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Thu Nov 20, 2008 4:42 pm

does it matter what type of metal i use for welding? i have 2 large holes in the front floorpan, where the passengers and drivers feet reside and i will be welding them soon. ive heard that the replacement floorpans are crap tho. at my school, there is a huge pile of old discarded computer shelves. theyr pretty thick, i will get a picture of them tomorrow. do you think i could use this to weld up the holes? i could pre-cut them with the laser cutter at school and then weld them in my bus later on. go ahead and let me know if im an idiot for thinking this as well. :lol:

Thu Nov 20, 2008 4:55 pm

i just did this same operation. i however, am anal retentive and sourced some original floor pans from sunny New Mexico. all of my seams line up and really looks like no work was done. yes, you can use any metal, galvanized if you like the cloud of yellow death. be sure its the same thickness (i think its 16 Ga but don't quote me)

personally, i would rather have rust than a half-hearted repair. the aftermarket pans are not bad, but the pass side is a bit different than OE. i guess what i am trying to say is even though aftermarket can be a PITA to fit, don't just weld a flat piece of steel over the hole. just my 0.02

pre install pix for inspiration

Thu Nov 20, 2008 5:15 pm

enjoispammy8 wrote: does it matter what type of metal i use for welding? i have 2 large holes in the front floorpan, where the passengers and drivers feet reside and i will be welding them soon. ive heard that the replacement floorpans are crap tho. at my school, there is a huge pile of old discarded computer shelves. theyr pretty thick, i will get a picture of them tomorrow. do you think i could use this to weld up the holes? i could pre-cut them with the laser cutter at school and then weld them in my bus later on. go ahead and let me know if im an idiot for thinking this as well. :lol:

Using metal replacement panels can cause trouble unless you approach it with care.

Make sure the metal is very close to the same gage as filler as filler rod could cause the panels to buckle. Galvanised is workable but 1st, you must sand or sandblast at least 3" of conture metal that you are welding.

If you are using a metal pan and are confused about what it is, then, use silicon bronze wire or if gas welding copper foss or brass brazing rod these filler rods are designed to fuse disimilar metals.

If mig is used with steel wire; tack every 3" then stitch in 1" passes to close. Sometimes you do not have to contour completely to do this job.

Clean welds and use seam sealer to block water entry either way. Undercoat spray on ground side helps longevity, also.