What year did " Death foam" first get used?

[Dan the workingstiff]

Hey folks, I guess to add another part to the question, is where on the car?
Thanks Dan
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'69 Beetle
'66 FG buggy
My other air-cooled's
'76 IH 1200
'75 IH 1200

[Tom K.]

My guess based on reading old threads: 1965. It was blown in from the interior of the car through a 10mm hole above the wheel - that hole was just left there and then covered with padding and headliner. Here is a picture of the foam after I cut out a larger access hole (original factory hole was inside that large circle at the about 3 o'clock position - you can sort of make it out):

This arrangement did not cause rust problems until the vent windows were added in 1971. These vent windows have an internal panel with a seal. That seal can fail allowing water to invade the cabinet area where the foam exists. The foam does not absorb the water, but it prevents the water from dripping further down to lower areas in that cabinet. The rust forms just above the foam. Had the foam not been there, the rust would have simply formed further down inside that cabinet. Here is a picture of the seal.

The foam itself is not the blame for the rust - the seal is the culprit. Yet, the foam gets labelled unfairly as "death" by everyone. The stuff resists water and was/is probably the best way to insullate that cabinet without absorbing moisture.
_________________
'91 Vanagon Westfalia
'70 Beetle Convertible
'71 Super Beetle Semi-Automatic: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=714131&highlight=
'65 Ghia: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=762478&highlight=

[Zundfolge1432]

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=501103
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=437975

Most everything you want to know but we’re afraid to ask

[creative native]

When people make this foam/rust repair, is something else used to replace the foam with or is that cavity left empty?

[ackerman.vw]

[Tom K.]

[Tom K.]

[creative native]

Thank you Tom K., I am gathering information on the topic so that when I have the opportunity to address the issue on my '74, I will have a good idea of what I will need to do.

[Tom K.]

Here is another picture of the seal. This seal is in good shape, and I had no rust in my '71. I spent a day removing the foam on both sides to find out.

To take that pic, I needed to insert my cellphone into this hole and point up.

_________________
'91 Vanagon Westfalia
'70 Beetle Convertible
'71 Super Beetle Semi-Automatic: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=714131&highlight=
'65 Ghia: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=762478&highlight=

[Tim Donahoe]

Little stuffed pillows, made from headliner-type material were used previous to the foam. From what I’ve seen here on the Samba, owners construct their own pillows and stuff them into the area where the foam was removed. They do this to keep sound and fumes from entering the cabin.

However, Tom makes a point. If the inner seal issue is not addressed by finding some other means of sealing the area, then the problem will persist.

Fortunately, I have no death foam damage. I do garage my car, so I keep my fingers crossed (in case my seals were not up to snuff.).

Tim
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Let's do the Time Warp again!

Richard O'Brien

[Dan the workingstiff]

What goes on under the fuel fill door so often? Is there foam there also?
_________________
'69 Beetle
'66 FG buggy
My other air-cooled's
'76 IH 1200
'75 IH 1200

[Tom K.]

[Zundfolge1432]

[meranda]

My 1968 1500 has the headliner pads and no foam.
_________________
Currently filling the garage
1961 beetle cabrio
1971 Superbug
1974 Porsche 911S Targa
1968 1500 Beetle A Project!
Past Garage fillers dozens of type1 &type3 VWs
Jaguar Mk5 & XK120
Lancia Flavia Coupe
Alfa Guilia sedan

[Multi69s]

In the past I used Great Stuff spray polyurethane foam. All of my VWs past and present had dual carbs. Without the "Death Foam", the carbs intake noise would travel up the open pillars an into the cabin and create a very high noise level. Polyurethane foam is closed cell, which makes it far more resistant to water absorption, than regular foam. When it dries it forms an outer skin that is pretty impervious to water. However, when you trim it and expose the cells, it is still better than regular foam, but it can absorb some water, but dries out pretty quickly

So what I did was just get some small sheet metal pieces, and temporarily attach them at the end of the pillars in the engine compartment. Then spray the foam into the pillars from inside the car. That way the foam retained its skin in the engine compartment, and the excess would be trimmed off in the inside of the car. However, DuPont, has come out with some additional products that are even more water repellant.

https://homeefficiencyguide.com/great-stuff-expanding-foam-waterproof/
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69 road Bug 2110
73 Squareback - 2L, T4, Automatic W/ AC
Gone, but many fond memories 69 Baja Bug 2010 - 5 Rib Bus Transaxle
Gone but not forgotten 72 Baja Bug 2010
My builds
T4 into Squareback http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=458944&highlight=
Auto Trans Rebuild http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=516066&highlight=
AC in Squareback https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=

[Zundfolge1432]

[regordracis]

what about pool noodles ... creatively carved to fit and maybe enough excess into the engine compartment to once-in-a-while pull it out and let some air circulate in the cavity ?
_________________
Roger ... "Lost in the haze of alcohol-soft middle age"

[vamram]

[Tom K.]

I haven't yet but still think about it. I like your new avatar.
_________________
'91 Vanagon Westfalia
'70 Beetle Convertible
'71 Super Beetle Semi-Automatic: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=714131&highlight=
'65 Ghia: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=762478&highlight=