how good is chemical metal?
Discussion
My ford ranger back axle/diff was rusty and weeping a bit of oil. I cleaned off all the rust and found the casing was quite thin and there was one pinhole about a third of the way down the diff, well above the fill level. It's a '54 plate so probably not worth buying a new axle for so I'm considering looking for second hand one or welding a plate over the thin bit but both will involve a fair bit of work. After I cleaned it up I had to move it a few miles so screwed a self-tapper into the pinhole and slapped a 4mm layer of chemical metal over the weak bit, topped up the oil and drove it home. That was about a month ago and I haven't had a chance to do anything more permanent but I've been running about on our land since (probably done about 50 miles) in both 2 and 4 wheel drive and had a look tonight and it looks fine.
Wondering now if I could run it like this on the road.
Anyone had any experience of Plastic Padding's Chemical Metal and how tough is it?
Wondering now if I could run it like this on the road.
Anyone had any experience of Plastic Padding's Chemical Metal and how tough is it?
It's VERY GOOD. I still have some from 30 years ago that still goes off solid! It was used by Beans foundry that used to make engine blocks and cylinder heads. When one had a blow hole, they would fill it with this liquid metal! It's called belzona. It's a two part mix. I always wondered how many cars were running around with filler in the engine block!
Even though it was 30 years old, I used it on the sump of a fiat Multipa about 5 years ago that had holed the sump on a big rock.. He has only just sold it!
Key to using it is get the substrate clean before putting it on. I have also used ordinary filler on the steel sump of a couple of cars that have pin holed due to rust.
I sound like a right bodger!
Even though it was 30 years old, I used it on the sump of a fiat Multipa about 5 years ago that had holed the sump on a big rock.. He has only just sold it!
Key to using it is get the substrate clean before putting it on. I have also used ordinary filler on the steel sump of a couple of cars that have pin holed due to rust.
I sound like a right bodger!
dingg said:
belzona , brilliant stuff
This - had a chain come of the front sprocket on a motorcycle many years ago on my way to work and it tore a sizeable hole out of the crankcase above and behind the sprocket - the engineering shop there had two pots of it - did the repair in the car park at work. Never leaked or failed in a further 2 years.....Unfortunately the motorcycle was a Honda renowned for chocolate cam shafts and that lead to it's early death!!
buzzer said:
It's VERY GOOD. I still have some from 30 years ago that still goes off solid! It was used by Beans foundry that used to make engine blocks and cylinder heads. When one had a blow hole, they would fill it with this liquid metal! It's called belzona. It's a two part mix. I always wondered how many cars were running around with filler in the engine block!
Even though it was 30 years old, I used it on the sump of a fiat Multipa about 5 years ago that had holed the sump on a big rock.. He has only just sold it!
Key to using it is get the substrate clean before putting it on. I have also used ordinary filler on the steel sump of a couple of cars that have pin holed due to rust.
I sound like a right bodger!
I did the same with a Mini 1000 in about '78 - The Cylinder head had a chip knocked out of it right next to one of the exhaust valve seats - filled it in and re-ground it - Lasted for years. Amazing really given the pressure that occurs thereabouts!Even though it was 30 years old, I used it on the sump of a fiat Multipa about 5 years ago that had holed the sump on a big rock.. He has only just sold it!
Key to using it is get the substrate clean before putting it on. I have also used ordinary filler on the steel sump of a couple of cars that have pin holed due to rust.
I sound like a right bodger!
The diff in my OP is holding out fine after six weeks and just passed it's MOT on Thursday. I pointed the repair out to the tester before he started and he gave it a few extra pokes and digs and declared it fine. He said he's seen a few repairs like this mostly to sumps and never had a problem.
buzzer said:
blondini said:
Belzona looks amazing.
it is... I had a bit spare once and used it to stick 10 pence to the floor outside where I worked... It was there for months!At the moment I used the Halfords-special Plastic Padding Chemical Metal. Originally used to repair kerbing on some alloys I refurbed, but recently repaired a water pipe outlet that had pitted ridiculously and wouldn't seal up. 20 mins later and it's sorted!
Krikkit said:
Agree, any recommendations on which type?
At the moment I used the Halfords-special Plastic Padding Chemical Metal. Originally used to repair kerbing on some alloys I refurbed, but recently repaired a water pipe outlet that had pitted ridiculously and wouldn't seal up. 20 mins later and it's sorted!
Belzona and Devcon make the industrial rated, epoxy based stuff. The Plastic Padding chemical metal is simply polyester body filler with metal dust fillers added, nothing like as strong as the real thing.At the moment I used the Halfords-special Plastic Padding Chemical Metal. Originally used to repair kerbing on some alloys I refurbed, but recently repaired a water pipe outlet that had pitted ridiculously and wouldn't seal up. 20 mins later and it's sorted!
Bringing this one back up as I'm in the market for something to avoid having to drill out a broken bolt.
I dont have a welder, and have no plans to borrow on, but I need to remove a snapped M5 bolt from a hole. THere's still enough on the shaft that I can try vice grips (didnt work) and drill a small pilot hole (broke the bit)
I'm now thinking of chemical metal'ling a nut to it and trying to unscrew it. Is the Halfords stuff really going to grip?
I dont have a welder, and have no plans to borrow on, but I need to remove a snapped M5 bolt from a hole. THere's still enough on the shaft that I can try vice grips (didnt work) and drill a small pilot hole (broke the bit)
I'm now thinking of chemical metal'ling a nut to it and trying to unscrew it. Is the Halfords stuff really going to grip?
Mr2Mike said:
Belzona and Devcon make the industrial rated, epoxy based stuff. The Plastic Padding chemical metal is simply polyester body filler with metal dust fillers added, nothing like as strong as the real thing.
This If you are even mildly into composites or woood and epoxy boat building you rarely buy filler made up just add the relevant filler material to the epoxy and tweak the working time with the differing hardners... West System has 5 or 6 differing filler materials depending on what you are filling and the properties you want and 3 or 4 different hardeners for use with the their standard 105 epoxy.
Belzona is an epoxy product designed specificially for metal work applications
Plastic padding is just simple, cheap, polyester resin loaded with cheap , weak, heavy fillers
andy-xr said:
Bringing this one back up as I'm in the market for something to avoid having to drill out a broken bolt.
I dont have a welder, and have no plans to borrow on, but I need to remove a snapped M5 bolt from a hole. THere's still enough on the shaft that I can try vice grips (didnt work) and drill a small pilot hole (broke the bit)
I'm now thinking of chemical metal'ling a nut to it and trying to unscrew it. Is the Halfords stuff really going to grip?
I doubt it TBH, it's pretty brittle and not that good with shearing forces, the pluss of welding a nut on is the heat as much as having the nut to get a grip with.I dont have a welder, and have no plans to borrow on, but I need to remove a snapped M5 bolt from a hole. THere's still enough on the shaft that I can try vice grips (didnt work) and drill a small pilot hole (broke the bit)
I'm now thinking of chemical metal'ling a nut to it and trying to unscrew it. Is the Halfords stuff really going to grip?
In this sort of situation i heat the stud/area and then add some ATF to it so it cools it and sucks the ATF down into the threads, ATF is a great lubricant but rather thick hense the heat, or add some acitone to it to help it creap into gaps.
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