Drilling discrete holes and filling panels with waxoil - good idea? what is the best method?

It will only help if it completely seals the rusty metal from further ingress of oxygen and water. I'm not convinced of your chances in managing to do that.

No, if the rust has 'set in' then to remove it you need to cut it out and replace with good metal.

Yes, make sure you have a large fire hose handy.

I did this on both the MG Midgets I owned and it kept the rust away for many years. I used a flexible spray lance and also just poured it in with a funnel then went for a vigorous drive.

Can't answer for welding as I never had to do any - that was the point of it!

Russell

Nope. Complete waste of time.

Cut out all the rust and replace with new metal.

Yup. Just make sure the Waxoyl doesn't block any drain holes preventing water from getting out.

The solvent will disappear pretty quickly, so it won't explode. Any wax that catches fire inside the cavities will be starved of oxygen quickly enough to go out. I managed to set fire to some Waxoyl inside a sill once, but it wasn't very spectacular - just dribbles of flaming wax running out of a drain hole. Nobody died.

It may be a good plan if you can distribute the oil well and if the condition isn't already too bad. Often a tiny rust bubble on the outside leads to several inches of rust on the inside. IF I were you I'd see how bad the rust is first, do all the welding then apply the waxoil. Old thick enigne oil seems to do the job to if regularly applied. I have a special device that does that for me on my car - the engine :-)

Just use a normal high-speed steel (HSS) twist drill, and remember that the cutting speed of mild steel is 1000 S over pi D. If you have any harder steels in your bodywork I'd be surprised, but you could either re-sharpen your drill or use a cobalt drill.

Artie

Thanks for the responses, all of you-.

Now I know for sure -

1. doing this job is a really good idea that will hold off rust and also it's a complete waste of time that'll make no difference.

1. putting waxoyl in is hazardous for later welding and also doesn't really matter if you're welding.

I'll bear that it mind.

regards Mothed

well it is a good idea but can be very messy to apply. and will only stop rust before it starts, so if you have any rust in the panels it would really be a waste.

as for the welding i dont know, whether it is flamable or not/ and if not it may melt into the welded joint. so the welding side i have no idea.

Ok, so maybe I should just take on board the harsh reality that I've got to cut out the bottom couple of inches and weld. THEN, if I got all the rust out, I could do the waxoyl thing.

If you're going to have to weld, I suppose it's best to do early, since you only have to do more welding later if you leave it.

BTW any idea about the typical costs of welding if a professional does it? I'm talking about taking about two inches of metal out from the bottom edge of the sill, that is the furthest up that rust can be seen at the worst point.

Stonking great thing the 609D, could cost a few bob.

But maybe worth it if i really kill the problem, this truck's only done

110 000 miles and a good engine, so got quite a life ahead of it.

If you're not concerned with the cosmetics then that's an easy job, probably £100. Galvanise prime then Paint it, then waxoyl it then underseal it.

So Russell, were the MGs rust-free on the bottom of the panels when you did this job, or was there some sign of rust down there? That would answer the question of whether this method can retard existing rust, or is only worth doing as a prevention measure, cheers

m

Trouble with welding is that it can promote the onset of rust. Take a hammer to the rusty areas and see what's what. Usually if you can see rust from the otuside the rust extends much more on the inside. If there are no rust holes then you could leave it. Waxoyl might retard the rust from spreading to more costly areas but won't cure areas that are already rusty.

I have a very rusty car and I don't bother with waxoyling it as I know I'm going to have to cut out the rot and weld at some time so I'd rather do without the mess. Underseal and waxoyl can melt and catch fire when one welds but it's not a big deal.

For not much more than the cost to get someone to weld it you could buy the equipment and do it yourself if you wanted. Then next time there's rust you won't be thinking about scrapping it.

: I'm planning to drill small holes, maybe 6 or 9 mm, into hidden parts : (normally from the inside/under direction) of each panel in the body : and then pump a load of wax-oil inside to retard rust which has set in : and is emerging upwards from the sills on my Merc van/truck (609D). : Then I'll deal with the external/visible rust separately, sanding, : treating and respraying. : : Then I aim to plug each hole with a rubber grommet, which will enable : me to renew the dose from time to time. : : Do you think this is a good plan?

Yes but ...

a) it won't do much to stop any rust which is already under way

b) Waxoyl is pretty rubbishy stuff - it sets too quickly. Dinitrol is far better for injecting.

Ian

To add more confusion to the discussion, let me throw in a few spanners!

1) Waxoyl and Dinitrol are popular but they are not the best. Take note of the German car magazine *long term TEST* report (rare!). need to eradicate/remove rust first. Read "Rustproofing Products" 2) Rustproofing is unnecessary (for a new car, from 1992 on).

Oh well, waxoyl coming in second will have to do ( I already bought two big cans)

If only!! This truck is '97 and badly affected

I'm wondering if Lin Chung has actually seen any mid 90s cars... I'm always amazed by what still rots; Cavalier windscreens, Corsa b-pillars and windscreens, Ford Ka underbodies, Scorpios and Omegas /everywhere/, Subaru front wings and tailgates, Ibiza arches, RX8 sills (due to a bad design of rubber on the early ones), MX5 sills, Volvo 740 wings and arches, 480 doors, windscreen tops, rear panels, arches...

Well, you get the idea. You name it, it probably rusts somehwhere. Only cars I've seen which seem pretty resistant are Peugeots and Citroens, which have other problems instead.

Richard

Ah yes, we don't know the histories of these cars. If the original zinc seal of galvanized steel is broken, say, by an accident then the car will be as vulnerable as an ungalvanized. This happened to my car bought new in 2001, damaged in 6 months, repaired and returned to its pristine state (outwardly at least, by a very respectable, reputable, and expensive repairer, paid by the insurer), but there is no guarantee that the galvanized coat was reapplied adequately, or *at all*! (I didn't ask for I know what the standard answer issued to all such inquiry would be). I want to keep my present car alive 'forever', hence I am wont to aftermarket rustproof my car, much as Moth Out is gearing up to do.

- Lin Chung. [Replace "the Water Margin" with "ntlworld" for e-mail].

*cough*

Alfa Romeo, from the 164 onwards. Fiat, from the Bravo onwards.

Yes, they have other problems, but they're as resistant as PSA kit.