DIY $40 make you holla fiberglas radiator shroud with bondo kit

[Big_John]

is the fan really only the 4 bolts on the front face of the fan?

i thought you had to undo the radiator and all the frontals to get it ?

Yep, 4 bolts.

If you have a clutch fan with a spacer on the water pump (like I do), sometimes it can be difficult to get everything aligned well enough to get the first bolt in. I run a long zip-tie/cable-tie/ty-rap through one of the bolt holes and pull it up tight.

 

[Carmine]

Dude, do not cut that in half. Remove fan.

 

[GJS]

View attachment 131909 thickness = good
air bubble = bad


View attachment 131910 air bubble = really really fknig bad.. kids dont let air bubbles happen. either fix it at the moment, or remove the offending piece and try again.

you can grind that out, cut a piece of roven and resin it in. It wont hurt the structure and will seal it up so moisture doesnt become an issue.

 

[GJS]

Dude, do not cut that in half. Remove fan.

I have to agree with Carmine, here. No way you need to cut that. Looks too damned good ESP when you don't have to.

 

[Polara_500]

Yep, 4 bolts.

If you have a clutch fan with a spacer on the water pump (like I do), sometimes it can be difficult to get everything aligned well enough to get the first bolt in. I run a long zip-tie/cable-tie/ty-rap through one of the bolt holes and pull it up tight.

Used to fight with that also but not tooooo long ago it dawned on me to start a carb stud in the pump and then you can slide it all together in alignment, start the other three bolts then replace that stud with the bolt - kills me it took so long to think of that.

 

[MarPar]

Used to fight with that also but not tooooo long ago it dawned on me to start a carb stud in the pump and then you can slide it all together in alignment, start the other three bolts then replace that stud with the bolt - kills me it took so long to think of that.

 

[Big_John]

Used to fight with that also but not tooooo long ago it dawned on me to start a carb stud in the pump and then you can slide it all together in alignment, start the other three bolts then replace that stud with the bolt - kills me it took so long to think of that.

That would work great too!

That's what I love about these forums... Toss out an idea and more comes back to you.

 

[saylor]

well today was a 50/50 day... i won some and i lost some.

here is the current shroud that will be changed

 

[saylor]

i tried bondo filler and did not even make it off the mixing table with the stuff. is it too hot in TX? too much wind? too much hardner? i didnt even get it mixed.

 

[MarPar]

View attachment 131979 i tried bondo filler and did not even make it off the mixing table with the stuff. is it too hot in TX? too much wind? too much hardner? i didnt even get it mixed.

a pea of hardener to a golf ball of filler...

 

[saylor]

then i tried my trusty PL30 as a filler.. i think this is gonna be another fail. it looks like the pl30 is not binding to the glass layer, and air bubbles are popping up like zits. i think im gonna have to sand it all off. i got about halfway and noticed the start point was all janky looking . . .

 

[saylor]

a pea of hardener to a golf ball of filler...

i may try again later. the box said "1 inch of hardner" to "golf ball size putty" so maybe I was way over on the additive.

 

[saylor]

i did flush the thermocure out, then 2 cycles of water thru, then some spankin new prestone 50/50. i let the car sit in the driveway and idle and it held at 209* until I shut it off.

if i ever get this new shroud in place maybe it will help more.

 

[MarPar]

give the dynaglass a shot. it goes on pretty evenly and you can sand it easily

 

[MarPar]

and yes, it got new metal under there that got welded in if you were wondering...I didnt just slop it over the rust. lol

 

[GJS]

Pl expands so without being pressed between two surfaces, it will continue to expand and bubble like that... no good as a filler.

Bondo is the same chemical cure as fiberglass resin, doesn't air cure but from a chemical reaction. Too much catalyst (red stuff) in the filler (grey stuff) will make it cure too fast... also, the chemical reaction creates heat and can burn if you aren't careful.

I go a little hotter than MarPar but yea, about a 1 inch line of catalyst to a golf ball of filler.

 

[MarPar]

I go a little hotter than MarPar but yea, about a 1 inch line of catalyst to a golf ball of filler.

ya, but you knowz what chu doin. I still dont. lol

 

[GJS]

ya, but you knowz what chu doin. I still dont. lol

Nah, it's just that, well
Some like it hot and some sweat when the heat is on.
Some feel the heat and decide that they can't go on.
Some like it hot
Some like it hot

 

[commando1]

and yes, it got new metal under there that got welded in if you were wondering...I didnt just slop it over the rust. lol

Lol. I was just about to say...

 

[MarPar]

Lol. I was just about to say...

Ya, the Dutchman and the window channel got some new metal. I was just making duly sure it was not going to be a problem again. At least not in my lifetime. lol