Coolant Pipe Rework Surprise! Pipe Maker?

I found a 3M mixing gun and they have a product that I will likely use. Maybe three or four screws per side to hold it to the bottom of the floor pan until it cures. I will try to install pipes into the box today and procure my bonding supplies tomorrow. Having a car hoist is the key to this operation for me.
 
Elderair, are you using any glue to hold the pipes in place or to rest in, in the tunnel? Or just reconnecting the inner pipe brackets. And how are you sealing up the ends of the tunnel where the pipes protrude?

After having to cut the ends open to get the pipes out my ends have a lot of gaps around the pipes and tunnel ends. I don't want water getting in!
 
I plan on just spotting the original ends back on. I didn't take the spot welds loose on the front and will just try to twist the new pipes into the front and then install the rear plate over the new pipes and re spot weld. I am going to cut a radiator hose and put it around the new pipes with some RTV at each location where there is a tab to keep the pipes from rattling. I will remove the old tar strips or what ever they are that were used to keep the pipes from rattling. I may drill a few drain holes at the aft end of the tunnel just to let any water or other fluids drain and dry. It wasn't water proof initially so it shouldn't be a bid deal. Especially with the stainless. I will post a pic when I get it ready to put up onto the body.
 
RZSR X said:
So after all my research on the forum I decided to go with cutting off the existing pipes at the box ends followed by sliding in smaller SS pipes. Great plan...

But not knowing what was original on a '74 and what isn't I just discovered I cut off copper pipes(that aren't sitting inside of larger pipes) which I have since learned weren't original doh! And after looking down said pipes I realized that the large coolant leak at the back of the box was not coming from the copper coolant pipes! Insert many swear words here.

Which leaves the Heater Pipe, right? Has anyone experienced this pipe as the cause of the leaking coolant out of the box before?

Because now I'm at a crossroads. I can continue my rework as planed and plug off the heater but that seems like a lame thing to do on a 20k+ resto with a targa top or I can remove the f'ing box!!!

So can one disconnect and reconnect the heater pipe in the front from under the X with the box off or easily (oxymoron on an X1/9) from in the interior? Since the interior is 100% restored I do not want to mess with it again at all.

And lastly does anyone know the company that makes the pipes to fit as seen in the image below? My pipes are toast as a templet now.
View attachment 7508

Oh and I only have this much area under the X to work.
View attachment 7509

Thanks, Carl

PS. I know the wing is on backwards :)
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I like the direction of the wing myself...
 
Thanks Tim! I figured inducing rear end lift would plant the front end better.

Yes it was thrown on the trunk loosely to clear shelf space without even looking. I originally fit the wing to the lid in the correct direction and has since been turned around so no high speed worries come the day the X is on the road.
 
The new BMRS stainless steel tubes installed. I removed the old tar strips and slipped sections of 1 1/4" Dayco radiator hose over the flanges on the ends of the tubes to isolate them inside the box. One on each end of the pipes should be sufficient. Now I still need to locate a local source for the panel bonder and an applicator gun. I plan on using clecos' to hold the tunnel in place once I apply the glue then replace them one by one with screws. No more than 12 screws placed along the borders of the box should hold it until the panel bonder cures. The dayco hose number is shown just in case anyone is having trouble locating a 1 1/4" hose.

013.jpg


004.jpg
 
I like what you have done with the rad hose and I will copy. Are you still planning on using RTV on the ends of the tunnel to seal around the pipes? Also to align the pipes in the box did you have a specific set of measurements - say how far out the back the pipes go? And do they just need to be horizontal out the back to have them correctly aligned in the front? (I have 2 heater pipes to go in my tunnel with the 2nd one going on top and just rear of the 1st one).

Electricity might be back this weekend and I can get back in the garage and back on the project! And now that Cali is out of winter I can't wait.
 
Sorry about that but at least you get some rain between May and October! Just dry endless days of sunny blue skies, you wouldn't want that. Oh we do get fog which is nice as it's natures air conditioner for the Bay Area. Throughout those months I actually have to spray off my Vanagon a couple times a week because of pollen and dust! It's hell living here!
 
