Fender mounting question

[Trailrider]

I hope I'm not out of line posting all these questions (I have a million of em)? I am confident with anything to do with the drive and engine, this is my first fender replacement and fairly inexperienced at body work.

I am starting to line up my frame and fender for welding back together and I was wondering if the underside of the motor frame and fender should be painted/prep'd to slow future rusting where they are trapped together?

I'd appreciate any other tips/gotcha's you folk's might have before I start welding.

[Go Go Diablo]

That is a good question (and don't be shy about asking more of them)

I've been told to use a "Weld Through Primer" in these areas. I have bought some and tried it, but then wondered how any paint or preservative could withstand the heat of a weld and still protect the internal bare weld where is cannot be painted once together.

I would also be interested in what others have to say about this subject.

Bruce

[fap67]

I agree Bruce, I don't see how any paint can withstand the heat of welding. If you really want to seal it up, glue it with panel bond as mentioned in another thread about this same subject. When I installed my last hood scoop, I used panel bond and sealed it up completly. I did this because I get rust bleeding out from under the hood scoop on the first one that I restored. Another place that I get rust bleeding out is from under the metal piece that is spot welded on the top center of the hood.

[Trailrider]

I just mounted the fender with panel bond. The instructions for the panel bond says to rough up the unpainted surface with 50 grit and attach it metal to metal. It appears to me if the entire surface of bare metal where it is being attached is covered with panel bond, it should seal it and provide corrosion protection.
Before mounting the fender I sprayed the channel where the engine mount bolts go with a weldable primer.

I have had good luck with stopping rust from bleeding out of tight places using spray Rust Check. My old 1946 2 N was painted a couple of years ago and I have since sprayed down all the folds in the metal and around all the joints and it has no rust bleeding out anywhere.
After the paint has cured on the 444 I am going to go around the fender lip and all the welds with a coating of rust check, after a wash down you wouldn't know it was there.

[fap67]

I have never heard or Rust Check. So your saying that I can use the stuff on the seams where the extra piece of metal is spot welded on top of the hood and where the grill housing is spot welded to the hood? Can you explain a little more about the stuff? Thanks

[Trailrider]

Rust Check is a Canadian chain that sprays their proprietary oil based product into cars to stop corrosion. It works so well that they will warrant your car against rust for as long as you own it.
On cars it needs to be re-sprayed every year. Given my tractor and trailers are never in salt, I only spray it once and seems to last for years.
Their product is not at all similar to regular oil and will not harm rubber, or synthetics and washes off where you don't want it.

I have been spraying it on the exhaust of all my snowmobiles/wood splitter/ATV's/tractor at the end of the season for 20+ years and all my mufflers still look almost like new because they don't rust up during the summer.

I'm sure there must be an American equivalent product.