TD5 Defender
77
PANEL REPAIRS
18
SEALING AND CORROSION PROTECTION
Seam Sealers
A heat cured, PVC Plastisol sealer is applied to joint
areas during factory assembly. This material is not
suitable for service use.
Carry out seam sealing after the application of primer
and before the surfacer and final paint coats. Ensure
that surfaces are first cleaned of all grease and oil.
Apply the sealer material to the joint as a bead, either
by hand or using an applicator gun. Where necessary,
brush sealer well into the joint and wipe smooth using
a cloth soaked with solvent such as Shell SBP3. This
will ensure an acceptable cosmetic finish.
Apply sealer to ALL accessible joints following repair
work. Be aware that damage to a vehicle can often
result in deflection to those areas of the body which
are remote from the impact. The sealers in these
areas can therefore be disturbed by subsequent
straightening and repair operations. Check joints in
the vicinity of the area undergoing repair for evidence
of cracked sealer, clean them out as required and
re-treat them with fresh sealer using the following
procedure:
•
Clean the affected joint or seam and
re-treat any exposed metal areas with a
suitable etch phosphate primer.
•
Treat affected area with an acid-etch
primer.
•
Apply appropriate seam sealer as
necessary.
•
Apply appropriate colour coat (and
underbody sealer as applicable).
Where joints are inaccessible following the
reassembly or fitment of components, ensure that a
paste-type sealer is applied to such joints. Certain
seams also become inaccessible after the completion
of panel repairs. In such instances the paint process
should be carried out and sealers applied before final
assembly.
Provided access is adequate, apply the sealer to both
sides of the repair joint. Where access is limited to
one side only (e.g. box sections), inject the affected
box member with cavity wax.
CAUTION: ALWAYS deploy an extractor
unit to remove toxic fumes when using
oxy-acetylene equipment to remove panels
treated with wax and sealers.
The following Illustrations show the treatment areas
for Seam Sealing.