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(67 FastBack) About a year ago I decided to change my radiator over to a big block radiator. Easiest way for me was to change the radiator support housing. Looked like somebody beat the old one with a hammer. I drilled out all the spot welds and am now ready for the switch. Because I can no longer be anywhere near a welder, I was wondering if anybody here had used any of the 3M metal to metal adhesives? For just holding a support in place, I would think it would be alright. My 2016 F150 frame is stuck together with that stuff. Which one do you recomend? I will continue to look for a welder guy around here with a portable spot welder. Just an idea. before I go any further. Thanks for your time. RW
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Seems to work fine and hold the new alluminum f150s together. Thats what 90% of repairs use on the f 150s. Also keeps the mating flange or surface clean for upteen hours in being subject to salt water. I wouldnt see any issues using panel bond adhesive. Just need to make sure its heavily clamped in place. Well what if a hole needs to be welded up in the support? Or if you end up needing to use a metal screw to gain the best fitment of panels. Youd have a small hole to patch or hope the adhesive squishes out that hole so when the adhesive fully cures you dont have minor patching that would need to be done after.
Last edited by True74yamaha (1/24/2023 5:11 PM)
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Welp, since you don't have a welder... kinda looks like you'll be out Guinea pig. You can always trailer it up to my place to get welded, but the fuel price would be a real concern. I always thought a ½ inch ¾ combo wrench and a welder were required told to own a Mustang
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I would pay to get it welded in. Panel bonding adhesives work well on vehicles that were designed to be held together with them. In an application like this with a unibody car I would not risk it. Were it a door skin or something less structural I would be willing to give it a go, but not a radiator support.
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How much overlap will there be containing the adhesive? That seems to be the question. Since welding doesn't need much overlap (or any), do you have enough bonding metal surface to produce the hold required?
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I have seen JB Weld used on some amazingly strong repairs on metal. I used a good bit of it to repair an aluminum casing on a Suzuki outboard motor. Set up like steel and I filed it smooth and flat so that it sealed well on the water jacket. I even torqued a mounting bolt to full torque in the repaired area and it did not fail. Good stuff.
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Another thing some don't realize about JB Weld is that it becomes putty like at 600 degrees, so if you need to remove it and the area can be heated it is fairly easy to remove. I've had to do this before and it removed fine. The other epoxies probably behave the same but I only have experience removing JB Weld.
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Skirting the actual question, I do not understand what requires the core support change? PO destroyed the core support?
A big block radiator is a direct bolt-in on a 67, when correct mounting brackets are used.
Back to the original question…. Yes, adhesives are used on modern cars, under very controlled conditions, plus the parts are designed to be glued together in the first place. For what you will spend on the adhesives, you could but a cheapo MIG welder and do it and not have to worry about it. Plus, you would own a welder that you could use on future stuff.
That would be my route.
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Sorry, I didn't explain, For medical reasons I can't be around welding. Doc says there is a chance I will be pushen up daises if i'm any where near welding. I was thinking along the lines of this stuff....But I will look for a welder.
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I interpreted your original post to mean you have a pacemaker or other device that could be interfered with by electronic welding. I go back to just pay to get it done.
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I bonded my cowl and my roof skin on my 66 coupe. I used I think 3M 8115. I had my buddy who’s been auto body since I’ve known him guide me. Sealed for life and no seam rusting.
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How about some type of rivet??!(pop rivets or the like)
If the area where the rivet is "dimpled a little" use some bondo to level & smooth it until it 'disappears'!
6s6
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I don’t know if you are on Facebook, but my daughter-in-law uses a “neighborhood” site that many people will post for a handyman, plumber, etc, etc. Maybe you, or someone you know, could post for someone with a MIG welder to do the welding for you, at your place.
Or a local body shop may have an employee with his own MIG that would be interested.
Just a thought.
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Where are you located, Quicksilver?
Maybe one of us is close enough to come weld it up.
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The panel bond that professionals use is pretty amazing. Very strong IF done correct! I spend a lot of time in my friends body shop and see a lot of things that are glued together. When he replaces a bedside on a pickup truck if I remember correctly, all horizontal surfaces are panel bonded and all the vertical are welded. and I think most factory ones are welded in. Like one of the other guys stated the new aluminum F150s are riveted and bonded together. Right now he has a brand new F150 from Pennsylvania that a guy just bought and took a hunting trip out west. While returning home he hit a deer on the interstate. About $23000.00 later its good as new! I've watched him rebuild this truck and am amazed how theses new vehicles are put together. With that F150 there is a tubular brace that runs from the side of the firewall down to the bottom of the radiator support.. Right below where that support is riveted to the radiator support there is an airbag sensor. When the collision happened it ripped that tubular support loose from the radiator support and folded it backwards. During the folding back movement it sheared off the wires from that sensor BEFORE it deployed the airbags. Had it deployed the airbags the bill would have almost doubled.
With that said If I was replacing the radiator support in my 65 I'd probably have someone weld the new one in.
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Thank you for all your answers. A guy came by the house to buy some roller spring perches from me and said he might know a guy that knows a guy who could maybe help me out. So I will try to get a hold of him . Besides having both surfaces down to the metal, and C clamps available, what other prep is needed? Thank again, RW
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