Gas Welding Aluminum - Ripples?

I figure you guys will have a solution if anyone does.

One of the gas struts on the trunk lid of my '97 Aurora has ripped out at the bottom end. The spot welds didn't break; it actually ripped the metal, leaving the rim of each tear hole "bumped up" above the original surface. I'd have it welded--not a job I would feel like doing myself--but that pretty much has to destroy the waterproofing inside the panel. Can anyone suggest a suitable fix? Is there an epoxy strong enough to hold this that can be obtained for home use?

Many thanks.

Owen Davies

Owen,

We have a Aurora ( I need to look at the books for the year of the car) that is supposed to be in the shop for a tub and back-half next Friday. I am going to have to make bracketing for the lift section. I can send you the struts as I am gonna pitch them out anyway.(no charge) Give me the part number and I'll make sure they are correct and I'll mail them off to you. Do you need the hangar pins too? All the stuff is going to be replaced with sheet-metal so I can go down to the sub-frame if yours is cracked. Let me know.

Respects,

Rob Fraser

Fraser Competition Engines Chicago, IL.

Gee, Rob, what a nice offer! Many thanks for it.

I'm not sure what to ask for. The spring itself seems fine. (I'll have to check the part number.) Ditto the top-end mount. Even the bottom-end mount looks undamaged--not so much as bent. Somehow, it just ripped the spot welds out of the supporting structure, leaving four slightly larger holes in the tub. I'd almost be tempted to try JB Weld, but this would be asking a lot of it. In fact, the right answer probably is a whole new tub, but given the cost I'm probably better off living with it. I'd consider riveting, probably with aviation-grade blind rivets, but that has to invite rust; maybe electrolytic corrosion as well, given the inevitable difference in steels.

If any of this suggests an approach to you, I'd be enormously grateful for any help I can get.

What on Earth happened to your car? Rear-ended?

Thanks again.

Owen

(Incidentally, I would have answered directly, rather than taking up more group bandwidth for a personal message, but our ISP blocks hotmail.)

It's one I am converting to a pro-street, it's a growing part of my business. I started out just building high-end drag and marine engines. Now I have some guys and a gal doing chassis work for me as the business grew with Rt66 dragway being here ( I just finished a Talon with a blown 502 in it last week for a client, total tube chassis with a pinto front end under it. really the only thing was making hangars for the factory sheet metal and it looks freaky-cool... a 65k car) I race top sportsman and top alcohol dragster myself, I totaled one dragster on Father's day. This car is a client's who is going for a total tube frame and chassis with a 9" rear end and all lexan for the glass so that will all be on Dsus fasteners and the lift will be in the way of the rear-tire tubs so it all has to come out and get sheet-metaled and a tail fastened on top and chute mounts on the back lower center section. As far as the EC corrosion, I don't think you would have a problem using "Green" aircraft rivets. We use them all the time and some of the stuff is on off-road trucks and they hold up pretty well.I don't recall any corroding out. skip the JB weld I don't think the pressures exerted will give you the strength on a pivot. A billet filler and extension may not be a bad approach too. If you have a picture of the area that would give me a better idea of what you are up against and like I said, the parts are yours if you can use them. He has not signed the contract or put down a deposit yet but I'm 99.999% sure I have the deal, he has been buying motors from me for years.

Lemme know sir,

Rob

Fraser Competition Engines Chicago, IL. "Owen Davies" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@adelphia.com...

Your business sounds like a lot of challenge, and a good deal of fun as well.

I'll probably use them, then.

Pretty much what I thought, but it's nice to have confirmation from someone who undoubtedly knows more about it than I do.

Speaking of knowing more than I do, here is an example. What's a billet filler and extension?

I'll try to take one and scan it in. (Time I got a digital camera!) However, just picture the gas spring still attached to its lower mount, and the mount no longer attached to the tub, which has four holes where the welds used to be and some distortion where the rims of the holes bulge into the trunk. That's about it.

Thanks again.

Owen