Rust discovered on nearside sill - Bongo Weak Spot Check?

[Rhod]

Checked mine this evening & found identical areas of rust on the box section of the sill, just under the front of the doors on both sides. Doesn't look too serious yet, but I think I'll be getting some welding done..... The Bongo got the full treatment from Chassis Clean about 11 months ago as well, so must be working it's way out from inside.
Rhod

[mikeonb4c]

Well I gave good old Chassis Clean a ring today and Richard (the farmer) was out frantically harvesting the crop while there was this current weather window. I spoke with his wife (very nice) who said she couldn't recall ever having to hold on so long to harvest - but at least they may save the crop. Good news for all of us.

Anyway, they can do simple welding and she even said I could use the ramp and gear and do it myself if I wanted (being a past customer). Amazing, but I think that is not sensible. It would be better done when they have finished the harvest, and I'm in no rush (MOT not till November). So I think I'll get some mild steel plate, fashion it to shape and fix up to take Bongo and work piece over there where we can weld it on and they can squirt some dinitrol over the adjacent area. I may try my hand myself or just watch.

I can see a niche market for them offering 'Have a go at welding your own Bongo' sessions as a kind of adventure experience. Seriously! Could be fun plus get the job done at modest cost.

Thinking about it, rust patches like this and getting them fixed is bound to be necessary as part of preserving ageing Bongos and I don't think it's something to panic too much about. Just another 'running cost'.

Ah well, off to bed with a hot cocoa

[Bob]

Thinking about it, rust patches like this and getting them fixed is bound to be necessary as part of preserving ageing Bongos and I don't think it's something to panic too much about. Just another 'running cost'.

Ah well, off to bed with a hot cocoa [/quote]

'Bout the size of it Mike, well done.

[Dr.Jekyll]

I have come over to Bongo ownership from having VW T2 & T25's so things like this are indeed just part of owning an older vehicle. Things don't last forever.

[mikeonb4c]

Checked mine this evening & found identical areas of rust on the box section of the sill, just under the front of the doors on both sides. Doesn't look too serious yet, but I think I'll be getting some welding done..... The Bongo got the full treatment from Chassis Clean about 11 months ago as well, so must be working it's way out from inside.
Rhod

I'm quite sure this predates anything that Dinitrol treatment, waxoyling etc. could have doen to prevent it. The treatment maay prevent further ingress however. It seems to me there is a Catch 22 here. Treatment can only work where it can be liberally applied. And that is only possible in these dark recesses when the corrosion breaks through and creates a hole through which to spray. At times, I wonder whether having drain holes from new (or even drilling them as part of the treatment process, might be better than leaving them closed).

I expect to be visiting Chassis Clean soon and will discuss Bongo chassis design andremedial actions with them. I'll post anything I get from that. Meanwhile, good we are checking as it's better known about than not known about.

[mikeonb4c]

I have come over to Bongo ownership from having VW T2 & T25's so things like this are indeed just part of owning an older vehicle. Things don't last forever.

Spot on. And really its good we are discovering 'hot spots' now rather than later and discussing best ways of tackling them.

[Rhod]

I expect to be visiting Chassis Clean soon and will discuss Bongo chassis design andremedial actions with them. I'll post anything I get from that. Meanwhile, good we are checking as it's better known about than not known about.

Thanks Mike - it would be useful to know what they think. Probably too far for me to justify another trip down to them at the moment, but I was impressed with their overall service & would consider a "top-up" treatment at some point.
Rhod

[bigdaddycain]

Dont know if this helps but on My mazda van I found Rust coming through on one of side panels, I thought it was surface rust but it kept coming back and in the end I could see it was coming from inside the box section just infront of the rear wheel, I took a hole saw to it and made a hole about 32mm so I could have a look inside and found it was full of wet mud that had built up over the years, I investigated further and found it had got in because the seam where the inner rear wheel arch meets the body had lost its sealant and now had a gap going through into the box section in front of it so all the water and crud getting thrown off the wheel was getting flung inside the box section where it slowly worked its magic and rotted it out, any way I cleaned it all out and got rid of as much rust as i could before waxoiling and spraying the inside......I used a plastic plug to block the hole and sprayed it the same colur as the van so it does not look to bad and I can remove it to check on the inside (I also sealed the seam again) so it could be worth having a good look at the wheel arch incase its a similar problem......the other side was fine.......I took out a bung underneath the box section and had a good look inside and it was dry and rot free and the seal on the wheel arch seam was still in place

What a very informative post oskah,it could well be a similar scenario with our bongo's too.

[mister munkey]

Only just pickrd up this thread Mike. Checked mine out nervously expecting something nasty but all is well, in those corners at least.

Just a thought though, do you have mudflaps?

From the looks of my bits, the plastic may have prevented that build up - so far at least. . . .

[mister munkey]

Scrub that thought.

Just clicked your pics.

I'll be getting me coat then.