Undercoating - any thoughts??

[csmith]

What is the general view on undercoating?? Who has done it and any advice pro or con? My mutt is a late model 76er and it had Zbart underneith with the contract, now it is starting to flake off. Don't taker her out in wet wether ofter (snow storm once in a while before the roads are salted) and would like to go trail riding sometimes but otherwise she stays inside and dry. Not a bit of rust there now and donn't want to give any a chance to form. Thinking about having her undercoated but if so want to do it right. All comments welcomed.

[raymond]

If you don't drive it in the type of weather that undercoating is designed for, I would not do it. Besides, anything that holds water out, can also hold it in.

[Ralph Fuller]

I agree with Raymond and not because he has a neat avatar.

[csmith]

So what is the best way to handle areas where the Zbart is coming off leaving bear metal? Should I scrape it off best as possible in the area and spray with say a good Rustolum?

[halftracknut]

yes and stay out of the salt water....

[raymond]

I would use a rust converter paint. It chemically converts rust (iron oxide) into a different chemical (magnetite). There are several brands, but I have experience with the one made by Rust Oleum. It is called Rust Reformer

http://rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=363

I get mine from the local lumber yard owned by a friend of mine. They also make a spray paint, but I don't think it works as well. Too much paint and not enough of the reformer in it.

I get under my M151 on a creeper every year before winter and give it a good inspection. Invariably there are some small surface rust spots on the bottom and on the seams where the paint is chipped by rocks etc. I just hit them with a wire brush and brush a little rust reform paint on them, and it never rusts in that spot again. I think it is one heck of a product

[halftracknut]

What color is it when dry? Did you paint over it?

[raymond]

What color is it when dry? Did you paint over it?

It dries a deep purplish black. I didn't paint over it. I painted the bottom of my M151 black, and you can hardly see the spots I touched up with the rust reformer. Again, this stuff works really great. It is water based and cleans up easy.

[csmith]

Thanks Raymond, this sounds great and I think I will give it a try. Thinking about it today and thought once the weather breaks I would drive the front up on some ramps to get her up a bit and do some scraping and wire burshing, then hit the bare area with something so this sounds just right. Can it be painted over?

[Cobra5]

csmith,

I spot blasted the bare areas, primed, painted, and re-undercoated the entire underside. The area that worries me more is the open end of the frame rails in front. You'll have to remove the bumper to see what I'm talking about.

[70mford151a2]

I have a thought, when I stripped the bottom of my mutt, I eliminated the rust and sealed it with a 3 part primer( hardner )

tinted forest green then applied a polyurathane industrial paint ( you quessed it forest green ) then after a week or so

I coated it real well in undercoating, to give it that rugged finish, and I've had no problems at all- I admit it's *overkill

but I wanted to not have to worry abouit it, and since I did it myself I know it was done right, I realize some of you will

say "well that's not original" to which I say "well it should have benn done that way " it would stand up to the elements

a whole lot better. now if I can just find the right carb kit it might run, any suggestions? for a 13841 1970 zenith hard kit

thanks in advance

* probably wouldn't be able to enter it in any shows but that's ok, I wasn't planning on it anyway

[Cobra5]

now if I can just find the right carb kit it might run, any suggestions? for a 13841 1970 zenith hard kit

If you are looking for a full rebuild kit, Rapco has them for $49.50. Are you in the U.S. or overseas?

[rickf]

By full rebuild kit are you talking about the large kit? I can get them a lot cheaper than that but I have never really seen a carb that needs new jets or valves. There is a lot of stuff in the large kit that just is not needed and on top of that pulling out the valves and putting in new ones usually creates new problems.


Rick

[MUTT_KAHUNA ED]

Heres an undercoating alternative I'm considering...It's a DIY bedliner style poyurethane coating available in OD,forest green and sand....in smooth textures sand,black and forest green (and others)are available....I have not contacted the company to see if the coating can be painted on..but I figure with those colors avalibale I might not have to paint at all...
http://www.durabakcompany.com