Axle Tunnel repair (welded in wrong)

[cigarman]

I had to share this with all:
My store has been very slow with the economy as bad as it is so I started working on Amphicars for people since August 2008. I am putting at least 30 hours a week in fixing customers cars and it is going good so far and every once in a while I get hung up on something and call some Amphi friends (Dave, Gord Scott at Gordon Imports) etc, and they help me figure it out. But on this one nobody I talked to had to deal with this issue yet...

Here's what happened: The Axle tunnels needed to be replaced and they were done before I got the car by a very good welder who did it without the transmission in the car to measure, the problem was that he thought he could get them lined up by eye with no problem, but it was a BIG problem, they were over 1/2 inches lower and towards the rear. I could see when the car was brought to me that each side was not even with the other and it might be a problem but I felt I could bend the tunnels enough to make it work without cutting and rewelding them at the base. I knew I would need some leverage and something very close to 4 inches around. I kept thinking of lanscaping timber that I used on my house some years back, so I went to Menards and bought a 8 foot piece that measured perfectly inside the tunnel. I cut it down to 5 feet because I only had 6 feet to work on the drivers side of the car. I had to jack the car up and use wood blocks(no jackstands not safe for this!) At first it wasn't moving at all with me pushing at the angle I needed so I stood using my weight on the post slowly and worked it around untill it was almost perfect.. I had to use a rubber mallot under the post between the wood and the bottom metal to get even more leverage it was at the perfect height now. Nothing kinked or broke or bent. It was still off from left to right though. This was the harder part because I couldn't stand on the post, I had to use just my weight and power to pull back on the car which actually slid the car over 3 feet to the other side on the blocks which I watched carefully and moved as needed until the problem was corrected. Then I went to the other side to fix the same (not as bad though)... I posted some pictures for you to see. so if anyone ever has to deal with this, at least there is a solution. Of course the best solution is doing it right in the first place...
Cigarman

 

[EricM]

Impressive there! See You Saturday.

Eric




On Feb 12, 2009, at 3:12 PM, cigarman wrote:

> I had to share this with all:
> My store has been very slow with the economy as bad as it is so I
> started working on Amphicars for people since August 2008. I am
> putting at least 30 hours a week in fixing customers cars and it is
> going good so far and every once in a while I get hung up on
> something and call some Amphi friends (Dave, Gord Scott at Gordon
> Imports) etc, and they help me figure it out. But on this one nobody
> I talked to had to deal with this issue yet...
>
> Here's what happened: The Axle tunnels needed to be replaced and
> they were done before I got the car by a very good welder who did it
> without the transmission in the car to measure, the problem was that
> he thought he could get them lined up by eye with no problem, but it
> was a BIG problem, they were over 1/2 inches lower and towards the
> rear. I could see when the car was brought to me that each side was
> not even with the other and it might be a problem but I felt I could
> bend the tunnels enough to make it work without cutting and
> rewelding them at the base. I knew I would need some leverage and
> something very close to 4 inches around. I kept thinking of
> lanscaping timber that I used on my house some years back, so I went
> to Menards and bought a 8 foot piece that measured perfectly inside
> the tunnel. I cut it down to 5 feet because I only had 6 feet to
> work on the drivers side of the car. I had to jack the car up and
> use wood blocks(no jackstands not safe for this!) At first it wasn't
> moving at all with me pushing at the angle I needed so I stood using
> my weight on the post slowly and worked it around untill it was
> almost perfect.. I had to use a rubber mallot under the post between
> the wood and the bottom metal to get even more leverage it was at
> the perfect height now. Nothing kinked or broke or bent. It was
> still off from left to right though. This was the harder part
> because I couldn't stand on the post, I had to use just my weight
> and power to pull back on the car which actually slid the car over 3
> feet to the other side on the blocks which I watched carefully and
> moved as needed until the problem was corrected. Then I went to the
> other side to fix the same (not as bad though)... I posted some
> pictures for you to see. so if anyone ever has to deal with this, at
> least there is a solution. Of course the best solution is doing it
> right in the first place...
> Cigarman
>
> Attached to this message is rorbert's amphi 015.jpg
> Attached to this message is rorbert's amphi 017.jpg
> Attached to this message is rorbert's amphi 018.jpg
> Attached to this message is rorbert's amphi 020.jpg
> Attached to this message is rorbert's amphi 027.jpg
>
>

 

[rpung]

Thanks John,
I need to do that I my car and was wondering how to proceed..Well you gave me the answer..

 

[Ed Price]

_____

From: cigarman [mailto:]
Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2009 1:13 PM
To: edprice@cox.net
Subject: [General Amphicar Discussion-t-20331] Axle Tunnel repair (welded in
wrong)


I had to share this with all:
My store has been very slow with the economy as bad as it is so I started
working on Amphicars for people since August 2008. I am putting at least 30
hours a week in fixing customers cars and it is going good so far and every
once in a while I get hung up on something and call some Amphi friends
(Dave, Gord Scott at Gordon Imports) etc, and they help me figure it out.
But on this one nobody I talked to had to deal with this issue yet...

Here's what happened: The Axle tunnels needed to be replaced and they were
done before I got the car by a very good welder who did it without the
transmission in the car to measure, the problem was that he thought he could
get them lined up by eye with no problem, but it was a BIG problem, they
were over 1/2 inches lower and towards the rear. I could see when the car
was brought to me that each side was not even with the other and it might be
a problem but I felt I could bend the tunnels enough to make it work without
cutting and rewelding them at the base. I knew I would need some leverage
and something very close to 4 inches around. I kept thinking of lanscaping
timber that I used on my house some years back, so I went to Menards and
bought a 8 foot piece that measured perfectly inside the tunnel. I cut it
down to 5 feet because I only had 6 feet to work on the drivers side of the
car. I had to jack the car up and use wood blocks(no jackstands not safe for
this!) At first it wasn't moving at all with me pushing at the angle I
needed so I stood using my weight on the post slowly and worked it around
untill it was almost perfect.. I had to use a rubber mallot under the post
between the wood and the bottom metal to get even more leverage it was at
the perfect height now. Nothing kinked or broke or bent. It was still off
from left to right though. This was the harder part because I couldn't stand
on the post, I had to use just my weight and power to pull back on the car
which actually slid the car over 3 feet to the other side on the blocks
which I watched carefully and moved as needed until the problem was
corrected. Then I went to the other side to fix the same (not as bad
though)... I posted some pictures for you to see. so if anyone ever has to
deal with this, at least there is a solution. Of course the best solution is
doing it right in the first place...
Cigarman


John, a couple of questions:

1.

When you were finished, did the tunnels show any sign of having
become oval?
2.

Did you notch the top of the beam where the indentation is located
on the top edge of the tunnel? If you didn't, you might have flattened out
those dents, and that may give you a clearance problem with the propeller
shafts.
3.

What type of red paint did you use?

Thanks,

Ed Price
El Cajon, CA USA
WB6WSN
61 Rust Guppy
1983 Toyota Celica
1987 MB 420SEL

 

[cigarman]

Ed,
No damage at all... it moved the whole tunnel slightly at the base, it started to oval slightly at the end near the trans but as I noticed it I moved the post so I would not tear or really damage the metal. You can use the post to take out the oblong shape, just work it around slowly.. I would not recommend this if your tunnel is off much more than mine was but it sure made my life easier this week...

I used Valspar Acrylic enamel w/hardener >> color Viper Red

Cigarman