkiFreak
Crazy Person
Just a tip... for sheet metal you would probably want to be using 0.6mm wire. Using gas, opposed to fluxed wire, will also work much better, especially if you are just starting out with a MIG.
Using short stitch welds should limit blow through and also allow you to keep the heat down, which should also limit warping. Welding thin material takes a bit of practice, so I suggest honing your skills on something other than the truck.
Using short stitch welds should limit blow through and also allow you to keep the heat down, which should also limit warping. Welding thin material takes a bit of practice, so I suggest honing your skills on something other than the truck.
FGwannaB
Member
Update: Got to sit in sackettmw's 90' rustless FG with oem driver seat and it felt like a stretch limo compared to the Bostrom suspension seat in my FG. The suspension mechanism blocks the extra leg room needed. I've been calling suppliers to order the seat recommended by westyss but no luck so far. Have not started the floor panel repair. I'm going to wait to get a seat so I can make certain the seat bolts are lined up correctly with whatever I get. I'll probably weld in some small plates with bolts so the connection is solid. Thanks sackettmw for all the advice!
SkiFreak
Crazy Person
Or you could get a milk crate... as they are pretty much the same thing.
In my opinion, if you did not want to go down the suspension seat route, there are plenty of comfy, good quality cars seats you could use instead.