Welding or Brazing Floor Panels

[glcaines]

I need to replace both front floor panels in my M151A2. Everything I've seen or read concerning this process involves welding the new panels in, usually by MIG. However, in the past I've replaced the floor panel in a civilian car with one removed from a donor car and I brazed it in with great success. Has anyone brazed in a replacement floor panel on an M151? Any problems? The only downside I can think of is the potential for a fire, but if proper precautions are taken, this possibility can be minimized or eliminated.

[rickf]

Brazing is using brass, if this is what you are talking about it is something that is never done on bodywork. Once brass is used you will never be able to weld that area in the future. While brass is a good repair for some things it takes far too much heat and you will have severe warping issues. In addition you will have to overlap the metal, have a perfectly flush mating surface and be perfectly clean bare steel. None of which are conducive to bodywork. Mig welding transfers far less heat to the surrounding area and the butt weld, Actually a very small gap, is filled by the weld leaving a smooth surface to work with instead of a stepped overlap. Properly done a mig weld will need little to no plastic filler other than a skim coat.

There is gas welding using a torch and filler wire which I have heard some people call brazing, but the same issues of heat warping apply there. That was the original way of welding body metal but that was a time of much thicker body metal and much, much more skilled welders! I can gas weld exhaust tubing all day long but I have tried to do 18 gauge body metal and while the welds were fantastic the warping was major.