Its not completely broken off.
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Re: How would u fix this heater box?
Jim-----
Well, it may not be completely broken off but it's "as good as". In any event, I think that you might get away with a repair using a high strength epoxy like JB Weld. Carefully lift the broken off section just a little and apply the epoxy to the areas where "severence" has occurred. Then, press the broken section down into the epoxy and clamp it in some fashion. Don't use a lot of pressure---just enough to hold it in its original position until the epoxy cures. Subsequently, carefully sand off any excess epoxy and I think you'll be as good as new. You don't really need a real high strength repair for this sort of situation, but the JB Weld will give you a high strength repair, anyway.In Appreciation of John Hinckley -
Re: How would u fix this heater box?
Jim-----
Well, it may not be completely broken off but it's "as good as". In any event, I think that you might get away with a repair using a high strength epoxy like JB Weld. Carefully lift the broken off section just a little and apply the epoxy to the areas where "severence" has occurred. Then, press the broken section down into the epoxy and clamp it in some fashion. Don't use a lot of pressure---just enough to hold it in its original position until the epoxy cures. Subsequently, carefully sand off any excess epoxy and I think you'll be as good as new. You don't really need a real high strength repair for this sort of situation, but the JB Weld will give you a high strength repair, anyway.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: How would u fix this heater box?
I would first use high quality cyanoacrylate (Super Glue) to hold the broken piece in place. I stress "high quality", get it from a hobby shop, I like Zap best.
Next I would do as Joe recommends and use JB Weld plus either fibreglas or carbon fiber strands on the back side of the break. You may have to slightly relieve an area for the stands, but they really strengthen the repair. Done this type of fix numerous times on radio controlled airplanes.
MikeComment
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Re: How would u fix this heater box?
I would first use high quality cyanoacrylate (Super Glue) to hold the broken piece in place. I stress "high quality", get it from a hobby shop, I like Zap best.
Next I would do as Joe recommends and use JB Weld plus either fibreglas or carbon fiber strands on the back side of the break. You may have to slightly relieve an area for the stands, but they really strengthen the repair. Done this type of fix numerous times on radio controlled airplanes.
MikeComment
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Re: How would u fix this heater box?
Jim,
Although JB Weld is a good product, for a fiberglass repair like yours I would reach for a product from 3M called Structural Adhesive Part No. 08101.
I used it on my spare tire tub and it has become my adhesive of choice.
Good luck,
GeneComment
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Re: How would u fix this heater box?
Jim,
Although JB Weld is a good product, for a fiberglass repair like yours I would reach for a product from 3M called Structural Adhesive Part No. 08101.
I used it on my spare tire tub and it has become my adhesive of choice.
Good luck,
GeneComment
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Re: How would u fix this heater box?
You have been given good advice but JB Weld is not a strong substance, in that any excessive force placed on that repair will cause it to crack. Even if you embed fiberglass in the JB Weld it will never be as strong as the original. If you choose to do as suggested, do not tighten the mounting bolt down very tight. Just enough to allow it to contact the surface.
Depending on what you intend to do with this car, you have two choices: do as suggested or try to repair it using fiberglass mat and resin. My 66 heater box had similar problems with it and I fixed it by the latter method, knowing that I would never judge my car. I had three or four of those cutouts that were just about gone. There is an article in an old Restorer that talks about this. I think Gary Beaupre is the author on this heater box repair article. I added a follow-on article describing my repair work. Do you have the Restorer CD's. In essence, I ground out the areas that were cracked, filled them in with fresh fiberglass and resin and clamped them down between two straight edges to force the repair straight and raise one edge that had taken a "nose dive" resulting in a poorly fitting heater box. Once the resin cures, you can use a Dremel or similar tool to clean up the new glass and make your mounting holes. When all was said and done, I lightly sprayed some gray and black paint on the surrounding fiberglass. Unless you were looking for it, as in judging, you might miss it completely.
GaryComment
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Re: How would u fix this heater box?
You have been given good advice but JB Weld is not a strong substance, in that any excessive force placed on that repair will cause it to crack. Even if you embed fiberglass in the JB Weld it will never be as strong as the original. If you choose to do as suggested, do not tighten the mounting bolt down very tight. Just enough to allow it to contact the surface.
