wheel well to firewall gap

[bomberbob]

Replaced entire wheelwell on drivers side, lower section on passenger side. Both heater channels, and rotten firewall. Forward section of new firewall fit fine. This rear bulkhead piece has a gap.
Do I just bend that piece over till it meets, and weld the best I can?

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1968 Beetle (storage)
1990 Jetta GLI megasquirted, burning E85 (currently in heavy maintenance)
2004 Jetta turbo GLI
Marion, Iowa

[theKbStockpiler]

Is that the convertible reinforcement piece?
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My beetle is not competing with your beetle. I have the yellow beetle in my town. There is a red one, a green one ......
Use all safety devices including a mask.

[bomberbob]

I don't know, its a firewall for a standard beetle. CIP1. They had this cheaper piece, and a more expensive piece that they were out of. Maybe I should have waited for the backorder? I guess if I have to I can weld in a shim or two.
_________________
1968 Beetle (storage)
1990 Jetta GLI megasquirted, burning E85 (currently in heavy maintenance)
2004 Jetta turbo GLI
Marion, Iowa

[theKbStockpiler]

I guessed on the wrong gap. I thought you were referring to the heater-chanel/wheel-housing.

Maybe you could get a dull chisel in just away from the corner and make the bend, down further so you also get less of a overlap but the bend is closer to the wheel housing.
_________________
My beetle is not competing with your beetle. I have the yellow beetle in my town. There is a red one, a green one ......
Use all safety devices including a mask.

[beetlenut]

I'd start at the top of the rear bulkhead piece and weld that in, and work your welds down to the bottom as you tap that gap smaller. Once you put your seam sealer and paint over that seam you'll never know it was there.
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scrapyards are for quitters
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[Streetsweeper]

The best way to fill a gap in sheetmetal is to slug it with 70s tig wire... 1/8" or 5/32" tig wire is best depending on the gap... stick the wire in the gap and tack the wire in on the start of the gap. Then push the wire in with a screwdriver and hammer as you go... I would tig this if I had the option but you can mig weld it also... just tack and fit the wire as you go... the tighter the wire fits, the better

[bomberbob]

No TIG here, this is low budget flux core welding going into this vehicle. I will use your general idea and cut some metal "shims" and weld them in, then weld the firewall to that so its good and strong. I gotta have this car back together before the snow falls so the wifes van can go back in the garage.
_________________
1968 Beetle (storage)
1990 Jetta GLI megasquirted, burning E85 (currently in heavy maintenance)
2004 Jetta turbo GLI
Marion, Iowa

[theKbStockpiler]

I don't think that I could finesse that and I do a lot of fluxcore welding when it is not recommended. You have to get your head in there and probably hold the nozzle with one arm that you are either laying on or is cramped in front of you so you can see.

How about trying beetlenut's method and stop working your way down when otherwise you would be abusing the seam too much. After that you could use the 'fill the gap method' used when butt welding. Use a screw driver (like you are driving a screw and not prying with) to press the over lap down to the farthest part you can force together and tack it down.Then start from the closest part and work down back to it. Then If your not satisfied ,use the fill the gap method for the remainder of it.
_________________
My beetle is not competing with your beetle. I have the yellow beetle in my town. There is a red one, a green one ......
Use all safety devices including a mask.

[bomberbob]

OK got the gap closed. I hope to weld the body to the heater channels tomorrow. I am prepping today, making sure I have bare metal or weld thru primer in all the right places. Thank you for all suggestions.
Faced now with problem of gap between the forward firewall and the body gasket on the napoleon hat. I have no shims under the two forward body mount bolts. I have the heater channels bolted down to the pans, and tight. Do I loosen them so I can weld them higher in the wheel well, and then when I tighten them down it pulls the firewall with them?

_________________
1968 Beetle (storage)
1990 Jetta GLI megasquirted, burning E85 (currently in heavy maintenance)
2004 Jetta turbo GLI
Marion, Iowa

[theKbStockpiler]

It does not appear that the hat and tunnel are aligned from side to side. Find out what is limiting the pan's travel towards the firewall.
_________________
My beetle is not competing with your beetle. I have the yellow beetle in my town. There is a red one, a green one ......
Use all safety devices including a mask.

[bomberbob]

Optical illusion because I was taking the photo from an angle. I made my own FIP (form in place gasket) to close up the gap. Should be ready to start welding everything back together this weekend after I put the doors back on and make sure my gaps are good.
_________________
1968 Beetle (storage)
1990 Jetta GLI megasquirted, burning E85 (currently in heavy maintenance)
2004 Jetta turbo GLI
Marion, Iowa

[RLFD213]

Your gap could also be because the body isn’t torqued down to the pan. There is a sequence for that and if it’s not done right it can cause alignment issues