Care to hear about the weather here in Las Vegas? Talk about dry and hot. The house AC is already running full time, and this has been a very late start on summer compared to most years. Not to mention the dust/dirt/pollen/wind...horrible. Actually I hate it here, can't wait for the current situation to end so I can get back to So Cal.

I need to do the tube replacement as well. I intend to use 'nutserts' (rivet nuts) to reinstall the cover. They are available in several metals/finishes and a "closed-end" style to prevent moisture seeping past the bolts. I'll look into the possibility of using a drill bit the correct size for the nutsert to remove the spot-welds. That way I don't have to worry about making holes all the way through the pan (as the nutserts will fill them), and can simply drill the welds completely out. This allows the cover to be bolted on and serviceable...as Rod said, you never know.
 
Dr.Jeff said:
Care to hear about the weather here in Las Vegas? Talk about dry and hot. The house AC is already running full time, and this has been a very late start on summer compared to most years. Not to mention the dust/dirt/pollen/wind...horrible. Actually I hate it here, can't wait for the current situation to end so I can get back to So Cal.

I need to do the tube replacement as well. I intend to use 'nutserts' (rivet nuts) to reinstall the cover. They are available in several metals/finishes and a "closed-end" style to prevent moisture seeping past the bolts. I'll look into the possibility of using a drill bit the correct size for the nutsert to remove the spot-welds. That way I don't have to worry about making holes all the way through the pan (as the nutserts will fill them), and can simply drill the welds completely out. This allows the cover to be bolted on and serviceable...as Rod said, you never know.
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Going OT - The weather there was colder than NY for the week we visited in Feb :D - nice & sunny for two of the days though

7442023-C-BFB2-4-FBE-AA17-B4-E5-C9-E03028.jpg


7291-F330-2830-4-F9-F-91-EF-4317973083-E5.jpg



I'm not looking forward to the day I have to address the coolant pipes. Mine are still sound, however it seems an inevitability. I like the idea of the riv-nuts. Since I already have them and the tool it seems the practical solution. Given the sheer number, M8 would likely be more than adequate.
 
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Here’s a question. Is the box and tunnel the same on a 74’ US spec as it is on a 79’? Reason I’m asking is maybe we could remove it from the 74’, retrofit new pipes and simply swap out the entire box with our 79’ in one shot? Will this work?
 
I like what you have done with the rad hose and I will copy. Are you still planning on using RTV on the ends of the tunnel to seal around the pipes? Also to align the pipes in the box did you have a specific set of measurements - say how far out the back the pipes go? And do they just need to be horizontal out the back to have them correctly aligned in the front? (I have 2 heater pipes to go in my tunnel with the 2nd one going on top and just rear of the 1st one).

Electricity might be back this weekend and I can get back in the garage and back on the project! And now that Cali is out of winter I can't wait.
Click to expand...

I just aligned the pipes with the marks on the old pipes. The forward brackets that spot weld to the underside of the Frunk will ultimately position the pipes for and aft. I am very familiar with riv nuts and nut plates having done aircraft sheet metal for many years on commercial aircraft. Nice idea if one ever thought about going back in to the tunnel. I DON"T! :) Also I don't plan on sealing the front of rear of the box as 40 years of use haven't caused any issues with the sheet metal and I would prefer air flow through the box to help dry out any moisture that does get in. I did primer the inside of the box while it was apart.
 
CnC79X19 said:
maybe we could remove it from the 74’, retrofit new pipes and simply swap out the entire box with our 79’ in one shot?
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Hi Cliff, I'm not 100% clear if I understand what you are asking. But the "box" is really more of what I'll call a cover panel that attaches to the underside of the floor pan. There is another larger tunnel that is box shaped above that...the center tunnel that you see from the inside of the car. The coolant pipes are located in between these two structures, under the large tunnel and above the lower box cover (if that makes sense). If your lower cover is rusted-out on one of the cars, then you might be able to use the good one from the other car to replace it. But removing them is quite a task (LOT's of spot welds to drill out), so removing two of them will be quite a bit of work. On the other hand, if you are asking if the larger inner tunnel can be swapped over then that's even more difficult. It is a major portion of the uni-body structure, rather than a panel tacked onto it. Not sure if this is helping any, please ask again if I missed your point.

