Sealant for Panel

What is the word on sealant for the aluminum panels to the chassis?

I tried out the Wurth material supplied with the RF replica kit but unfortunately I have grey sealant with black chassis and panels. Therefore I need to select different sealants.

I found two other polyurathane sealants locally and ran a comparision with all three using some sheet metal test panels that I powder coated.

The Wurth sets up flexible with good bonding strength. The others set up very rigid but seem to have slightly better bonding strength but no flexiblilty.

Is the flexibility important? I would think so. Wurth is available in the states at about $15 a tube directly from them at:

WURTH USA Southeast Inc.
8501 Parkline Boulevard
USA-Orlando, Florida 32809
Phone: +1 / 407 / 8 56 83 86
Fax: +1 / 407 / 8 56 83 93
e-Mail: [email protected] http://www.wurthflorida.com

I'll have to order some some black material and start bonding some of the permament panels that I can.

Ron

Ron,

3M makes 5200 marine caulk/adhesive /sealant

that is all but bulletproof. It is flexible

yet bonds to anything but glass. I have used

it many times with great success. It is sold

in black and white. There are a fast and slow

setup versions available. Cleanup is

relatively easy with WD-40. I suggest that

you etch the contact points for better

adhesion. 5200 is available at most marine

supply outfits in tubes or caulk gun type

cartridges. Hope all goes weel with your

car. Keep us posted.

Regards,

Bill
DRB GT40/0035

Ron, I use a clear seem sealer on all my cars. It works great and you can bearly see it. You can get it at any auto paint supply house.

Regarding sealant/adhesives: I have some experience with 3M products from my years of restoring boats, both fiberglass and wood. 3Ms 5200 is a terrific sealant and bonding adhesive, however you will have difficulty getting anything loose once it is bonded with 5200. It is extraordinarily tenacious. A better choice might be 4200, which is not as strong but still fine for any panel-bonding application. All of these are sold through marine dealers such as BoatUS and West Marine. They come in several colors- black white and mahogany (well, it's a marine product after all.) Good luck.

I am using Sikkaflex 221, which is available in a number of colours including grey and black. It is becoming hard to get because it has been replaced by Sikkaflex 227 which appear to set slightly harder (but not hard) and seems to be available in white and black only.

Both these products are relatively easy to use, if a bit messy, and set reasonably quickly (40 minutes to one hour working time). This is too fast for large panels like the floor when you are working on your own. You will need help for these. But for most panels it is enough time if you are properly prepared.

Some of the english GT40 people talk about this stuff like its a best friend. I'm not that fond of it yet, but it does seem to work well.

I think I'm going to go with the 3M product. People in the aircracft, boat, and car biz speak highly of it and it seems pretty good from reading the specs. However, I will test them out before using.

Ron

[ December 04, 2001: Message edited by: Bill Bayard ]

Ron,

I have used both 3M and Sikkaflex products

for many years. Both have their strong

points. Sikkaflex makes a good exhaust/

turbo sealant and a good glass sealant/

adhesive, but for your application, 3M

5200 is the stuff to use. It is easier

to clean up (WD 40) and can be removed

easily enough with a fillet knife between

the two bonded surfaces.

Bill
DRB GT40/0035

One more addition to this thread: there is also aproduct available in marine outlets called Anti-Bond, which is a bond dissolver for adhesives such as 5200 and the like. It does not work instantly but it will do the job. It will also remove smears of 5200 etc if it got where it wasn't supposed to, which it does do occasionally. Finally, 5200 and its' relatives come in caulking gun tubes and small toothpaste tubes. It seems very dificult to seal these tubes against the ingress of air and moisture which start the curing process. 5200 et al are moisture cured products, so if you need to save it, it should be inside multiple plastic bags which are wire-tied shut otherwise it will set in the tube. These adhesives can be sanded and painted as well without decreasing the bond strength. They are used commercially in boating to hold the hull-to-deck joint together in large yachts, and they do an admirable job; they are very strong. Good luck with all this.
Jim R

Gents

I rememberd using some special type of sealant on an aircraft repanneling job a number of years ago.

The product used on aircrraft was PRC and is made by PRC Desoto.

Has anyone used this stuff on a 40? After all if it good enough for the aircraft industry it shoudl be good for us.

By the way this stuff has a very short shelf life to be acceptable on airraft and so potentially cheap source would be timex stuff from your local aircraft repair shops.

Ian

Hi, I think your talking about PR1422 sealant. It is a 2 part mix (small amout of hardener to sealant) .It is available in differnt working time mixes. After the 1422 is b1/2 , b2 etc meaning half hour working time, or 2 hrs etc. Once cured the stuff is incredible.
Most types are brownish black color.
There is also one that is silver and is used for outer aero surfaces around windshielids, windows and door seals. Not as tough as the black but still good. I have used these types of sealants on fuel cells to doors and fay sealing integral tanks on aircraft.
I dont think it would really be necesary to use them on a GT40. I havnt used it yet but I bet the stuff Robert uses is just fine . regards, Dan Weilacher

Robert supplies Sika 221, in my humble opinion it works just like it is supposed to. Read the label on the tube and it sounds perfect for the job. Sika is a good company.

I've used both now (5200 and Sika) and both do a good job. I like the 5200 a little better because I think the marine adhesive sticks a little better than the Sika but it is a BIG hassle to deal with for clean up. It is nasty. Either work fine though and work exactly as they should.

Ron,

Masking tape and WD40 are a must, when using 5200!

Mask the joints for less cleanup. WD40 on a paper towel,

will clean up 5200 smears quite easily. Non-toxic for hand

cleaning too.

If I get within 10' of 5200, I get it on myself somewhere!

Finding a better, cleaner way to use it, was a must!

Bill

The Stika 221 we use is great. We have tried others and come back to Stika every time. We use disposable gloves when we use it to stop the mess and we use a solvent to clean up as everybody has already spoken about.

Best wishes,

Robert