| Author |
Message |
Verell Boaen (Verell)
Intermediate Member
Username: Verell
Post Number: 1166
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, October 03, 2003 - 9:16 pm: | |
Galvanic corrosion between dissimilar metals sure sounds likely. The treatment is pretty much the same for either aluminum or steel:
- Mechanicly remove as much corrosion as possible with wire brush and/or abrasive blasting. Just be careful as AL is easier to blast a hole thru.
- Etch the remaining corrosion.
- prime & refinish.
The aluminum corrosion will respond to a caustic cleaner. There are aluminum corrosion removers for sale. Here in the US there's DURO Aluminum Jelly and many brands of aluminum wheel cleaners.
You're going to have to find a way to replace the rubber seal, or galvanic action will recur.
Had a lot of this problem with my '58 XK150 Jag. All sorts of odd things were AL. Even worse were steel panels joined with AL rivits.
You might try sealing particular problem spots with POR15. While sold for rust, It should seal AL also as it adheres to almost any rough surface & excludes both moisture & oxygen. See:
www.por15.com |
Stephen Etheridge (Surreytr)
New member
Username: Surreytr
Post Number: 3
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Friday, October 03, 2003 - 3:03 pm: | |
I have noticed on several TRs, including my own 1990 car, a tendency for a small area of corrosion to appear under the paintwork where the aluminium wing (sorry, UK terminology!) adjoins the steel windscreen pillar. I presume that this is due to the action of dissimilar metals and where the rubber seal which seperates them has broken down? Have other TR owners noticed this? And has anyone any tips for repairing the corrosion? I have carried out minor repairs on other steel bodied cars but never aluminium.
Stephen |
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