Looking back at some of the pictures in this thread may help to visualize.

Looking at the underside of the floor pan. Arrows are where the "box" (cover panel) attach with lots of spot-welds (removed here):
473.jpg


Top view of the "box" (cover panel) that came off the pan (off of car). Arrows show the edges that spot-weld to the pan (above):
Cooling Pipes.jpg


This is the section (the smaller, lower box section or cover panel) that could be swapped if you need to replace a damaged one. It would likely require some adjusting/modifications to make it fit another floor pan, then re-welded on. To replace the larger, upper tunnel inside the car would require the floor pan to be cut...a MUCH bigger job.
 
lookforjoe said:
Given the sheer number, M8 would likely be more than adequate.
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Huss, I would likely put only a handful of rivnuts/nutserts on and fill/cover/seal the extra holes from all the other (unused) spot-welds. There are way too many welds to use nuts/bolts in all of them.

The other idea is what Darwoodious did back on page 1 or 2 of this thread; replace the box altogether with something more rigid. He welded flat plates on the sides with nuts to bolt a new box onto them. Another idea might be a pair of 1"X2"(?) box tubes welded onto the pan on the sides and a flat panel attached onto them (with the nutserts). The contour of the pan would need to be considered. More work but adds rigidity to the structure. And still removable.

Ya, it gets below freezing in the winter here...all two months of winter. Then a sudden reversion back to sweltering heat the rest of the year. I assume those photos of Joe were taken here?
 
Dr.Jeff said:
Hi Cliff, I'm not 100% clear if I understand what you are asking. But the "box" is really more of what I'll call a cover panel that attaches to the underside of the floor pan. There is another larger tunnel that is box shaped above that...the center tunnel that you see from the inside of the car. The coolant pipes are located in between these two structures, under the large tunnel and above the lower box cover (if that makes sense). If your lower cover is rusted-out on one of the cars, then you might be able to use the good one from the other car to replace it. But removing them is quite a task (LOT's of spot welds to drill out), so removing two of them will be quite a bit of work. On the other hand, if you are asking if the larger inner tunnel can be swapped over then that's even more difficult. It is a major portion of the uni-body structure, rather than a panel tacked onto it. Not sure if this is helping any, please ask again if I missed your point.

Looking back at some of the pictures in this thread may help to visualize.

Looking at the underside of the floor pan. Arrows are where the "box" (cover panel) attach with lots of spot-welds (removed here):
View attachment 9814

Top view of the "box" (cover panel) that came off the pan (off of car). Arrows show the edges that spot-weld to the pan (above):
View attachment 9815

This is the section (the smaller, lower box section or cover panel) that could be swapped if you need to replace a damaged one. It would likely require some adjusting/modifications to make it fit another floor pan, then re-welded on. To replace the larger, upper tunnel inside the car would require the floor pan to be cut...a MUCH bigger job.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply Jeff. I was referring to the outer box that the pipes ride in. Thanks a bunch
 
Dr.Jeff said:
Huss, I would likely put only a handful of rivnuts/nutserts on and fill/cover/seal the extra holes from all the other (unused) spot-welds. There are way too many welds to use nuts/bolts in all of them.

Ya, it gets below freezing in the winter here...all two months of winter. Then a sudden reversion back to sweltering heat the rest of the year. I assume those photos of Joe were taken here?
Click to expand...

Indeed - I had forgotten just how many spot welds there were. A continuous strip with a sensible number of captive nuts to cover the entire length set in the floor pan makes sense.

Yes, the pics were taken this February when we were out visiting my wife's Aunt.
 
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