Depending on what you intend to do with this car, you have two choices: do as suggested or try to repair it using fiberglass mat and resin. My 66 heater box had similar problems with it and I fixed it by the latter method, knowing that I would never judge my car. I had three or four of those cutouts that were just about gone. There is an article in an old Restorer that talks about this. I think Gary Beaupre is the author on this heater box repair article. I added a follow-on article describing my repair work. Do you have the Restorer CD's. In essence, I ground out the areas that were cracked, filled them in with fresh fiberglass and resin and clamped them down between two straight edges to force the repair straight and raise one edge that had taken a "nose dive" resulting in a poorly fitting heater box. Once the resin cures, you can use a Dremel or similar tool to clean up the new glass and make your mounting holes. When all was said and done, I lightly sprayed some gray and black paint on the surrounding fiberglass. Unless you were looking for it, as in judging, you might miss it completely.
GaryComment
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Re: How would u fix this heater box?
I like Gary's idea the best. Except I would add some 1/2" to 1" long threads of hemp rope and some black or dark gray paint to the resin. The hemp rope replicates the fibers visable in the bare glass and the paint will give it the proper color. Use a hobby store, CLEAR resin, rather than the most of the resins for glass work, which have a greenish tint.
Gring or rough the surface to be repaired, then add the fiber glass mat impregnated with resin and carefully place over the repaired , making sure the seams of the crack are lined up. It is better to repair the bottom side first. After the bottom has set, gring through the cracks from the top goin into the lower glass repried area. Then layer glass on the top. Once the glass has set up, carefulley sand the surface until you match the structure of the box.
Placing some wax paper and some pressure on the top resin will reduce the amount of sanding. The only thing really to be careful of is to make sure the resin has no air bubles, since the pocket inside the resin ans leave small holes on the surface.
I have repaired mid-year spare tire covers this way and it is very difficult to see the repairs. The hemp rope trick works really well.Comment
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Re: How would u fix this heater box?
I like Gary's idea the best. Except I would add some 1/2" to 1" long threads of hemp rope and some black or dark gray paint to the resin. The hemp rope replicates the fibers visable in the bare glass and the paint will give it the proper color. Use a hobby store, CLEAR resin, rather than the most of the resins for glass work, which have a greenish tint.
Gring or rough the surface to be repaired, then add the fiber glass mat impregnated with resin and carefully place over the repaired , making sure the seams of the crack are lined up. It is better to repair the bottom side first. After the bottom has set, gring through the cracks from the top goin into the lower glass repried area. Then layer glass on the top. Once the glass has set up, carefulley sand the surface until you match the structure of the box.
Placing some wax paper and some pressure on the top resin will reduce the amount of sanding. The only thing really to be careful of is to make sure the resin has no air bubles, since the pocket inside the resin ans leave small holes on the surface.
I have repaired mid-year spare tire covers this way and it is very difficult to see the repairs. The hemp rope trick works really well.Comment
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Re: How would u fix this heater box?
Gene and Gary------
In this particular case, I don't see where a lot of strength is required for the repair. For all practical purposes, the "broken off" piece is "cosmetic"---there's still plenty of "attached" material for the bolt to bear on and retain the heater box to the firewall. These bolts are very lightly torqued, anyway.
That's why I suggested the repair method that I did. It would best preserve the cosmetic appearance of the part. If the entire ear had been broken, I would have suggested something different. In that case, there would have been a need for considerable strength in the repair and sacrificing some original appearance might be necessary.
I've found JB Weld to be very strong. The super glue would probably work ok, too. I've never had very much luck with super glue products, though.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: How would u fix this heater box?
Gene and Gary------
In this particular case, I don't see where a lot of strength is required for the repair. For all practical purposes, the "broken off" piece is "cosmetic"---there's still plenty of "attached" material for the bolt to bear on and retain the heater box to the firewall. These bolts are very lightly torqued, anyway.
That's why I suggested the repair method that I did. It would best preserve the cosmetic appearance of the part. If the entire ear had been broken, I would have suggested something different. In that case, there would have been a need for considerable strength in the repair and sacrificing some original appearance might be necessary.
I've found JB Weld to be very strong. The super glue would probably work ok, too. I've never had very much luck with super glue products, though.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: How would u fix this heater box?
Joe, I concur with you that not much strength is needed and that your technique would be the most original appearing. I was specifically trying to suggest that if he JB Weld'ed it, and then cranked down on the fastener, the JB would probably break. In the case of my heater box, someone with big arms had torqued the fasteners down to the point that the almost cut the fiberglass like a cookie cutter. This necessitated some serious repair work.Comment
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Re: How would u fix this heater box?
Joe, I concur with you that not much strength is needed and that your technique would be the most original appearing. I was specifically trying to suggest that if he JB Weld'ed it, and then cranked down on the fastener, the JB would probably break. In the case of my heater box, someone with big arms had torqued the fasteners down to the point that the almost cut the fiberglass like a cookie cutter. This necessitated some serious repair work.Comment
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