Citizen
03-24-2019, 04:48 PM
There have been a few posts on this, and I have read them, but didn’t get a consensus on what’s the best thing to do. So here goes…
A few years ago, I had clutch master cylinder failure, which I repaired. During that repair, I had the same condition so many have you have reported, that of rust (and some corrosion) on the top (hidden) side of the gas tank cover plate, caused by fluid that had dripped down and collected on it. I did the repair of the cover plate myself, by removing all the rust I could using naval jelly (a rust remover), cleaning, drying, and then sealing with POR-15.
I thought it would last, but now just a few years later, I see that moisture must have gotten under the POR-15, and caused rust underneath, which apparently renders the POR-15 useless. See the pictures. The plate is now in about the same condition when I made the first repair. The bottom side (the side visible under the car) is ok, and the entire panel appears to be structurally sound.
Top Side (hidden)
59531
Bottom (exposed)
59532
So the reason for my post is; what’s a DeLorean owner/non-professional mechanic supposed to do? I did the best repair I knew how to do. I’m not a professional mechanic and I don’t have mechanic’s shop, only my garage, and tools and supplies available to me that I can purchase retail. Should I:
1. Cheap. Make the same repair again, hoping it will get my by a few more years? Then, do it again, then again, and again as long as I own the car?
2. Expensive (I assume). Replace the entire plate with a new one, believing that only a brand new cover plate will be sealed completely, and not let new moisture in?
3. Take the plate to a professional, someplace to be media-blasted, then powder-coated (both of which I cannot do myself in my garage)? I have no idea where a place may be that would do this work, or how much it would cost.
What’s a guy supposed to do? I read the post here http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?17143-Fuel-tank-plate-desaster&highlight=fuel+tank+cover+plate about drilling a hole to prevent future moisture collection, but I’m not sure I want to do that yet. I like the idea of a washer between the plate and the frame.
Thanks in advance for your advice/comments.
Thomas
…
A few years ago, I had clutch master cylinder failure, which I repaired. During that repair, I had the same condition so many have you have reported, that of rust (and some corrosion) on the top (hidden) side of the gas tank cover plate, caused by fluid that had dripped down and collected on it. I did the repair of the cover plate myself, by removing all the rust I could using naval jelly (a rust remover), cleaning, drying, and then sealing with POR-15.
I thought it would last, but now just a few years later, I see that moisture must have gotten under the POR-15, and caused rust underneath, which apparently renders the POR-15 useless. See the pictures. The plate is now in about the same condition when I made the first repair. The bottom side (the side visible under the car) is ok, and the entire panel appears to be structurally sound.
Top Side (hidden)
59531
Bottom (exposed)
59532
So the reason for my post is; what’s a DeLorean owner/non-professional mechanic supposed to do? I did the best repair I knew how to do. I’m not a professional mechanic and I don’t have mechanic’s shop, only my garage, and tools and supplies available to me that I can purchase retail. Should I:
1. Cheap. Make the same repair again, hoping it will get my by a few more years? Then, do it again, then again, and again as long as I own the car?
2. Expensive (I assume). Replace the entire plate with a new one, believing that only a brand new cover plate will be sealed completely, and not let new moisture in?
3. Take the plate to a professional, someplace to be media-blasted, then powder-coated (both of which I cannot do myself in my garage)? I have no idea where a place may be that would do this work, or how much it would cost.
What’s a guy supposed to do? I read the post here http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?17143-Fuel-tank-plate-desaster&highlight=fuel+tank+cover+plate about drilling a hole to prevent future moisture collection, but I’m not sure I want to do that yet. I like the idea of a washer between the plate and the frame.
Thanks in advance for your advice/comments.
Thomas
…