I'm Going To Put A Deposit Down On A Lightweight!

[Jon Bradbury]

That's what the bloke on the Technical Line said.

 

I think he said there are two cars built at the moment.

[Guest stu205]

Pete you collecting the kit today or have you decided to leave it till august?

[peter_m7uk]

Nah, far too busy at work and I can only borrow the work van at weekends! Problem is, I'm busy the 3rd weekend in August and RH aren't working the

August bank holiday, so it may have to be 1st weekend in September! :boohoo:

 

All good things are worth waiting for.....

 

Pete

[peter_m7uk]

This thread went quiet a while ago, but I wanted to get back to the sealant issue discussed with Battery Bill, ECAM and Chris Brown. Now that I actually have the Lightweight kit sitting in my garage, it all seems more relevant

 

Having watched some of the build DVDs, there is no mention of sealant whatsoever. Surely, with metal-to-metal joints everywhere, eventually things are going to start squeaking and rubbing I half-expected the kit to include

some sealant, but nope!

 

Looking at this from the point of aesthetics, I would have thought a clear sealant would be best for the stuff that squeezes out of the joints? Any of you aircraft/sealant experts know of one?

 

Any other Lightweighters on here considering this problem??

 

Pete

[Nigel Rogers]

Pete,

 

Mating surfaces are very sensitive to corrosion because moisture and contamination can go between the surfaces and cause corrosion. All static mating surfaces, seams and joints should be sealed with a sealant which is applied to each surface before the installation.

 

The trick is to do all your drilling off, debur everything and then wet assemble when you are ready to rivet/bolt up. When the sealant squeezes out have a cloth soaked in white spirit to clean off the excess.

 

Hope this helps

Cheers Nige

[peter_m7uk]

Cheers ECAM, although with aluminium I wouldn't have thought that corrosion was the main problem, but rather joint strength, rattling and leaks. On consideration, I'm definitely going to use some, although I'm in contact with Diyer,

who says he's already started the build without sealant. Will be interesting to see how sealed and non-sealed cars compare in future.....

 

Any idea who supplies good sealant cheaply and what I could expect to pay to seal an entire car?

 

Pete

[Grim]

Cheers ECAM, although with aluminium I wouldn't have thought that corrosion was the main problem, but rather joint strength, rattling and leaks.

Only pure aluminium is corrosion resistant, but it's as soft as putty. Useful alloyed grades can have severe corrosion problems, especially in regions like sseams which can trap moisture and give differant oxygen levels causing an electrolytic action, corroding itself away.

[Guest Petemate]

Absolutely right Andrew. I remember my days in the RAF, and like Battery Bill know just how messy products like pigmented varnish jointing compound (phew) can be. But it is an excellent alternative to the cruddy mess that ensues with the absence of any sealant at all. Galvanic action is deadly.

Pete

[Guest v8cortina]

Hi, I also have been thinking about this Lightweight for a long time. I have taken the plunge and am visiting the factory next Tuesday. Does anyone want me to ask any questions while I am there.

Cheers

Thierry

[peter_m7uk]

Hi V8, it would be good if you could get the official Robin Hood line on sealant.

The build DVDS don't mention the use of an adhesive or sealant at all, but from

what the guys on this forum are saying, it could be a big mistake not to use it. :boohoo:

 

I expect some offhand comment like "Well, we haven't used it and the chassis seems fine", but it would be good to hear if they have thought about it...

 

Cheers,

 

Pete

[Nigel Rogers]

Here's a list of the types of corrosion Lightweight Builders could face if care is not taken during construction. :boohoo: :gdit: :boohoo: :gdit: Take Care by sealing etc and you will have no problems .

 

A. Pitting Corrosion

B. Filiform Corrosion

C. Intergranular Corrosion

D. Galvanic Corrosion

E. Stress Corrosion

F. Biological Corrosion

G. Fretting Corrosion

H. Exfoliation Corrosion

 

Any type of sealant, is better than no sealant, the main thing is to keep metal to metal contact to a minimum. Done properly your Lightweight will probably last longer than a steel car

 

Cheers Nige

[Guest v8cortina]

Hi,

Visited RHE factory today to see the new Lightweight. I was really impressed.

I asked about sealing the panels etc. and they advised me to bond the panels using a sealant like Sikaflex. He said this would make the chassis more rigid and seal the joints from moisture.

This may be a useful link Sikaflex Info

Hope this helps.

Thierry