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| How to drain water from rocker panel area? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Aug 15 2012, 03:13 PM (1,531 Views) | |
| cwatkin | Aug 15 2012, 03:13 PM Post #1 |
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I just gave the inside of my new to me 1994 a good cleaning which was much needed. Mice had been in there so I wanted to clean the urine, poop, nesting material, etc. out of the rocker panels and give them a good rust proofing once dry. I pulled the carpet up and pressure washed the crap out while using the shop vac to suck it up. I can't get all the water out and there do not appear to be plugs like the other parts of the car. The car is facing slightly uphill and water is slowly dripping out near the rear of this area. Is this something I just need to wait out or should I turn the car around? I used a lot of water so disconnected the battery beforehand just in case. The seats are out and I will clean them next but could set one back in and turn the car around real quick. The car is sitting in the hot sun with the windows down and I plan to treat some minor surface rust under the carpet and in the rocker panel rail area once it is really good and dry. Conor |
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| t3ragtop | Aug 15 2012, 05:58 PM Post #2 |
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Turbo3 and Twincam Tweaker
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there are drain holes in the rocker cavities, front and rear. it sounds to me like yours may be jammed up with rust scale or mouse turds. ![]() you can pull the carpet loose at the doors and pull it back to expose the access holes on the inner rocker. after you let the car dry out, use a telescoping magnet to probe the rockers through those access holes to collect all the loose rust. order some spray cans of eastwood company's internal frame spray. it comes with an 18" applicator tube that has a brass spray tip that uses a hemispherical pattern. you push the tube into the rocker, pull the trigger, and draw the applicator out of the rocker. it sprays a zinc rich rust converter in a phenolic coating everywhere inside the cavity which neutralizes rust and coats the insides of the rocker panels to prevent air or water from getting to the steel. |
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| cwatkin | Aug 16 2012, 12:20 AM Post #3 |
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I did a bunch of pressure washing through this access holes and water started draining. I could tell the weep holes were clogged with something as they started flowing freely when I pressure washed them in reverse. Can you get Eastwood's at parts stores or places like Lowes or do you need to order it? Will one can do both sides or should I get two? It looks like this is good stuff and should last the life of the car. Also, the rust isn't horrid in the rocker area yet so that is good. I did poke a screwdriver through while scraping at the rust on the passenger side which is worse. I will just give it a treatment with Eastwood Frame Coating and patch those holes. Thanks, Conor |
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| cwatkin | Aug 16 2012, 01:01 AM Post #4 |
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I got two cans of Eastwood's on order and might pick one up locally to get started if I can find it at a parts store. Since the holes aren't really visible, I will just fill with RTV and then cover with undercoating after the treatment cures. Would there be any reason to spray the undercoating on top of the Eastwood's inside the frame or is this a one step process? Conor |
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| t3ragtop | Aug 16 2012, 01:17 AM Post #5 |
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Turbo3 and Twincam Tweaker
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you can order directly from eastwood company's web site or sometimes find bargains on their ebay store. i don't think that they sell their products at retail stores. the internal frame spray and rust encapsulator products are pretty much one step rust remediation. i use their black rust encapsulator pretty much as my only black paint for suspension and brake components. that you can top coat if you want to prevent rust and use it as a primer. the internal frame spray wouldn't be good for painting over as the phenolic coating remains soft, like wax, so that it is "self healing" if it's scuffed or scratched. |
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| cwatkin | Aug 16 2012, 10:10 AM Post #6 |
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Gotcha! This sounds like the product I want if it remains flexible or "self healing". It sounds like a one step treatment then. Also, I guess this must be good stuff based on the price as it isn't cheap. At least I hope so as it is a lot more than the run of the mill Rust Oleum products and similar. Conor |
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| cwatkin | Aug 16 2012, 10:15 AM Post #7 |
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Also, how do I prevent the weep holes from getting plugged with Eastwood's? Should I stick a piece of wire or similar in them and pull this out once the product is fully cured? I really think that some of the clog is related to the center of the little plastic rivvits that hold the plastic trim panels on. I accidentally pushed a couple completely through when removing the panel. I may try to get a vacuum hose in there and try to suck this area out. Thanks, Conor |
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| t3ragtop | Aug 16 2012, 05:20 PM Post #8 |
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Turbo3 and Twincam Tweaker
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after i did my rust remediation and welding on my blue vert, i went back with a 1/4" drill and enlarged the weep holes so that they would let bugs and crap get through them. i don't drive my verts in the rain very often so the holes won't ever collect water from splash. if i do ever drive in the rain i keep some plastic plugs in my glove box that i can pop into the holes to seal them. no, there's no comparison between the eastwood company's products and rustoleum. i do use rustoleum paint for certain things but it usually goes on as a top coat for the rust encapsulator when matte finish black won't work. |
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| Cardinal Grammeter | Aug 23 2012, 08:16 PM Post #9 |
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You can make a drain hole like a NACA intact duct. Cut a transverse slot with a dremmel tool, then "dimple in" the downstream side of the duct. As air/water flows to the slot, it finds an edge from which it drips off, either downward or with the flow, but never into the actual hole which would require a reversal of the longitudinal flow. Flow past one of these "ducts" actually produces a vacuum and causes the duct to behave like an ejector which pulls flow from the rocker cavity. |
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| Nyquil-Junkie | Aug 24 2012, 12:26 PM Post #10 |
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Eastwood co sells it on Ebay for $15 a can & free shipping. I need a few more cans to do the back ends frame cavities on mine. Great stuff. |
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