Did the search thing to no real avail. Can someone tell me the best sealant to use for the floor pan to body seal. Have read article in VW magazine, but he glues the seal in place. Is this a good idea or not.

Will the sealant hold the seal in the correct place on just the floor pan as I want to put the seal on now, but wont bolt the body down for the final time for nearly 3 months. I need to put the body on and off several times for checking things prior to painting and dont want the seal to move and want it on there to stop scratching of painted floor pan.

Thanks, Kevin

Hi

I've never had anything to do with taking off the body
and the seal
but it seemed like a good idea to me to glue it into place
[one side only]

My Son painted his chassis with POR 15 first, which is the hardest paint known to mankind... lol
so, taking the body off and on won't scratch the chassis if its POR 15..

I have heard that replacing the rubber seal is one of the hardest jobs on a beetle...

to stop noise, I have padded My beetle with layers of the blue EVA yoga mat You can buy at Go Lo BigW etc.
I have 2 layers over the roof, in all panels, in the doors
around the engine bay inside and out, even under the bonnet and carpet as I like the noise from My twin straight thru pipes from a standard muffler , but My Wife didn't .. so, now she thinks I have quietened My beetle's exhaust... lol

cheers Kev

LEE

cant remember exactly what we used, but im sure sikaflex would be the go, it dries but stays flexible

Thanks guys and I have heard before that the sealant needs to stay flexible.

Kev

used sikaflex on mine

Hi

Whatever you use make sure its non acidic. Maybe a windscreen sealant?

Are you supposed to still use tacks like the factory did?

Steve

yeah its still tacked into place, and make sure u seal the open ends of the body to pan seal with sikaflex as well

sikaflex is mans best friend

Marc

sikaflex is the best and you can get it at bunnings

Thanks for all the input. Does sikaflex stay flexible when cured ?? I thought it was just a strong adhesive, maybe the name suggests the answer.

Cheers, Kevin

it stays flexible for nigh on forever. its also a pita to get off anything you dont want it on like hands

If you use your hands to put it on,put some liquid soup on your hands

Thanks again. Bought the Sikaflex and am going down to start sealing.

Cheers, Kevin

If you are not going to finally bolt the body down for a while and if you are going to remove the body a few times, I'd seal it to one side only, otherwise getting it off will be big messy hassle.

I'd seal it to the pan and then be careful about how the body is removed.

Either way doesn't matter, I suppose.

uze r all crazy, dont uze sikaflex, think of the poor bastard 20 years from now trying to do a body off resto, hes never going to get it off, sikaflex sticks ike shit to a blanket just uze normal non hardening w/s sealant and it will be fine!

Hi Guys,

Scuize my ignorance. Did the original assembly use a sealer (or just a seal tacked in place?).


Newt

I'd check it first, I've used Sikaflex way out of date, if it comes out of the tube ok (no undue force) then it's still ok.

Thanks donn, I will check it out now.

Kev

the same kev, we have used tubes at work that were on the shelf for over a year. so long as its still liquid its fine.

use wurth not sikaflex as it is acidic and will corrode if given the smallest amount of bare metal to work thru (scratches)

Use those vinyl "tough" gloves

Thanks again all, for the replies.

Hellbugged, (Dave) VW54 said to use house roof gutter sealant or similar as it was non-acidic so I guess you make a good point about the sikaflex.

Cheers, Kev.

wurth make a lot of Volkswagen sealers
Like Wurth seam sealer and you can even buy a bead spreader nozzle. about $20 a cartridge.

Sikaflex is to hold windscreen glass in. and fixing holes in your work boots

I woud suggest a wind screen sealant like butal mastic, it will stay plyable until you mount the body, sikaflex will set to hard to compress after the three months if you use to much of it, the original gasket was nailed to the pan with no sealant and a mastic sealant used in the corners where the rubbers joint, i have used the mastic several times with no issues, simple clean up with turps

Ah, butyl mastic, I have about 6 tubes on the shelf, been there for 20 years, I go out and look at it from time to time, I just love seeing it siting there slowly dieing, it deserves a very slow death, I hate the stuff.

if you want to smooth out sika flex or any silicone products use a fresly cut potato, cut to the desired shape and it will not stick to the spud. use 11fc as it is more flexible. I build concrete water tanks and sika flex around cast in fittings where the concrete has shrunk away from the fitting.