I've done a couple of these. A nibbler in a drill makes cutting away the
old panel without distortion easier. Only cut away as much above the rot as
is needed to clear the corrosion, ideally this will mean you can trim some
off the top of your repair panel. Cut as close to the bottom and side edges
as you can, there is a very small gap between the wing panel and the sill,
which will hinder cutting in this area. However this is probably where your
rot is so it it'll just crumble away. Grind back to a flange around the
curve of the door opening, the sill bottom and the arch. You should find
that the vertical, curved seam between wing and sill is not welded but just
sealed. When you reveal the hidden part of the sill you may find corrosion,
or even peforation. There is a very small clearance between sill and the
bottom part of both front and rear wings, and spraying on Waxoyl from above
just forms a bridge along the top and leaves what is below unprotected.
After welding I squirt in clean engine oil then use a strip of card from
above to distribute it, before spraying Waxoyl from behind the trim panel
behind the door.
You should put the step in the repair panel, not the wing, because this is
one of your datum lines and you don't want to distort it. In the UK the
tool is called a joddler or flanger. Alignment is critical to maintain the
fit with the door, wing and sill, you should be able to put a straight-edge
horizontally across door or sill and the repair panel, although it depends
very much on how any previous sill, door and wing replacements have been
done. On both panels I have used the flange that follows the curve of the
sill needed bending back on itself to allow the panel to sit close enough to
the sill. Use weldable primer, plug welds in the door opening, intermittent
seam welds along the top seam, round the arch and along the bottom. Use
sealant where the curve of the panel meets the curve of the sill, but leave
a vertical groove, don't make it flush.
If you don't have Lindsay Porters 'Guide to Purchase and DIY Restoration of
the MGB', republished as 'The MGB Restoration Manual', you really ought to.
PaulH.
----- Original Message -----
From: <CraigFaubel@aol.com>
To: <mgs@autox.team.net>
Sent: Sunday, August 12, 2001 1:27 AM
Subject: how to do mgb dogleg repair?
> I have a B with small hole in rear panel (dogleg) just before wheel arch,
> near the ground. I bought the patch panels, and I have the car up on a
body
> rotator so I have good access, but I dont know how to remove the existing
> piece to put on the new panel. Can someone tell me what procedures I
should
> follow? I've heard that I need to get a device that makes a stepped
channel
> in the remaining metal after cutting off the bad part... assuming I can
> figure out HOW to remove the bad part!!!
///
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